Liege & Maastricht

Waiting for the Train to Liege

Sunday morning we woke up to thunder, lightning and the beginning of a summer storm. By the time we finished breakfast, and headed for the station, the storm had petered out. We wish it hadn't because it's been freakishly hot.

Our next hotel stop was in Maastricth Netherlands, right across the border. Since we had another Euregio pass, we decided to take in Liege in Belgium, since it was on the way. Using the pass, though, you can't get on the direct international trains, like the Thalys. Instead, you have to take a short, cross-border train and then switch to the local train that doesn't come with air-conditioning!

Kathy checking her email at the station in Liege.

We got into Liege Guillemins central train station about 11:00 AM. This must-see futuristic station was designed by Santiago Calatrava. 

Here is the view down to the tracks.

The next train to Maastricht was two hours away, and so we decided to put our luggage in a locker, caught a local bus (5 Euro)  and headed over to the Meuse River to see the largest outdoor market in Belgium, called La Batte. It is a super-swap-meet that stretches for about three miles along the river. It is open Sundays from 8 AM until 3 PM.

The largest outdoor market in Belgium happens every Sunday.

There was a very visible military and police presence (with machine guns). I assume that was because of the recent terrorist activity in Belgium and not any specific threat. Although there were a lot of swap-meet quality goods, there was also a definite European flavor, with cheese, meat and food vendors. The crowd was also very international.

Kathy at La Batte Outdoor Market

On the way back, we (OK, I) decided I didn't want to spend 5 Euro for the bus back to the station, so we went looking for the local train station, called Liege Palais. We found it right behind the Palace of the Princes-Bishops of Liège. He was the ruler who used to control this area of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Palace of the Princes-Bishops of Liège

I have to admit that one of the reasons I wanted to visit Liege was a PBS "Travels with Darley" episode I watched after coming home from a late night of teaching at school. I was so impressed that I scoured the Web until I found the original transcript. One of the places I wanted to visit was Amon Nanesse, the home of the world's greatest meatballs. 

Le Boulet in Liege

These large beef and pork meatballs, christened Le Boulet, are served in a sweet sauce consisting of a mixture of pears, apple syrup, wine, raisins, onions, and peket, a local spirit. And, of course, the meal isn't complete without a generous helping of the world's greatest fries.

Kathy Crossing the Maas

Liege was hot, but Maastricht was even hotter. We got there about four and walked across the river to our hotel, the Hotel Trash Deluxe. They are very environmentally conscious, and so many of the furnishings are recycled industrial items.

Sign on the Bridge in Maastricht

Monday morning we headed down to the train station to look at renting some bikes. Crossing the bridge we saw this sign. I don't know what it means, but I like it.

Bike Riders in Maastricht

Everybody seems to ride a bike; young people, old people, little people. As we were crossing the bridge a young mother peddled by with two young children in a cart bolted to the front of her bike. At the train station, the bike parking seems to go on forever.

Bike Parking in Maastricht

We finally decided it was just too hot to ride bikes (at 8:30 AM). It was so hot, that we decided to cut our stay a day short and head to our next stop in Haarlem, hoping the weather at the coast would be cooler. We called the B&B in Haarlem and found that they could accommodate us. We then picked up our tickets, since were already at the station. That done, we went looking for breakfast. (Kathy liked this mural.)

Mural at  theTrain Station

When you go to a new country, you always discover its "rhythm" when it comes time to eat. Trying to get dinner at 6:00 PM in Madrid is similar to trying to find breakfast at 7:00 AM in Maastricht. In Paris, not a hotbed of early-risers by any means, it seems that all of the bakeries are open at 5:30 in the morning. Here, the earliest opening bakery or breakfast restaurant was 8:00 AM. Each place is different and it's fun to discover these differences.

Breakfast at SAP

 

We finally settled on the SAP Bagel and Juice bar, which is almost directly across from the station. The food was great and the air-conditioning was priceless.

Maastricht is the Dutch version of "the crossing of the Maas," the name the Romans gave this settlement in 50 BC. Our next item of business was to find out more so we stopped by the TI to get a map with a walking tour. 

Some Advice from a Helpful Maastrichter

As we were leaving the TI, we started talking to a Dutch gentleman, Jo Mathijssen, a life long Maastrichter. He saw our walking map and told us we needed to go to the basement of the Durlon Hotel to see the ruins of an original Roman temple. He was very friendly and we sure appreciated the advice which wasn't in the official brochure.

Roman Ruins Under the Derlon Hotel

After the ruins (where we sat and had a water with gas), we walked over to the remains of the original city walls.

Guardhouse from the Original City Gate

From there, we continued walking around the walls and found this water wheel.

Steve walking next to the city wall.

A Historic Mill House in Town

Around 1:00 PM we finally made it to the St. Servitus church (the oldest Catholic church in the Netherlands). Next door to it, the tower was ceded to the Dutch Reformed Church in 1633 and became St. Johns (Sint Janskerk).

Sint Janskerk in Maastricht

Inside, the church is cool, calm and restful. I just love Gothic arches.

Inside Sin Janskirk

By this time, Kathy and I were both completely exhausted; the heat is really debilitating. We broke down and stopped at McDonalds, where we could buy the biggest diet sodas they had, and drink them in air-conditioned comfort. On the way home, we spent another half hour inside an air-conditioned supermarket, buying supplies for our trip to Haarlem tomorrow.