Day five in Switzerland/the final concert

The pipes at Rougemont Chruch.

After the concert and back at the hotel, I briefly said my good byes to Michael and Yvonne and I noticed that Mihaela, the pianist from tonights concert was sitting in the lounge area with her boyfriend. I just had to meet her so I went over and introduced myself. She is very "down to earth" as I expected. She will be in California in August for concerts in Fresno (I didn't have the heart to tell her about Fresno) and also in San Francisco "at some big museum that sits on a hill and looks like a Greek building." "It has to be The Palace of The Legion of Honor. " I described the building to her with Rodin's "The Thinker" perched at the entrance. "That's the place." She is part of the Artists concert series that The Legion offers. And, as a museum member I will get advanced notice of her concert dates. I said good night to them both and did more graveling about her talent. I am looking forward to see her perform again.

I then spent some time at the bar with Daniel Helfrich who is the lounge pianist at the hotel. By that time it was after 11:30PM and he was through with his evening gig. Very talented pianist and vocalist. He plays and sings mostly American songs (in English) because that's what the tourists like to hear. He comes from a musical family...his dad is a choral conductor. Daniel lives in Grasellenbach and I forgot to ask him where but it's somewhere near Berlin, I think (forgive me Daniel).

He plays for the Steigenberger Hotel during the Summer only. The rest of the time he performs his one man comedy act on TV and in night clubs all over Germany www.daniel-helfrich.com

The German night clubs are closed during the Summer and that's why he comes to Gstaad...to pick up some extra money during his down time. The Hotel gives him room and board plus a salary. Now that's a great way to spend a Summer. His girlfriend is a councilor for people with eating disorders. She is presently in San Francisco lecturing in clinics. We exchanged emails and said our good byes.

Bye the time I got to bed it was 3:AM.