Jazz, shopping, and some TEFAF

My week at work was very busy, so I was looking forward to all the fun things that were planned for the weekend. Jaap and I went to a Jazz Maastricht Masters concert at the Theater aan het Vrijthof on Friday night. Dianne Reeves was the headliner and she was amazing. The real deal. I got goosebumps. The opening act was a jazz trio with Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi. We weren't familiar with him, but we really enjoyed their set. 

Maastricht Conservatorium

Dianne Reeves

Theater in the background aan het Vrijthof

Saturday afternoon was spent with shopping with my friend Angela, enjoying lunch at the Derlon Hotel, and sipping some glasses of rosé wine at a very "Maastricht" bar on their small hidden terrace. Spring is officially here and everyone is flocking outside to enjoy the sunshine.

The perfect ending to a classy weekend ended with a trip to TEFAF, THE European Fine Art Fair. TEFAF calls itself "the world's leading art and antiquities fair". With the exception of André Rieu concerts, TEFAF is the biggest thing that happens in Maastricht. TEFAF is where museum curators, art collectors, and millionaires from all over the world come to purchase art, antiques, jewelry, rare books and manuscripts, paintings, fine jewels, etc. Collections of sketches and paintings by Picasso, Renoir, Chagall, and Klimt. The list goes on and on. It makes you think...Who is buying this stuff? It's really incredible. 

photo: Tefaf.com
Exhibitor: Daphne Alazraki

Opera glasses anyone?
photo: tefaf.com
Exhibitor: Wartski

By far, my favorite exhibitor was Graff. An exhibitor that had two of their own private security guards protecting their cases of diamonds and fine jewels. Their pieces were incredible. Collections and sets of jewelry with incredibly huge white and canary diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. It was so beautiful. My friends and I stood in amazement gawking at a 100 carat pear shaped diamond for about 5 minutes. What a sight!