timimoun part 1

We were in Timimoun for only 2 days, but so much happened i'll split this up into 3 posts.
Timimoun is a two hour drive from the airport in Adrar, not counting a stop at a solar farm that the Algerians wanted to show off to our ambassador.


Duly impressed, we caravan-ed on to our hotel.

My view

was this:

We haven't forgotten we have concerts to give. After dinner, we unpacked our things, changed strings on the cello, tuned, picked a piece to rehearse. ...... However, spontaneity is the word here. We got a call from the ambassador asking if we wanted to see the desert at sunset. Hm... What an opportunity. Crazy new plan, how about we go in our concert clothes and do a photoshoot. NOW? yes, NOW. Ok. let's go. So we did.

Klaus had to hook in all those tux buttons and everything, but he's a good sport.

Way in the back you can see our military escort standing watch over the crazy Austrians. 

Here it is! The desert at sunset! Breathtaking.

The ambassador standing next to her husband. And the consulate playing one of our violins.

During this wonderful experience, one of the military guys called a TV station, to film us. The guy who showed up to the filming got to see me and Barbara literally running and rolling down a sand dune, and asked to take his picture with us. I guess we made quite an impression.

A Tale of Two Airports, or, From Austria to Algeria

Now that I'm back from my crazy trip, let me tell you how we arrived! :)

We stayed up all night with some Schilcher champagne at Irmtraud's place, leaving with a van at 1am, arriving before the airline opened our check-in line. We waited. Klaus was exhausted and sick. Our singer, Birgitta, came later on her own. It felt so strange to be completely dependent. I had no ticket, no information. We had a group ticket, and all the details and assundries had been taken care of by Irmtraud and the Austrian embassy.

 L to R, me, Barbara, Belinda, Klaus, Irmtraud at the airport in Vienna.

A quick glimpse of the Mediterranean on our way to the hotel. This was all we saw of Algiers for now. We grabbed a quick dinner, but all I wanted was coffee, I was nearly falling over from lack of sleep.

We looked at the borrowed instruments. Poor quality student instruments falling apart at the seams with old disintegrating strings. We went to sleep around 5pm, and met again at 5am at the lobby. At the airport again, we met the Austrian consulate and his wife, and the Austrian ambassador and her husband, with whom we made the other passengers wait until we had boarded the bulky but fragile instruments, and then we were on our way to Arar - the first leg of our journey to Timimoun.

Adieu for now, Algiers.

We watched the desert appear, fascinated by the way signs of life came in tiny seemingly unconnected flashes.

We were met by a surprise reception for honored guests, in a part of the airport reserved for important visitors. The airport here is a bit more fancy than the Vienna one, or?

They served us special sweetened black tea with mint that is poured from a foot and half or so above the glassware, so that it froths and foams. 

I can honestly say it was the most beautiful airport I have ever seen.