Thanks so much first of all for those who organized this meeting
and also for all of you who now shared already there pictures, videos and experiences during and around of Opera on Ice!
Again
I wonder if it was indeed so hard to listen to Stephane from the upper rows. To make a meeting at the Arena was convenient from many points of view, and special too. But the rehearsal going on at the background was indeed disturbing... Well, next time we'll prepare more carefully, I guess...
Yes, reut, that was how we heard Stéphane at our seats. But dont worry, thanks to the already posted vids I found out what the questions has been Stéphane was answering too. Some of them I even could figure out by how Stéphane answered. We enjoyed to listen to Stéphane soooooooooo much
. Please don't worry at all. It was even at our places full pleasure to join this meeting!
Said this - you know by now that I had the chance to attend Opera on Ice too and even had the big big pleasure to attend my first officially announced fan-meeting with Stéphane
. That was so great!
Since my earlier twenties, when I stood the first time in front of the Arena of Verona it was a big wish of mine once being able to attend an opera or concert in this arena. Years past, I forgot a little bit about, as my husband is not so much interested in culture
. Later I was occupied with my children and so time past ....
Then Opera on Ice was announced three years ago. From then on I really grabbed my dream again and hoped that it my come true to attend once Opera on Ice.
Then what better could happen to me then being in the Arena of Verona during a concert, this combined with an excellent cast which is including Carolina and Stéphane... - What show event can top this in figure skating world???
For the first year of Opera on Ice I had no chance to attend, as much as I loved too
.
Last year I was hopeing and things looked already to be on a good way to happen but it turned out that I had to plan otherwise.
And so I was hopeing for this upcoming event. It didn't look promising either, so I couldn't jumb on the bandwaggon when the meeting was announced though I still had a tiny little bit in mind to try to attend Opera on Ice this year. A few days before the event I gave up this idea definitely again for this year. Unexpected things happenend, so I felt it will just not be possible to make it work and I comforted myself with the outlook of watching Nebelhorn-Trophy on TV...
Then on Wednesday noon our situation turned in a direction I couldn't have expected at all
. My husband and I could pack our luggage and starting to enjoy a few days on a road trip. (Yeah, our first vacation together this year
become realtiy! ).
Hubby consulted the weather forecast and after that even agreed to plan visiting Verona. He knew there was a FS show in the Arena. So we left Wednesday very late afternoon. Arrived later in the evening in Germany where we spend our first night. The next day was so rainy that we thought we won't make it very fare... However when looking up for the next accommodation in Autrich nothing was so appealing, wheater there nor nearby Merano. And so it came I looked around more down direction Verona. We ended up to have found a B&B nearby Bozen up the hill in Rovero. Thanks to AS and IM's, I knew that the meeting with Stephane was scheduled to happen at 11.30 am on Friday. I was really hoping to be able to make it but to Verony by then but still not sure if circumstances really let it happen
. - Then at the accommodation internet didn't work first. But not enought, I found out later that people had to be already at the Arena latest 10 pm. I doubted we will be able to make it so early the next day. So there was again a BIG question mark if I will be there or not, as we have been still a good hour away from Verona and breakfast was not served before 8 a.m. ( I knew leaving without breakfast was for several reasons not possible.) So I had to be aware that though I was already so near to Verona, it might even turn out not making it in time at the end...
But thanks God *literally* we made it to Verona before 10 am. At the end we still came a bit too late as a group of students have been in front of us and it took the teachers some time to get the entire class. my patience was tested one more time
.
Now I had only to find Reut or Anna.
I was so grateful when I recognized Reut and the group in the arena
and the meeting with Stéphane didn't take already place.
Hubby was immediately captured by Carolina rehearsing though he is not a figure skating fan at all ,
And it was great to have hubby with me. He is not at all a figure skating fan
. And first he only came with me to this meeting to do me a favor. But to my great estonishement he was immediately captured watching Carolina rehearsing her program:). Her presence on the ice was so shining that he got really into it
.
So it was a nice surprise to recognize that he really enjoyed following Carolina but also be entertained by Stéphane and the other skaters on the ice.
Then 10.30 am was there and Stéphane appeared in the stands. So it was definitely time to take the seats in those stands on the side tribune.
There might be others who met Stéphane quite more often then me. But from those times I met him before this one was definitely one of the best once.
He was in an excellent mood, very natural and just talking with us like talking to friends. Answering very kindly every question and sharing his thoughts with the people around him was awsome! This scheduled half hour felt like short fifteen minutes... as we have been entertained so great by him. It wouldn't have been any problem to listen to Stéphane four timex as much and this even without any pause
.
So it was way too early probably not only for me but for everyone listening to Stéphane, when I recognized that a lady came along the aisle to grap Stéphane. One or two (?) small questions and answers more and then pictures with the lovely "Matrioshka project 2012-2013 journal of his Russian Fans and some pictures with the entire group who attended this fan-meeting (pics posted earlier here on this thread by others).
Too bad Stéphane hadn't time after the meeting itself to look already intensly at this new "Matrioshka Journal 2012-2013". Would have loved to see him discover all the different pages... and his facial expression when looking at.
Hurry came up.
But nevertheless everybody became the chance to put his gift into a big plastic bag which was handled to Stéphane... And the lady and Stéphane had now really to leave. I really felt, looking at Stéphane, that he wouldn't have mind to stay longer if his schedule whould have allowed...
It was a great experience for me attending a fan-meeting the first time and this historical place inside of the Arena of Verona! Even hubby enjoyed it, what is speaking volumes
!!
Thanks to all those who helped to organize this meeting, helped that it happenend and moderated everything during so greatly!
(hopefully to be soon continued in the gala thread... )