Our own story

Our own story Maastricht July 2025.

Thunderstorm on its way??

New edition of the well-known book “My music, my life”, written by Marjorie Rieu. I loved this book! It is on sale at the Dominican bookstore, the tourist office and André’s web shop.

Mobile office to order concert tickets for 2026!!!!

André’s livestream camera from the Theater on the Vrijthof. Thank you André and Pierre for what you did for the fans!

Dinner with our daughter Irene at the Piepenhoes restaurant, and attending the Saturday concert.

Heather Jamieson and Pierre in front of the Theater

To our surprise we discovered a member of our royal family in the audience. Prince Jaime was happily waltzing down the aisle with his wife Victoria and their two daughters. During the intermission we had a chat an he was willing to pose for a photo with me. Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme is a son of Princess Irene (Princess Beatrix’s sister) so, he is a cousin of King Willem- Alexander. He seemed to be a wonderful family man!

More visitors!! Our son Martin with his youngest son Peter (12). Having dinner at Lily’s (restaurant La Chine) and enjoying the concert from our hotel room

July 8th 2025. We had booked tickets for the “Summer evening concert at Slavante”. Music, food, drinks, friends and a beautiful panoramic view. We were surprised by the variety of the program. Several music styles, performed on piano, violin (Cisem Oskurt), trumpet (Floris Onstwedder), accordion, double bass. Nice stories connected the music. We enjoyed a tango dancing couple, and Cisem was belly-dancing.

Celebrating Linda/Richard’s wedding anniversary with friends and “Maastricht chocolate kisses (in Maastricht dialect: “punekes”), from chocolate shop and ice cream parlor Darq in the Smedenstraat.

We visited Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium, at the other side of the river Meuse.

A Rumanian sand sculpture artist in Maastricht.

In 2019, the historic city wall collapsed. The restoration of the damage was completed in 2025. It is now possible to book a guided tour to the interior of the "Five Heads" bastion. www.vestingmuseummaastricht.nl. Our guide was Mr. Koos Consten.

Press and media payed a lot of attention to the André Rieu fans in Maastricht. A jubilee: 2005 - 2025 = 20 years of Vrijthof concerts. Title of this year’s concerts: Waltz the night away.

In front of André’s castle “the little towers”: Beth, Heather, Graham Stevens

In loving memory: Burning candles for John de Jong and Bill Jamieson. We missed them.

Peter will never forget the high-five he scored with André, and the macarena he danced with grandma.

A wear and tear at our age: not in bed a single night before 2 am. Yet, it gives us new energy! The music, the friends, the sightseeing, the excitement, the experience.

We are happy ducks that we can share our “room with a view” with friends and sympathize with them in good times and bad.

We charge our batteries each year in July in Maastricht. It is more than music. It is an experience.

Ulrike and Linda Bennett, watching Gary on stage.

Dinner with Heather

Heather was our hotel neighbour

We visited friends in Geulle: Ludo and Jeanine Mesters and found the tree Jeanine had planted in Maastricht. Wonderful!!

To end our holiday: the last day mussels at Cafe Sjiek