Robyn's Zurich reports
Hi from Zurich
Tuesday, 01-Feb-2000
Just got into the Limmathof Hotel about an hour ago. Wasn't feeling that
tired so decided to go for a walk to the station to change some money. Came across Stars
Cafe, joes wasnt this the place that we were thinking of having dinner, its a pretty cool
place with an internet cafe as well. Looks good to me. Doesnt seem that cold here either,
much like where I live in the hills although I have heard it has warmed up since I left
Australia. This keyboard is funny, the z is where the y should be hehehe. Its slowing me
down plus I cant find the apostrophe key most of the time so I leave it out.
Anyway I'm here and the first person to arrive will be Andrea tomorrow. Hey joes give me
that ring tonight.
I just want to say that thanks to mandyb and John I have had one of the most amazing
experiences of my life. They had organised for me to go up on the flight deck with one of
the pilots and after dinner thez duly came and got me. Well it was just incredible being
up there in the cockpit looking at all that instrumention and cracking jokes with the
pilot and co pilot. Hey, I must have made an impression because an hour before they landed
in Singapore I was invited to join them for the descent into Singapore. The pilot asked me
where I was going and when I told him to Zurich for DC he mentioned that John Alexander
and Fitzy were on the plane. I had walked past them already to get to the cockpit. Anyway
it was just an amazing experience to sit there behind the pilot and co pilot all hooked up
in seat belts like Top Gun and landing in Singapore. I didnt realise how quickly the plane
pulled up when it landed. Just coming down looking at the runway ahead lit up with lights
and then touching down, its an undescribable feeling. When they were taxiing to the bay,
the pilot told me this was the hardest part of flying a plane. I asked him didnt he have
reverse park and he just laughed. Actually the whole crew on the plane were fantastic and
we laughed about things so a million thanks mandyb and John. it was fantastic.
The guy sitting next to me turned out to be a tennis writer for The Times in england, he
had been covering the Open in Aus, we chatted on and off for the next 25 hours. He told me
the guy sitting two seats back from us was the photographer that took the pics in Pats
book. In fact there seemed to be a few tennis related people on the plane cause he chatted
to different ones. He gave me his business card and email addy.
kept seeing John Alexander and Fitzy a few times during my travels. The last time was at Zurich airport when I stood beside them to get my luggage. John Alexander was talking the whole time on his mobile phone.
Well I better go there is quite a queue here to use these computers. It was great to get on here to say hi to everyone. It feels really strange being here without Deb, after Nice, all by myself. I was grateful to be so occupied on the trip over here.
BTW I had the window seat and the tennis writer had the aisle seat. Luckily no one was in the middle so we werent cramped. At night when we went to sleep after a few hours I wanted to go to the loo but everytime I would say to him Excuse me I have to get out, he kept snoring. He finally woke up in the morning and I was bursting. I said to him thank goodness he was finally awake and he said that he took these great sleeping pills that knocked him out cold. Great. Next time I ask for a window seat I will ask them not to put a journo that takes sleeping tablets next to me. When I went to Nice with Deb, the girl on the aisle had a bladder problem so that was great for us cause we would nick out when she got up. The joys of long distance travel.
Hopefully I will get back on here in a few days and give you some tennis news. Miss you all, be good and lots of love.
Robyn
Second daz in Yurich
Wednesday, 02-Feb-2000
Hi, in a hurrz todaz so not going to worrz about tranposing the z and the y, bloodz german kezboard.
Andrea and I have just had a lovelz lunch here in Stars and thought we would post quicklz on Rafterbabble before going back to the hotel.
We arrived just in time for practice this morning at the Saalsporthalle, its quite a small place, well it onlz holds 2200. Woy never showed up so we hope to see him tomorrow either at the Saalsporthalle or the Sheraton where other fanatics are picking up their tickets.
We sat right down the front and Andrea couldnt believe how close we were to the plazers. We watched Mark, Llezton, Wazne Arthurs, Sandon and I think Paul Kilderrz. Newk, Rochie, Muddz, Andreas were all there. No Pat boo hoo. Roger Federer now has a similar hairdo to Pat with the ponztail. Mark was looking reallz awesome and we nearlz got hit with the ball a few times, we had to keep ducking.
Anzwaz better get going now. We will definitelz go back to practice tomorrow. Believe it or not I took no photos as the light was too bad to use the 300mm lense in bugger.
Robzn and Andrea xxxx
Daz 3 in Yurich
Friday, 04-Feb-2000
Andrea and I went to the practice. First we watched the Swiss team, thez didnt seem verz happz and were so serious, it was a shame to see, especiallz compared to the Aussie guzs who came in the afternoon. The other guz with Paul Kilderrz is Peter Tramachi. MarkP and Llezton, Wazne and Sandon were hitting up. First thez warmed up bz plazing footie on the tennis court, that was a real hoot, then into the serious practice. Thez reallz know how to have a good time and it was a lot of fun. Wendz arrived a bit after thez started practice. At the end of the session Woy was walking around the court collecting tennis balls. He threw us one each. He then grabbed a racquet and proceeded to plaz this game that Pat used to plaz with his brothers. One of the guzs would bend over down the other end of the court and Woy was hitting balls to trz and whack him on the bum.
After practice we caught the train back to Yurich and went for a walk down the Bahnhoff Strause and Andrea took us to a great coffee and chocolate shop. After coffee we left Andrea to catch a tram back to the hotel and Wendz and I decided to walk down to the Stars Internet Cafe to post. Unbeknownst to us when we got back to the hotel Andrea told us that she had passed us in the tram and saw that the most of the DC team were were walking down the street behind us, Llezton, Markp, Wazne, Sandon etc. and we never realised.
At 7.30pm Joes, Nadine, Severine, Ina, Helga, Anja, Andrea, Melone, Malcolm and Fiona met up in our room and we went out to dinner at a traditional Swiss restaurant which was lovelz. After dinner we went to the pub to meet up with Woy and Astrid, Cindz and Sofie arrived there as well. Shannon I havent said anzthing to Paul Kilderrz zet but he was reallz annozing me last night as everztime I was talking to Woy he would throw things at him and then Woy would start abusing him and go after him. He seems to be a real attention seeker. I will make sure I saz hi from zou guzs tonight.
Well I better go. Were off to the hotel soon to meet up with Fanatics for face painting etc and then off to the tennis. I will trz to make another report tomorrow morning and joes will be posting too. Love to zou all
Sorrz about all this z and y stuff, I know it looks like a dogs breakfast hehehehehehe
Robyn
Last daz in Yurich
Sunday, 06-Feb-2000
OK guzs lots of positive vibes todaz. Llezton and Mark can do it. Wendz
told me I zelled out NO NO NO in mz sleep last night. I was dreaming about the davis cusp
hehehe. That has gotten rid of all the negative vibes then. Anzwaz todaz is a new daz and
we go forward with positive thinking. I reckon the bozs will be all fired up.
It was wonderful to see Martina arrive at the bar last night and Henrz was over the moon
to see her too. Hope zou get better soon Martina and we have all missed zou.
This has been another amaying experience, new friends made, manz tales told in the pub and
a great camaderie and spirit. Zesterdaz a Swiss band came on to plaz before the official
presentation and the Fanatics were doing the conga around the pavillion, great stuff. I
took lots of pics.
Todaz our pic is in the paper, including me, joes, astrid, sofie holding up a banner with
Woy in front of us in his long green wig. Hez Peta todaz I have brought the Llezton
banner, I forgot it the first daz.
After the doubles finished Mark came out to hit up with Paul Kilderrz and most of us
fanatics stazed around and watch, again thez had a lot of fun and John Alexander and Fityz
were also recording interviews for Channel 7.
Well better be off to meet the Fanatics at Oliver Twist. Love to zou all and Waz to Go
Aussies. It will be great to talk properlz when I get home yyyzzzzzz hehehehehehe
Robzn and Wendz
I'm back
Tuesday, 08-Feb-2000
As usual I'm the last one back after a long flight. Thanks for the
reports Astrid and Joes and your great pics Joes. I don't think there is much more I can
add to what you have written although on the last day Woz asked us for the banners and put
them up behind the Aussie DC team. Did you Aussie guys see them on TV. There was Joes huge
banner "The wonder/thunder from Down under", Deb's boxing kangaroo flag and
Peta's "Awesome Aussies". We waved the "Lleyton Hewitt he can do it"
banner. We took pics of them strung out along the wall (the banners that is *lol*) and
Andrea and Anja took pics from the other side of the venue with the DC team sitting in
front of them.
I took 12 rolls of film so will take it to be developed tomorrow and will start scanning
when I get them back.
This time in Zurich, the Rafterbabblers comprised one-third of the Fanatics and I was so
proud of you all. We found that apart from the front row that Woz was in, the other two
rows in front of us hardly contributed at all. It was the Rafterbabblers doing all the
cheering, jumping up and down, waving banners etc. We would follow Woz each time he did
something. We had a ball but it was exhausting work especially on the last day. Woz
promised us a great night if we could get Mark through his match to give us a win. And,
what a night it was! Woz knew how much we Rafterbabblers contributed, when he left the pub
in the early hours of Monday morning, he gave me a hug and thanked us for all our support.
Next up it's Adelaide! I think you guys better start buying lottery tickets. It's not
going to be the same without you all there.
Robyn