Breakfast In Spain - Roger Hodgson and Supertramp website

Hans and Monique's experience of a dream in Nice

FRIDAY:
The plane will leave at 12.45 hours from Rotterdam to Nice. Hans is having lots of problems as he is frightened to fly. We are leaving home at about 9 o'clock as this is a cheap ticket deal, first one to check in, first one on the plane and of course we must stay together or he will have an even more difficult time. We are both glad when we arrive in Nice 1,5 hours later. And there "the gang" is waiting. Wonderful, after such a long time being together again.

We join Miguel Angel and Jordi to go and see where Roger will perform, but nobody is there and no activities at all. We decided to go and see our hotel. After checking in, all of us are going to see our room. The wonderful toilet....you can't close the door to do what you have to do so Laurent is showing us to do "it the French way"...sit the other way around on the toilet and the door will close (LOL). After giving the specially made Nice t-shirts and of course lots of laughter, we are going for a walk into beautiful Nice with all the Ferrari's and rich people who have arrived there for the Grand Prix. After a swim (Laurent only), a nice sit on the beach we are going up the mountain to see what Nice is looking like from there. After that, a "Nice" meal at an Italian restaurant. In Holland we have a saying, "the bottom of the pizza taste like carton", well in France they can do the same. After a stroll, another sit on the beach and another drink we decided to go back to our great hotel.

SATURDAY:
After not enough sleep, we go back to the central square in Nice to have some breakfast. This is not really working out but then Peggy's telephone rings.... and yes it is indeed Roger. We are all so nervous and Peggy decide to walk back and forward... so we miss half of the conversation. Roger asked us to meet him at the concert hall at 16 o'clock. So plans change, half of us are going back up the mountain the others are going to some village. Up the mountain the t-shirt for Roger is signed by us, photo's are made and we decide to make our way to the hall. Because of previous experiences, we decide to go to a supermarket and buy some food. Every time we go and see Roger, we are hungry and this time we will have some food with us....Time spent in the supermarket is too long and we only have 15 minutes to cross the city.

I don't think I have ever been so afraid in the back of a car. Miguel Angel was trying to do a Grand Prix winning in the streets of Nice. Go 120 km an hour where 50 km is allowed. It scared us....., but we made it in time but Roger was too late....he arrived by taxi and it was just so great to see him again. He invited us in to see the sound check and just being there with him again was a miracle. After a chat, the sound check, another chat we had a picknick outside and then of course the show. When we queued to get in for the show, it appeared that it was not fully booked and we were placed in the VIP section. Great the first row. It could not be better.
Roger was on as last artist before the break. He played 3 songs with the ochestra, it is a dream when you are there watching him and it is a dream when you try to remember afterwards. Roger started with "Logical Song" on keyboard, then "Fool's ouverture" on piano. Even the sounds in the middle where performed and this big bell came down (unfortunately there were some security monkees walking around to see who was taking pictures. The photo of the bell had to be taken after the show as we were afraid to loose our camera). Then Roger played "give a little bit" on his guitar. At the end of the show, all artist performed "hey Jude" and Roger played/sang quite a bit solo somewhere in the middle.

After the show Roger came so see us and say goodbye before he had to leave. Again it feld like a dream. He told us that after the Ringo tour he will not perform for a while, for us in Europe probably not till the end of 2002. We found a little restaurant and had some drinks, then we all went back to our hotels, tired but soooo satisfied.

SUNDAY:
Meeting eachother at 11 o'clock to have breakfast. Getting the newspapers to see if anything is written about "The Night of the Proms". On the inside of the paper there is a page with photo's. Great, Roger's photo is in the paper as well.
After breakfast it is time to face reality. Gudrun, Jerome and Laurent are leaving first. Say goodbye....then M-Angel and Jordi are taking Peggy, Hans and me back to the airport and again it is time so say goodbye......after 1,5 hours flying we are back in Holland, Peggy is taking the long way home and had a quick bite to eat at our place and then again it is time to say goodbye... back to reality, but with this wonderful trip to last a very very long time in our minds and of course our hearts....

MONDAY:
Back to reality, back to work........