That is how our town tour guide taught us how to say hello to the bartenders in Maastricht. We enjoy saying it to not only the bartenders, but everyone!
A little history briefing: My little town of Maastricht is the oldest city in the Netherlands, built originally around 50 B.C. by the Romans. A wall that once protected the city built in 1229 still stands today. It is called the Hellpoort, or the Gateway to Hell. I think the entrance could have been named something a little more gentle to give our town some respect!! Down the line in the 4th Century, Maastricht became a cathedral city rich in religious customs, but when the Spanish gained power in the city, many of the Cathedrals were closed up. The city was eventually recaptured and religious freedom was restored, however some cathedrals did not reopen. Today they are used for bookshops, dance clubs, and even lecture halls for my university!
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| What's left of the city wall. |
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| We don't mess around in Maastricht. |
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| A Cathedral of Books!! |
Maastricht is a very flat and cobblestone filled city, and for that reason, practically everyone uses a bike. There are definitely more bikes than cars and for good reason!! Me and my friends caught the bike fever after we spent the entire day walking so we went searching for used bikes. With all of the new students coming into town, used bikes are a hot commodity and sell very fast, so we raced around town, trying to beat other students and trying to get the best price. After a full two days of looking, we found our perfect match: fabulous white cruiser bikes! We all happened to get matching ones, so, yes indeed we are quite a sight to see when we go riding around the town together. It was very entertaining, but also a bit nerve wracking to ride from the bike shop back to the guesthouse. We followed other bikers through the intersections and the roundabouts hoping that we weren't breaking any laws. We are betting to see who will get pulled over by Maastricht Bike Police first.
Our university sent us on a boat tour down the Maas to the Maastricht Underground Caves which were built for over 2000 years. When the Romans were under attack, the underground tunnel system gave citizens a place to hide. There are more than 20,000 separate tunnels, which leaves no doubt why curious teenagers have gotten lost and died in the tunnels countless times. With the thoughts of ghosts and the cold 10 degree C air, our tour guide turned out the lights and we tried to find our way through a tunnel. Throughout the tunnels, there are murals on the walls of different events in history and different saints guarding the caves. It would have been so frightening to be under siege and have to hide there, however, there were two giant ovens so that the Dutch could still enjoy their tasty bread concoctions.
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| The underground maze |
The bars in town are so merry and fun, but it is still so odd to us that alcohol and soft drugs are accepted here. We can have wine and beer at our guesthouse, which definitely makes us feel more 'in' with the culture! We stopped by a popular bar in town called Cafe Highlander. Monday night is the big bar night there, so we are trying to live it up, before school starts of course :) That concludes my first four days here in Maastricht! I now go on a study trip to Brussels, Bruges, Versailles, Paris, and the champagne region of France, Reims!
Oye Oye!!
