SECOND WEEK IN MAASTRICHT


We're finshing up our second week here in Maastricht and have become pros at riding the bikes into town, which is across the Maas River. Our first venture in was to go to the Friday Market and roam around the streets to get familiar with the layout. I’ve never seen so many bicycles in my life. It seems like everyone is riding a bike… from young kids to people in their 80’s, and they have these great underground garages where you can lock up your bike and there is someone guarding them….and it’s free. This mode of transportation is great since the downtown is only 15 minutes away by bike and gas costs over $8.00 a gallon and parking is about $3.00 an hour




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A typical street in Maastricht




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Bill standing in front of the original wall of the city



Downtown Maastricht is really beautiful. It was one of the first walled cities and we took a self-guided walking tour of many of the historical landmarks….the first gate into the city, parts of the original wall, a statue of where one of the three Musketeers died, among other monuments.

The weather has been cool and pretty overcast but on Monday, it was beautiful and sunny so we decided to venture out to parts unknown. It’s amazing that, 15 minutes in one direction, you’re in the heart of an ancient walled city and 10 minutes in the opposite direction you’re in farmland and rolling hills. There are bike paths everywhere and we took one through pastures and then through a very wooded area en route to the small town of Valkenburg. By the time we got there, I didn’t know what hurt most, my butt, my feet or my arms. Bill’s doing great other than a slight sore butt. We stopped in a park and had a picnic then stopped at a little café for a beer on the way back. It was a great day.

We’re going to Liege with some neighbors on Sunday and are thinking about driving to Bruges sometime next week. It’s really nice staying in one place for a period of time as we can do things leisurely and it’s been very relaxing and has given us time to work on the Vida Players , play Upwords and Pegs and Jokers (which we ALWAYS take with us wherever we go) and for Bill to play a real piano (nice upright here instead of the keyboard he has in Mexico) and, regrettably, I’m still having to do some work on mortgages.

We’ll post another update in a few days and then we’re off to Amsterdam next Saturday. We’ll be staying there for six days, part of the time in a home built in 1660.

That’s all for now…..more to com

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Our Backyard








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Origianal gateway to the walled City of Maastricht



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One of the three Muskateers died here



The Back of our house



The Guy guarding the bikes