Shortly after breakfast we gathered in the lounge to pick one of 5 colored "Quietvoxes." These are wonderful soundsystems that allow us to listen to a tour guide's commentary and be quite a distance away; for example, stopping to take a picture or spend additional time viewing a site. The 5 groups left the ship and headed into Maastracht.
I must confess that I don't think I had ever heard of Maastricht prior to this cruise. That is shameful for an experienced traveller and travel consultant. This lovely town was founded by the Romans in about 100 AD and still retains much of its historic charm. Situated on the Maas River from which it took its name, the city is the thriving provincial capitol of Limburg and a vibrant university town. Due to the high cost of petrol (almost $7/gallon) students and residents utilize bicycles and bike lanes are strictly respected by cars and pedestrians alike. Walking through the cobblestone streets I found the scenes similar to the wonderful medieval German village of Rothenburg . The spires of St. Servaas Basiliek form the focal point of the city, but one of my favorite sites was a small museum featuring rooms decorated in period furniture from the 18th century. I found a charming wooden piece containing a hidden sink used by staff to wash wine glasses in the dining room without leaving the room.
Having been promised by the Tauck staff that we could return during the afternoon for further exploration and/or shopping on our own, we drove to the American War Cemetery in Margraten (the only American cemetery in The Netherlands). At this beautiful and moving site, thousands of American service men and women were laid to rest after the invasion of Europe in 1944. We felt a deep sense of gratitude to the bravery of these individuals who gave their lives for our freedom. Each of us placed a rose on one of the graves.
By now it was time for lunch, although it's hard to remember when I was last hungry! Today's lunch at Chateau Neercanne was a truly incredible experience. The photo was taken as we arrived at the 17th centur chateau built by a baron who became wealthy looting towns and villages. He found this beautiful piece of land that included a small village of about 200 people. Taking limestone from the mountain behind he built the chateau and caves for storing wine at the same time. Completing the construction in 1700, he lived there until his death in 1718.
Lunch was a wine and culinary delight (seat belt extension is now certain!) I didn't count the reds, but there were 4 wonderful whites along with local beers. Appetizers included salmon, shrimp, carpaccio, mushroom mousse, etc. Following this was a delicious main course ending with none other than a spectacular chocolate creation.
We managed to get back to the ship and are now sailing toward our next destination - Maasbracht (somewhere on the Maas River in The Netherlands. )
Until tomorrow...
Linda
2 comments:
Hi Mimi: I'm sorry I keep missing your phone calls! I am so sad about that. Everything here is going well except both kids are sick. Alivia with that horrible dry cough and of course Will with snot coming out of his ear. Yuck! Avery is also on Bactrim after a visit with Dr. Aiello since he thinks she was getting another boil on her leg and is worried about MRSA. We are up in the air at this point about whether we will attempt to head to Dallas. Poor Alivia coughs all night and if we were all in one room that could be really tiring for everyone. But we still have 2 full days before leaving so there is still time for things to resolve. It sounds like you all are having a great time! I love visiting the blog. We had dad over for dinner last night and will eat with him again tonight. He seems to be doing well. He has pulled the bike in front of the downstairs TV so he can watch it in the morning. It is funny to see it there. Matt signed a contract with another client so that is exciting! It is a whole house remodel in Tarrytown. They started with another builder but were not satisfied. The weather has been really humid and in the low 90's. A little bit of rain occurred on Monday early AM but none since then. Alivia wants me to write: "Thank you for my Dora PJ's and Happy Birthday Mimi and thank you for my nice birthday when you came to my pink poodle birthday. . . ."
Hmmmm not sure what she means with all of that, but she talks about you a lot! We miss you here but know you are having a fabulous time! Keep the blogs coming! Love, Christy and the Gang
Hi Mimi: I'm sorry I keep missing your phone calls! I am so sad about that. Everything here is going well except both kids are sick. Alivia with that horrible dry cough and of course Will with snot coming out of his ear. Yuck! Avery is also on Bactrim after a visit with Dr. Aiello since he thinks she was getting another boil on her leg and is worried about MRSA. We are up in the air at this point about whether we will attempt to head to Dallas. Poor Alivia coughs all night and if we were all in one room that could be really tiring for everyone. But we still have 2 full days before leaving so there is still time for things to resolve. It sounds like you all are having a great time! I love visiting the blog. We had dad over for dinner last night and will eat with him again tonight. He seems to be doing well. He has pulled the bike in front of the downstairs TV so he can watch it in the morning. It is funny to see it there. Matt signed a contract with another client so that is exciting! It is a whole house remodel in Tarrytown. They started with another builder but were not satisfied. The weather has been really humid and in the low 90's. A little bit of rain occurred on Monday early AM but none since then. Alivia wants me to write: "Thank you for my Dora PJ's and Happy Birthday Mimi and thank you for my nice birthday when you came to my pink poodle birthday. . . ."
Hmmmm not sure what she means with all of that, but she talks about you a lot! We miss you here but know you are having a fabulous time! Keep the blogs coming! Love, Christy and the Gang
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