Maastricht Revisited

Ten months ago I left Maastricht to settle into a new home in Pompano Beach, Florida in the extreme south of the US. Now I've returned to this medieval town that takes its name from the Maas River which it straddles to reconnect with friends, family and surroundings. My first days have rolled like the river - simply flowing organically.

Bob W. kindly made the almost three-hour drive to meet me at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

Why have a clock when St. Maarten's Steeple shines into your window? Night time view from Ursula's window.

Just down the block from Ursula's is the luscious La Luna gelato bar.

Magical Maastricht at twilight, looking westward from Wyck, across the River Muese (Maas).

My dear friend Pia Brand, an angel masquerading as a human.

I settled in nicely at my dear friend Ursula's flat located so conveniently on Maastricht's Wyckerbrugstraat that rolls down the center of city from the train station to the old St. Servaas Brugge that crosses the Maas River and leads to the city's heart. My beginning days have been spent reorienting, leisurely shopping and greeting well-known shop-keepers, and spending time with dear friends and family.

Bob arranged a Saturday auto excursion in the scenic Limburg rolling landscape from Maastricht, NL to Limbourg, BE, on through Eupen, BE, with a stop in historic Monschau, DE a city Martijn so wanted to take me to, continuing on to the mouth of the Rur River in the Effiel Mountains, descending through Aachen, DE and on to Vals, where we dined at a gourmet Florentine Restaurant to cap a perfect day. Vals is home of the spot called Three Points, where the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany all meet.

The following day I spent in a cozy family way with Geri and Marcel, first paying a visit to Martijn's lush and dynamic graveside, so alive in this yard of final repose. Then we visited Martijn's Aunt Sybil in the little scenic village of Guelle. My cousins were around and it was a really wonderful afternoon. We stopped for dinner in Eisden, BE, at another Italian restaurant, with excellent food. Geri is just beginning to show signs of Alzheimer's which made me a bit sad.

An archaic pissoir (yes, what you think) in the French-speaking town of Limbourg, Belgium. There are three provinces of Limburg: Dutch, Belgian and German

The gate of the ancient old walled city of Limbourg, BE

The requisite Castle!

We journeyed from the Netherlands, through Belgium right on to Germany, here stopping in the ancient town of Monschau with it's timbered houses.

A Monschau street scene.

The mouth of the Rur River in the Ardenne, or Eiffel mountains.

Martijn's lush and blooming graveside.

The ever beautiful mother, Geri.

Marcel's favorite passtime, an ice cream at an open air cafe in Guelle.

From the left, Aunt Sybil, Geri, a family friend, Ivan with his mamma, Karla, Robert Jan and Marcel's torso, in the farmhouse of Aunt Sybil.