Day 41: Maastricht

September 19, 2024

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Michel FleuranceFor sure this is a very strange cow. I recognized the head. One front leg, for writing, why not ? two back legs with huge udder. Tail has been cut !
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1 month ago

We launched an 11 km stroll around Maastricht, picking up the 11 sights flagged by the GPSMyCity app in its City Introduction Walk. But first, since we had passed on the rather standard breakfast offered by our Hotel Beez for €12.50 each, we targeted our favourite grocery in Netherlands, Albert Heijn.

Though we were right downtown, just steps from the Market Square, the street in front of the Beez did not knock your socks off, the way one, for example, in Ghent might. But it still had admirable features. The buildings were about 5 stories - not skyscrapers, as in Houston or Toronto or such - and they had varying window/windowsill treatments. The sidewalk was wide, and made with cobbles, and it was lined with parked Dutch bikes. Overall, quite nice!

In Albert Heijn we appreciate the fresh orange juice machine. 250 ml of fresh juice can power each of us for about 10 km! The next big feature for us is the selection of fresh, packaged salads. They have really a lot of them, with great varieties that include cous cous, falafel, mango, nuts, and similar tasty and healthful ingredients.

Other parts of the store had equally high quality sliced meats, cheese, bread rolls, etc. It's a really good place!

Cubed cheese with cumin or mustard seeds makes great snacking.

Back on the street, I noticed the Gazelle bike below. This had reall high class upholstered seating, and that terrific fairing. Fun to be a little kid in Maastricht!

Another possibly great vehicle is this Opel electric. It looks like the Citroen Ami, but it's not.

Our first real stop was the Market Square, which houses a market on Wednesday and Friday - so we've rather missed it. The Square has city hall on one side too. City hall was built in 1659, so it had that credential, but otherwise it is not very fancy.

There is a statue in the square of someone called Johanne Minckelers. He is holding a gas "eternal flame" (which is out!). Minckelers invented illuminating gas. Yes, the inventor of gaslighting!

For leaving the square, the streets look like this:

Here we are at the Dominican Bookstore. It's a bookstore that has taken over a former cathedral, built 1294.

Inside, it's an interesting combination of arches and books.

There are both Dutch and English books here. We found some authors and titles that would be good to read - a mixture of current stuff and golden slightly oldies. That is, titles by Stephen Fry and Yuval Noah Harari, and Leonard Cohen and Martin Luther King, and hmm, Jordan Peterson.

Another look at the unique bookstore setting.

There were also books for kids. The Seattle grandkids like, or liked, ones like these:

Here also is a unique bookend idea, with a little diorama sandwiched in.

From its cathedral days, the place also has a fresco from the 14th century, showing scenes from the life of Thomas Aquinas. A poster shows what it once looked like:

Dodie discusses the thing with a store staffer.

Our next spot was Vrijthof Square, which is really the town's main square. From the square you see the towers of the two main churches. The red one is Saint John's church and the other is the Basilica of Saint Servatius.

The square also features this "perron", which is a word I did not know. It was to symbolize the jurisdiction of the prince-bishop of Liege. (too hard a concept for me). The French demolished this in 1795, and it was replaced in 1950's. OK.

In another corner were these fanciful statues related to a carnival time. A local man saw us looking at them and came up to explain. He seemed to feel the carnival was a main occasion for drinking.

Yeah this statue looks like it has been drinking!

Saint John's and the red tower. The tower is painted because it is made of soft stone that deteriorates without paint.

We set our sights first on Saint Servatius. Not only was he the first bishop of Maastricht, with the basilica built atop his grave, but the basilica is Roman Catholic rather than Protestant, and therefore sure to be more extravagant (and so interesting to tourists like us).

We walked quite a bit around the basilica to find a way in. Here it is. It's pretty obvious, except that the building is so huge, it was hard to find.

Inside the portal you get to see the chapel below, with its altar piece.

There was a point where you had to pay (6 euros each) to proceed, and it seemed to me that not much else was behind this pay wall. So I balked, and contented myself with:

The interesting Swedish matches used for the candles.

Design above the chapel door. That key in the centrte is the "key to heaven". We'll learn more about that soon.

We had walked away about a block before Dodie managed to convince me not to be such a cheapskate, and we went back in with our twelve euros. I was, to be sure, grumbling about why did I have to eat breakfast standing outside a grocery store, if we could afford this!

Our euros gave us access first to a cloister, and in it a bell called the Sint Servaasklok, nicknamed Grandmother, - the largest bell in Holland. It was cast in 1515 and had images of Saint Servatius and his key to heaven (that key again!)

One of the main attractions behind the paywall is the "Treasury" , which features a reliquary that has part of Servatius, and some other saints as well. It is very shiny and impressive, and can also be found on the church's posters, as in the second photo below.

Around the base of the reliquary are scenes from the life or legend of St Servatius. Servatius was an Armenian missionary, who died in Maastricht in 384 a.d. Fearing invasion by the Huns, he went to Rome to ask for support from the Pope. All he got, it seems was good wishes and the "key to Heaven". I think the Huns did attack, but some years later.

From the base of the reliquary, if you can make it out, Saint Peter is handing out the key to Heaven.

Here Servatius slays a dragon. I have often asked an Anglican professor of religious studies - friend of ours - do Christians believe in dragons? Just symbolic of evil, he says. But they sure will slay every dragon they spot, I observe.

And here it is, in the Treasury, the actual Key to Heaven.

Would Indiana Jones choose this key to heaven?

In another room we found the 12th century main reliquary of Saint Servatius, said to contain (most of?) his remains.

Next, I took a dive into the crypt. I found a fresco there with Jesus holding a book - seems paradoxically to be written in Latin, which he did not know.

Behind this door, deep in the basement, was seemingly the actual sepulcher of Saint Servatius.

Back upstairs, there is the "southern portal" of the basilica, a late addition - from the 13th century, and probably crafted by French artisans. This has interesting (maze like) tiles in the floor, and colourful statues of bible figures.

Look, a mystic lamb, and David with his harp!

The virgin Mary on the left was apparently an error and should have been Simeon, according to the Basilica's brochure.

By the time we were ready to find the exit, a crowd had gathered, like maybe a tour bus landed or something. With some difficulty, we made our escape.

The main attraction of the St John's church next door was the chance to climb the tower. There are 218 narrow steps to this. I gave it a miss this time!

Hang in there, I think there is only one more church on our list. It's the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Basilica of Our Lady). This one features a statue of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, right up front in the entrance. This statue is wooden, and is carried around town in processions.

Fresco up in the dome. Seems to feature three holy or angelic animals, plus one standard angel.

A fun thing to come to was the Bisschopsmolen, which is Holland's oldest working water mill. It takes advantage of a stream which is a tributary of the Maas, and spins a mechanism making spelt flour. The mill was originally built in the 7th century. It was destroyed in 1577 by a spanish siege, but rebuilt in 1609 and further renovated in 2004.

The flour supports an active bakery and coffee shop.

Their specialty is these pies or tartes.

A certain stretch of the original city wall, and a gate called the Helpoort (Hell's Gate) still exists.

I climbed one tower, and ran into a museum up there. The stairs looked suitably medieval!

We are back at the Sint Servaasbrug (St. Servatius Bridge) that we crossed when entering town yesterday. It is known as the oldest bridge in Netherlands. Maastricht boasts quite a few "oldest" claims, like oldest water mill, oldest gate, oldest bridge. Look, it's an old city!

At the bridge, Dodie thought this was a pretty typical European restaurant scene.

Let's close with this mob of rubber ducks. We found them in an all rubber duck store in the main pedestrian street. Is this the oldest rubber duck store in Netherlands?

Today's ride: 11 km (7 miles)
Total: 1,955 km (1,214 miles)

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