Porsche Music Night

Hi everyone!

I know it's a long time since I've written something here and a lot as happened since. But I'll update you on that at a more convenient time.
For now I want to write you a review of a series of events at Porsche Music Night in Stuttgart!

A long drive to Stuttgart, but it was worth every inch of it. Seriously!

We arrived at our very fancy hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn in between the Porsche Arena and the Mercedes - Benz Arena, in front of the Mercedes factory and Museum. This museum, by the way, is also worth a visit! It's beautiful and it will make you appreciate Mercedes even more. :)

Okay, now back to business and what I actually wanted to write.

We arrived at our fancy pants hotel. All personnel was extremely friendly and helpful. I've never experienced such a good treatment in a hotel, and believe me, I've already been in a few hotels here and there! ;)
After we dropped all our luggage in our room, we wanted to explore the beautiful hotel. On our way to the Wellness area we passed a man in bathrobe and slippers. From far it was kind of a funny view, but when he came closer we thought it might be the best guitarist in the whole world, Lars from The Baseballs. We didn't know for sure so we didn't say anything. He had a beard and when we saw him before he never did, so we weren't sure. Okay. So we left it at that. We thought it might've been him, but we weren't sure. We weren't sure.... We weren't... Until we took the elevator and the 'man-in-bathrobe-now-in-jeans' took the elevator with us. He actually kind of saved my brother from being stuck between the doors of the elevator. We left the elevator and still: we were not sure.
We decided so wait and see if Lars had a beard on stage and then we would be sure. So we got all dressed up for a fancy night out and we tried not to think about it anymore.
We had nice food and drinks at Porsche Music Night and then the first artists appeared on stage: The Rattles. An rock 'n' roll band existing of three elderly men, but no doubt they could sing! They really opened the Music Night very well.

And then it was time: my favorite band of all times would be on stage: The Baseballs. Unfortunately without Sam who has back problems and has to rest. Nevertheless, it was a great performance. 

And of course you all wanted to know if the 'man-in-bathrobe' was my favorite guitarist... 

And YES it was him. We felt soooo weird afterwards. He had this grin in the elevator like he knew we should've recognized him (we've been to many concerts before and we always try to be well in front, and once he heard me say that I thought he was pretty handsome, so yes, I know...). 

Well, through this message, I want to tell Lars how sorry I am I didn't dare asking him if it were really him.... Next time I will! ;) 

Lars... 

The Baseballs

Basti

Two instead of three Baseballs: Basti & Digger

Basti

Basti & Digger

Klaas

Digger - Lars - Basti

Digger

After The Baseballs it was time for Umberto Tozzi. I have to say that I expected more from an artist like him, but nonetheless his performance was okay. The saxophonist was incredibly good and that made Umberto's performance a lot better.

Umberto Tozzi

Famous for her hit '99 Luftballons' in Belgium, but still famous and more popular than ever: Nena. Incredible woman with an incredible voice. She rocked the stage. Making pictures of her was prohibited, but one clandestine photograph never killed anyone, so my brother took this one:

Nena

They were announced as a tribute band to Queen and Freddie Mercury, but The Queen Kings are much more than that. They're amazing artists who pay huge respect to Queen and Freddie, but they have their own way and that's what's so great about this band. If you ever have the chance to see them live, please do so, you won't regret it! Mark my words!

The Queen Kings

The morning after the Porsche Music Night we saw a few members of The Rattles and The Queen Kings and also Klaas, the best bassist in the world and of course member of our favorite band, The Baseballs! :)
We had a little chat (okay, my mum actually talked to him, because of course I was way too chicken)and gave him some Belgian chocolates to share with the band. He was really really nice and he has the most beautiful voice. I was really stunned. :) You always pay attention to the singers' voices, so I never heard how beautiful his voice was. ;)
Klaas, I hope you returned home safe and sound and I hope to see you soon again. It was really nice meeting you. :)

Klaas

And as all fun stories come to an end so did this one... We returned home and all we have left is a lot of pictures and good memories...

To end this blog I still want you to meet The Queen Kings:

Video not owned by me: via youtube.com: Scaramouche15

Enjoy!

Talk to you again real soon, promised! :) 

P.S.: I've noticed that when I publish this message some of the words have links under it, this is not my intention and I don't know what that's happening. Please ignore these links. 

3 days of Frankfurter show & snow

Hi everyone!

We went to Frankfurt this weekend!
On Friday we left very early to be ahead of the so called snow storm we were expecting here in Belgium. They'd warned us for 10-12cm of snow in a few hours of time, turned out that there was only a thin layer of snow... Oh well... So we left at 5.30 am (we'd expected a little bit of snow then already, but nothing). After 4,5 hours of driving we arrived at Frankfurt. It was freezing cold, but the city is so nice that you forget that for an instant. And girls, there's a whole lot of shopping to do in Frankfurt! :)

Covered in a few layers of clothes, hat and gloves we went to do some shopping and strolling over the Christmas market. We all bought new shoes! And we also bought an Elvis Limited Edition Coffee machine and Toaster.
The Christmas market was sooo busy that it was impossible to take a look at the first few stalls. The stalls were all decorated beautifully, but as I've said before pictures always say more than words.

Of course we actually almost never go to Germany without a concert of these guys: The Baseballs. This time however it was a Christmas Concert in Alte Oper. We loved what they'd done with the Christmas songs and we absolutely loved the concert (of course, we were in second row, what more could anyone ask for, he). And they looked GOOD:

Basti

Sam

Digger

Digger & Basti

Sam

The Baseballs & the Neue Frankfurter Philharmonie

Guys, we enjoyed is very very very much! :)


The way home was a little bit more dangerous than the way there:

This was what we woke up to... 

We got home alright, all save and sound.
But I won't let you leave my page without one of the songs the guys played on Friday in Alte Oper.

The video belongs to: dhmarisjjedh

Holiday season kicked in!

There's no way around it anymore: in shops slowly appear the first signs of Christmas lights and jingle bells, people wandering around stores to see what to put on their wish lists or to buy as a Christmas gift for their loved ones and yes, girls and women around the globe are looking at something to wear, because 'we can't wear what we bought last year'.
It's official: Holiday season kicked in and it kicked hard, especially for our family...
Almost two weeks ago now The Baseballs' Good Ol' Christmas was released and of course mom and I already got our copy and yes, yes, yes, the signed copy! :)

The Baseballs' Good Ol' Christmas

So at our place there's no way around it anymore, we can't stop singing Christmas carols (even my brother sings them!!!)!
Anyway I tried to ban the Christmas songs for as long as possible, but let's face it when it's The Baseballs singing them, I have to cave-in (voluntarily of course!)...

Last week I started looking for Christmas gifts myself. I wanted to buy mum a vintage sewing box, so I started searching the net for the good old stuff. I think it must've been no longer than 10 minutes that I was clicking and closing and clicking and closing dozens of advertisements until I found something I wasn't quite looking for... I encountered the one thing my mum always wanted to have... Retro, yes, vintage, of course, but not a sewing box... Not a sewing box, no, bigger, a lot bigger... Something I knew my mum was going to be sooo happy with...
Since I didn't know for sure if I should ask the lady that posted the ad if it was still available, I called my brother. He was at home so I knew he could go to the computer to look at it and give me some advise. I was stumbled with my find, I needed some confirmation that it was really there and that it was really what mum always dreamed of.
As I called up my brother he said mum was at the computer, but that he would happily ask her to leave for a moment. ;) I hung up and we agreed that he would e-mail me his reply... It seemed like ages before he replied. Why did it take so long???
Then finally I got a text (not an e-mail, he tried to call me 3 times, telephone was on silent, so here you go that's what made it seem like ages...) 'Will she really sell at that price?'. I told him I thought so and that I would send her a mail to ask if it was still available and if she would sell it to us for 50 euros.
Her reply was yes and yes. YES, we had what we always wanted to buy her, but couldn't afford...

I already told you it was bigger than a sewing box, a lot bigger.
Yesterday we could pick it up at the lady's place in Rotselaar. She had it from an aunt of her's and now she had to get rid of it because she moved to a smaller apartment. If no-one bought it, it would've ended up in the 'Kringloopwinkel', that a Belgian society that buys furniture and all kinds of stuff at really low prices and then puts them up, if necessary, and resells them at low prices.
On the way back home my brother and I decided to give it to mum right away and not wait until Christmas, because we didn't know where we could hide it until then.
We stopped at a supermarket to by some wrapping paper and then we went home, a little bit nervous, but so happy we bought it.

Back home we told mum to stay in the kitchen until we said it was 'safe' to come out.
We wrapped our gift in fleece blankets and wrapping paper (the two rolls we bought weren't sufficient :s). Then it was time to bring mum to the stairway and let her unwrap the gift...
She didn't know what it was at first, but when the wrapping paper got off, I saw she cried tears of joy...
She couldn't believe what we bought, she thought we were the best kids in the world (she didn't say it, but I could tell from the look upon her face ;) ).
Now of course you still don't know what we bought... :)
Sometimes pictures tell more than words, so here are the picture of the 1920's Singer Sphinx:

1920's Singer Sphinx

1920's Singer Sphinx

1920's Singer Sphinx

1920's Singer Sphinx

1920's Singer Sphinx

1920's Singer Sphinx

1920's Singer Sphinx

1920's Singer Sphinx

So with Christmas carols all around, one gift given and trees losing all their leafs, we could definitely say Holiday season is there and we are ready for it!
'Now is it gonna be a bag of love or just some knick-knack things?'

Source: You Tube: The Baseballs, Ring Ring, 2012 - www.youtube.com

Trip to Berlin

Hi guys!
Last weekend my mum, brother and I went to Berlin. We saw a lot of different things so I decided to divide this blog post in chapters, because there's a lot to tell! :)

Chapter 1: The Baseballs at Zitadelle, Spandau

Happy coincidence: we wanted to go to the US Car Classics in Diedersdorf and we found out The Baseballs, my mum's and my all-time favorite band, would be playing in Berlin-Spandau. Of course we immediately booked our tickets!
It was the fifth time we'd see them live (second time this summer, first at Concert @ SEA) and it was AWESOME once again. ;)
My favorite moment of this show was the Elvis tribute: A Big Hunk O' Love
The King died 35 years ago and is still missed...

Of course we have a lot of pictures of this show!
The Baseballs: photo album

Basti

Digger

Sam

Thank you, Sam, for looking straight into my lens! ;) 

Digger on fire! 

The Elvis-belt! 

The end... :( 

Mum - bro - me

Chapter 2: Berlin!!!!!!!!

I have to say I would've never thought Berlin was that beautiful! Really, I mean, if you've never been there you SHOULD go there. It's definitely worth it. Because of limited time we could only visit the most obvious tourist attractions. Although, 'tourist' might not be the right word. Berlin is touristy, sure, but I never had the feeling the landmarks tourists visit are exploited to the bone. I like the way Berlin acts around it's landmarks: just the landmark, a bit of information and voilà: one of the most beautiful cities I ever visited (and although I'm still quite young, I've visited a lot of cities already). Unlike Rome, Berlin never gives you the feeling that you're being a tourist. I know I'm making it difficult to understand, but maybe some of you recognize this feeling (or so I hope, because otherwise I'm really making a fool of myself here)!

Pieces of the Wall

Brandenburger Tor

Memorial for the murdered Jews

I Love Berlin!

Chapter 3: US Car Classics

The wonderful location at Schloss Diedersdorf and the wonderful weather made it a success: lots of classic cars came out. I think in this case pictures say a lot more than words. Enjoy! 

That was that for my photo-rich blog post about our trip to Berlin! :)
To end this post I want to share Elvis' A big hunk o' love: