Life: Idiotropic

From the cemetary we drove back to Valkenburg in hope of finding a place to park and trying out Ron's Big Burgers - a restaurant I'd remembered seeing my last visit there. The city was crowded with large herds of pedestrians and cars everywhere. There was no sign of the horses we'd seen earlier, but no sign of parking either unless we wanted to walk several kilometers with the girls. They were too tired and hungry for that.

So, we headed to Maastricht. Kirk, Aria, and Luci had never been to Maastricht. I drove and we parked once again in the Vrijthof. This day, instead of being empty like before, the Vrijthof square was packed with people. It was the International ???? Competition. I'm sorry... I didn't write down the Dutch work to look up. It was a sport where men hurled large metal balls in rectangular sand pits to knock the other man's ball out of the way. It really looked like the Paul Bunyon version of children's marbles. But it filled the Vrijthof completely allowing no place to walk except a small band of cement all around it. The cafes were packed unlike before and people were everywhere.
Kirk led us down a different street we had not been down before and we ended up at Stokstraat again. We ate just outside that area at a little Greek place. Kirk, Tiara, and I all ordered what we thought were sandwhiches. Tiara and Kirk wanted Gyros. I wanted a shoarma. What we all got was very good Greek style spiced meat piled on top of a pile of french fries. I didn't particularly love french fries in the states... I'm beginning to loathe them here. They are everywhere. At a restaurant you'll order a steak and it will come with a side of french fries. Outside of Extra there is a booth selling french fries. Almost all meals come with french fries - anywhere. In Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands - so far, the french fry is inescapable and just as greasy as ever. When we walked to the market in Maastricht, not only was there a McDonalds on the corner (there is one in the Vrijthof as well), but there are TWO little restaurants that sell nothing but french fries with different toppings! If people here are thinner than Americans, it is only because they bicycle a lot because is seems that french fries and ice cream are the foods of choice. Yuck.
After a less-than-satisfying dinner we took a walk to show Kirk some of the town and get photos of things I'd missed before. We walked through the Helpoort (1229), then up on the wall near it, down and over to the pedestrian bridge. The girls enjoyed watching the boats go by. I enjoyed the contrast between the old side of the city on on side of the bridge and the very modern side on the other. A singer, crooning loudly from a restaurant on the old side, filled the entire area with music as her voice bounced off the wall on the new side. It was hard to tell where the music came from. It seemed - from everywhere.


From the bridge we walked back to the Helpoort, then along another piece of wall and to the green space so the kids could run. By the Helpoort, there is a wall that curves around and meets with some houses creating a little area that is blocked in. It is a quiet little nook shaded with a tree and overlooked by a little white half-timbered house behind it. In that spot a group of friends sat at a table drinking wine, playing cards, and laughing.

The kids enjoyed walking on top of the wall and sitting on the old cannons that rested on each turret. The ducks in the pond below were entertaining as well, but tiny bladders cut that time short.


About the time we hit the green space, the kids had to use the restroom, so we started to head back. Restrooms are not easy to come by. There aren't many public ones and restaurants and stores are not as apt to allow public use of theirs unless you are a well paying customer. So, we headed back to the Greek place to use there's. If we weren't so desperate, we would have left. There I stood with Luci, Tiara, and Arianna crammed into a space only big enough for one. Tiara lined the toilet for Luci and she went. The place was dirty and felt gross just to be there. It got worse when Luci stood up and the toilet seat fell off. Poor Tiara had to pick it up for her turn to go. Needless to say we got out of there fast and all washed our hands really well. Ick. American rest stops are cleaner.

Anyway... that was our Sunday. A cemetary and a walk through Maastricht - not bad. And, Tiara and I have discovered a bunch of shops and cafes that we want to go to next time we go to Maastricht. They even have a Claires! Tiara is so happy.

Today we went to the Netherlands American War Cemetary and Memorial in Margraten, Netherlands, only about 30 minutes from our house. Yeah, everything is about 30 minutes from our house, or at least that's what Stella, our trusty GPS system tells us when we get into the car. Then an hour later, we arrive. So she's optimistic. I like that trait. In this case, it only took us about 40 minutes to get to the cemetary - so she wasn't horribly wrong.

Anyway, visiting cemetaries is not my idea of fun, but Kirk wanted to go. Germans visit cemetaries regularly - well, at least the old ones do. Tante Tinny visits the local cemtary at least once a week to tend to the stone and the flowers there. Yesterday I saw her leaving on her bicycle all dressed up with a beautiful dress on, her hair pulled back nicely, pretty shoes, a rake in one hand, and new flowers in her basket. She was heading off to the Friedhof (cemetary) where her husband and brother are buried.
We wound around the south Limburg hills into Valkenburg where we got stuck behind a parade of horse drawn carriages in which people in Victorian age costume sat all prim and proper riding through the town. We saw at least 12 carriages go by while we waited, then the police gave us our turn and we saw another 10-12 carriages lined up in the side street waiting their turn. So it was quite a big crowd. Just another 10 minutes outside Valkenburg was Margraten, a very tiny little town - and then, the cemetary. I was surprised how many people were there. Most were Dutch, but I heard German and English spoken as well. The parking lot was full.
In the front a large map stood on the side showing the movements of troops in 1944-5. This is just a small portion above, but the portion that shows the area where we live. It also shows a small white cross, representing the cemetary just to the west of Aachen or SW of the red letter "A" visible in the photo.
I'm usually very stoic about cemetaries. Not that I don't care, because I do, but I don't usually get worked up emotionally. For some reason, this cemetary got to me. Just standing there at the map made me teary. The entire place was very moving and to see so many people there made it even more touching. To see that this bit of American land - given to us "for perpetuity" as a memorial - is visited regularly, is very nice. The girls were quite, unusually so. Tiara and I walked around looking around.

It was a quiet emotional moment for both her and I until the blasting of the bagpipes at which she and I both looked at eachother and broke into laughter. A women with short curly hair and a pink shirt (SNL's "Pat" for those who know the show), stood by the tower playing the bagpipes for about 15 minutes. It wasn't what I'd expect to hear at an American Cemetary in the Netherlands, but then, expectations are often a bit off here.

In the foreground, blocking the view of the cemetary grounds behind it, is a large tower with a reflecting pool. To the right and left of the oblong pool are two long stone walls (Court of Honor)l etched with the names of the 1,722 Americans whose remains were never found.


These words are inscribed on the tower behind a bronze statue of a woman with three doves at her shoulder and a tree stump with one leafy branch to her right.

Notice the third stone back. Men of Jewish faith were buried under the Star of David. All others under the cross. I was surprised at how many stars were there - an even more personal war, may be, for those men, and a sad one.

Instead of straight rows, the crosses were placed in curves over the 65.5 acres. 8,301 Americans are buried there.

Among the many graves were fresh flowers laid at the base of many crosses. Americans are far away. I wondered who would be leaving flowers there, so fresh and cared for. When we got home later, we looked up the cemetary and read an article that said that when the cemetary began, there was a program for Dutch to adopt graves. They send photos and letters to the families of the lost and promised to take care of the graves forever. Every single grave was adopted and there were even stories of families handing down that responsibility to silblings and other family members as they could not longer go. Those actions speak for themselves. Wish so much anti-American sentiment worldwide, those are the actions, to me, that speak loudest.

From the flag pole we heard the bells eminating from the tower. It was beautiful. Having missed those tunes at our 4th celebratioon, we all stood quietly, contentedly listening to the sounds of America the Beautiful and other patriotic melodies.
Inside the tower, on the side of the graves was a small chapel. The tower was built in a special way to resonate. The visible roof above was a green metal and corrogated like cardboard. The echo created the feeling of being trapped in a bell tower, vibrating as they do in the cartoons. A bit loud for me, but intersting and beautiful to see with lights hanging down low on small wired and a large golden crown suspended in the center of them.

Today Arianna and I had a mother/daughter date, so we decided to risk getting a little wet and go rollarblading. She'd never rollarbladed before, but fits into Tiara's old skates perfectly, so we got all ready to go and started towards Geilenkirchen. Then it started pouring, so I headed in a different direction and ended up at Trips Burg where there are really nice paved, long, straight, flat trails, perfect for beginners. It was raining, but wasn't coming down too hard, so we went out. At first Arianna was just scooting along, walking on them more than skating. So, I told her to get into first position (ballet) and she did. Then I showed her how to move her feet out. Ten minutes later she was pushing me away. She didn't need me to help her or hold her hand. She fell three times and never wanted help getting up. She was great!


A teen sped by on rollarblades. I saw her coming and had Arianna turn around to watch. Her jaw dropped open and her eyes got big. She was so surprised that someone could go that fast. It's a challenge now. She wants to skate more. If you look at the larger version of this photo, you can see drips of water coming down her helmet. But, it wasn't very cold and the rain didn't bother us. After 40 minutes , Arianna got tired and wanted to go out for ice cream, so we headed back watching the baby cows along the way.

Flowers along the river where she skated. I walked along the bank taking pictures of flowers and cows. Arianna liked the independence of scooting along by herself.

1. Think of some bit of information that your audience might not know. In Luci's case, she thinks of things like how to spell words, what 20+20 is, and questions of time.

2. Ask a reliable source. In this instance, Mom.

Luci to mom: "Mom, what day is today?"

Mom: "It's Friday."

3. Run at lightening speed (so as not to forget the answer by the time you arrive) to the person you want to impress.

4. And, blurt out, as quickly as possible, the answer in an authoritative tone.

Luci to Aria: "Aria. Today is Friday. I said it was Friday. I am right!"

5. Now, the "Audience" will undoubtedly be a bit flustered a little and will want to do a little fact checking.

Aria to mom: "Mom, is today Friday?"

Mom to Aria: "Yes."

6. This is when "Always Right" can smile and gloat knowing that she was right and the "Audience" will, for a brief time, be silenced, not knowing quite how to handle being on the uninformed side of things.

Luci: "I am ri-ight, I am ri-ight."

Aria: arms crossed, furrowed brow, silence that lasts for almost 3 seconds until the next round of "stump the sister"

Unlike Kirk who has a memory for movies like an elephant and can recite movie lines at any moment even though he's seen them years ago, I don't remember movies. I don't even really like movies. They are entertaining and, I guess, I like the idea of them. A really great movie is wonderful, but frankly, most of the films that come spewing from Hollywood are simply not worth 90+ minutes of my time. So, I might see 2 movies in the theater each year just to go out with friends and be social. And, I might sit through a few with Kirk to spend time with him. But in general, I am the silent one if the subject of "movies" comes up in conversations with friends. Even my Spanish friends know more about Hollywood stars than I do.

But, this last week I borrowed five movies from the library - a truly unheard of occurence. And, though I wouldn't recommend them all, they were all interesting. Four were foreign, one was American. A good mix for me.

So... here they are with brief comments just in case you feel artsy and want to view something created with thought and not randomly spewed.

Vodka Lemon (2005)
Kirk and I watched this one together and at the end just looked at each other with the "what did I miss" expression on our faces. According to the cover it was "Stunning. A Magical Movie," "Visually Ravishing - a tribute to just how rapturous life can be," "Heart-stabbing, Wierdly lyrical", and "Frostbitten Fellini." Another mentioned comedy. I think the funniest part for me was finishing it and rereading the above comments listed on the cover. The film critics who wrote those comments surely had a few too many Vodka Lemons under their belts. If you want action, this isn't it. The movie is slow and has little dialogue. The scenery is white with very little color. It is a movie from which you can take away a sense of the people in Armenia and how they live in this one village. For most, I wouldn't recommend it. But, the more I distance myself from it, in restrospect, I can appreciate it a lot more for its humanity and the honest display of a people trying to survive in their native land post-USSR.

The Story of Weeping Camel
This was night two of my mini-film festival. I watched it alone and loved it. National Geographic was part of this wonderful documentary. It followed a nomad tribe of camel breeders living in the Gobi desert. There was very little dialogue and only half of it was translated into English for the subtitles, but it was interesting. I learned a bit about that culture and the camels were beautiful. The story centered around a white camel who was born breech after a difficult labor. Its mother rejected it and wouldn't let it nurse. When all attempts failed, the family sent two sons across the desert to a village to find a violinist. The movie ended with a ceremony using song and the vibration and sound of the violin to reunite the mother and calf. Again, this isn't Terminator, but it was really interesting to watch and the young boy made me smile. He lives in such a different world, and yet he is just a regular kid, wanting ice cream and television and running around.

Rosenstrasse
I really enjoyed this movie. Kirk called it "the ultimate chick flick." In German with English subtitles, Rosenstrasse told two stories: the story of a mother and her daughter in New York in the present time, and the story of Aryan women in 1943's Berlin fighting to get their Jewish husbands released. The stories, of course, are related and interwoven. I could not find a good review for it, but it was really a good movie both in that it told one of history's stories and in the relationships it describes.

Turtles Can Fly
If you want an honest look at pre-Iraqi war Kurdistan, I think this might be it. Because of it's locale, I could not find an non-politicized review of this movie, but the movie is not about politics. It is about a small village in Kurdistan and the children who live there. It is poignant and heart-warming, sad, yet real. It seems effortless. No agenda. Nothing forced. Just sad honesty. Another foreign film, you won't see Brad Pitt, and there isn't a lot of violence, but it's worth seeing.

Hitch
Sometimes when you don't want to think or learn, a good comedy is in order and this is one of my new favorites. I don't like typical Hollywood drivel, but Will Smith is truly fun to watch and without the language and smut you find in many other films.

Well, my plea to the spirits of weather has worked and now they are all working together to provide a near perfect week of blue skies, scattered clouds, rain enough to keep things green, and perfectly cool temperatures. I love it. Unfortunately, I've had errands and other "stuff" to do these last couple days, so we've all enjoyed little outings, time at the park, but nothing monumental. Still, life is good and not every day can be a grand adventure.
On Saturday, I took the kids to feed the ducks at the park in Geilenkirchen. I'd only been there in the winter when the pond was almost completely frozen and the ducks were literally running across the water in a large pack. (a gaggle of geese, a flock of seagulls, a herd of sheep... what is it for ducks? gaggle? flock? I don't know.)

So this day was nice. The gardens are beautifully landscaped and the lake, from a distance is quite pretty. We were disappointed to arrive then and see that one end of the lake was completely black as if Exxon Valdez had landed there. We began to feed the ducks - one activity that all four girls enjoy - so all the water fowl gathered around knowing that our bag must be full of food. As one beautiful pure white goose stood up to get closer to us thick black ooze dripped from her chest. It had the color of tar and the consistancy of maple syrup. Elise threw a whole slice of bread in. A duck grabbed it and ran to the edge. When he pulled it out of the water, it was completely black. Tiara and I felt sad. The area is beautiful and people were there - enjoying the scenery - as if the water was perfectly normal. An older couple sat on benches on the edge just 10 feet from us watching the ducks. Another couple sat in the grass just behind us. I wonder what, if anything, will be done there. It is obviously not normal nor healthy for the critters that live there.

Anyway... we fed the ducks... and this little creature below. A muscrat may be? He was cute. He swam around amongst the ducks looking for donations and occasionally he'd head over to the stone bridge, stand up, and eat with his two front hands like a chipmunk or racoon would. He was sweet and entertaining.
Our sunny-day-duck-feeding-in-the-ooze session was cut off a little early when we ran out of bread and my sweet Luci began throwing clumps of dried you-can-imagine-what that was caked in flaky layers on the cement pier into the water. Yuck.

Elise's toy of the week is my green laundry basket. It's been a favorite of all my girls, but this week Elise has become quite attatched to it. From a boat to a choo-choo to a baby bed, it is an all-purpose utility item.

Remember the rain that came and wouldn't go away? It didn't stop the kids from playing outside. Having an enclosed bricked in courtyard is very nice. The girls play and ride their bikes and I can see them from the living room window. All the girls love playing, singing, and dancing in the rain until they wring-outable. Luci wanted to clean things. She spent her time this particular day with a towel, "washing" her bicycle and Tante Tinny's table.
Arianna sang and rode around in circles. I watched from a little window near the kitchen. By the end of the rain, the girls were absolutely dripping and grinning from ear to ear. Not one complaint of cold nor one blue lip. Elise was wearing only a diaper and didn't quite know what to do with herself. She just ran around in circles flailing her arms about and giggling.

On Sunday as we drove to Meerrsen we had quite a long conversation about our aspirations thanks to Arianna who started it off. Here is how it began.

Arianna: "When I'm eight, would you please, please on my birthday, buy me a fairy dress...?" "I want to be a fairy when I grow up. I changed my mind of being a mom and a teacher." From there she professed that she already knew had to fly and even had a flying license. Luci chimed in that she still wants to be a princess. So between the two of them, we have birthday's all layed out for the next ten years. One year fairy wings for Arianna and a princess dress for Luci, another year crowns, etc.... It must be nice to be young and clueless. I still tell Kirk that I want to be a princess. Not working. There are still dishes to clean.

Another photoless blog here. So, I was really excited about getting a new fancy camera... and I love it, but one unforeseen drawback is that it doesn't fit neatly in my purse, and I've yet to form the habit of automatically grabbing both the purse and camera bag each time I leave the house even though they sit next to each other. But, Kirk liked the little town we visited yesterday and I didn't get enough time to see everything that I wanted to see, so we'll be back, with camera in hand.

Meerrsen is in the hill country of South Limburg only 30 minutes from our house. It's beautiful to get to as it rests on a high plateu with valleys on either side. The town itself was settled long before the Christian era, but there wasn't any evidence to that effect that we could see. It's claim to fame now is its basilika.

Since most of these towns are built with the big church in the center by the markt, driving to the center of town is quite easy. You simply follow the steeple. We were pleasantly surprised when we parked our car to see a sign for a synagogue. Until yesterday, I hadn't seen a synagogue yet in Europe. It was closed with the gate leading to it locked up, but we could still see the beautiful dome and the large entrance door with names crafted onto it.

From there we walked to the markt to see the Basiliek van het Allerheiligste Sacrament. Like all the churches we've seen, this one is intricately detailed and beautiful. The flying butresses show off it's gothic roots and the steeple with two tiers of bells played beautiful music several times while we were in the area. The inside was special. It had beautiful windows like all the others and ornate alters hundreds of years old, but there was something about it. Every little detail was perfect. Without photos, it is near impossible to describe. The teoteca (1500) was amazing. I've never seen anything like it. I think it's the podium from where the sermons are given. This one, had stairs leading to a round platform midway through it's structure. All around were extremely detailed carvings depicting different Bibilical scenes. It was 9 levels tall -nine tiers of carvings with the platform in the middle. Amazing. In the front were candles and three small alcoves in the back had candles to light and benches to pray. A couple knelt in one together. I held Elise and lit one in the other alcove and we shared a quiet moment. By the door was a large stone bowl of water on a stand. The women behind me touched the water and put it to her forehead as we were walking out.

From there we walked around the church, then through a beautifully landscaped garden park behind it with an old stone bridge. Tiara and Kirk ran to the top of the bridge to wait for the rest of us slow people. Then I saw the playground. All I had to do it point and it was like clockwork. Four little heads turned to look, four little voices yelled "park," Tiara asked "can we go," then eight little feet took off running as I nodded yes. They swang and played for a while. Arianna said that she's ready for kindergarted now because she can pump her legs and swing all by herself. Luci did a good job of pumping her legs too.

When that got old we finished up our walk through the park stopping to watch the ducks. When we got back to the square, we found an ice cream place right across from the basilika and had some ice cream before we went home. The ice cream place also had all sorts of little foods... satay rolls, suorma rolls, kip on a stick, satays, luompia, and more. I didn't want ice cream, so I ordered a satay roll and a loumpia. Both were deep fried and too greasy for me though the flavor was good. Tiara and Arianna ended up eating the majority of both.

Driving back I realized how close so many things are and began to plan my next trip there - may be one without the kids so I can see more in a shorter time. There are a lot of little places to stop along the way that would be nice to see.

I have made it my most resolute July's resolution to never, ever, no matter how hot or cold or rainy, complain about the weather. I've learned my lesson. When we moved here I complained that it was too cold and I was rewarded with colder temperatures and a snowstorm. For the last two weeks I (and everyone else I know) complained that it was too hot, so, tired of hearing the griping, Summer packed her bags and left. Yes, she knows how to take a hint. She also knows how to hold a grudge. Thunderstorms came last Saturday, liked it here and decided to move in. It's rained and rained for days. Of course, I LOVE the cooler temperatures. I even love being cold for the first time since, well, June. It is quite nice, but Rain has halted our plans to go to Cologne today. I'm not complaining and I don't want to anger these weather spirits any longer. No, tell Rain that I love her and I love getting a bone-chilling cold shower every time I step out of my car. Looking like a wet cat is the style these days and living in Europe, I DO want to be fashionable. Oh... and those of you in California... please tell Sun that I'm sorry and we'd love a visit again when she cares to bless us with her presence.


Luci

• Kirk has started having father/daughter dates. Two weeks ago he took Arianna out to lunch and bowling. She loved it. Luci was primed and ready for her turn. I asked her what she wanted to do with "daddy" last weekend and she said "go have ice cream and play at the playground and go to the candy store and buy lots of candy." So, Kirk took her to the ice cream place with the playground, then out to lunch, and shopping. She got candy necklaces for her and her sisters and a cute little teddy bear.
• This morning Luci created a new breakfast sensation, some of which she actually ate: Take one bowl of dry cocoa krispies, mix in one peach yogurt, add water to desired consistancy. Yum.
  

Arianna:

• Over the weekend I got out plastic beads and let Arianna and Luci make jewlery. Arianna made her first bracelet for Nevan, the boy that she wants to marry. Then, the second bracelet she made longer. When I suggested it was too big, she said it was for Nevan's mom. Kissing up to the in-laws already - she's smart! On Tuesday she brought the bracelets to school to give. Nevan would like anything from Arianna and loved it. Jennifer, Nevan's mom, was so surprised and touched that she got teary. And she wore the bracelet all day. It was very nice.
• On Wednesday, Tiara and I both got our hair done. When we picked Arianna up from school, she noticed the changes and immediately said, "Tomorrow I want Jenny to come over and paint my hair." I told her that she didn't need her her painted. "But Mom, I want my hair to be pink!"
  
• Aria's favorite movie at the moment is Peter Pan - all versions from Disney to Broadway to Hoffman's Hook. Her latest line is "call me Wendy," though she wants to be Tigerlilly for Halloween.
  

Maastricht - a city that I love. "Take one" because I know I'll be back over and over again until they're sick of me.

On Friday, I took Tiara and Elise down to Maastricht for a little day trip to explore it. The city itself isn't well-known like Paris, or London, but it is beautiful and boasts along and eclectic history. The other great thing is that it's only 45 minutes from my house.

Part of the initial draw for me is the Meuse river which runs right through it, and to me, any place with a prominent water feature is automatically more stunning than any place without. Koln is more beautiful because of the Rhein. Amsterdam is amazing mostly because of it's maze of canals. I just like water and you can't miss this.

Driving into the city, if you want to see anything other then outskirts, you find yourself either on the edge or crossing over the blue river Meuse that divides Maastricht. There are several old bridges and a couple pedestrian only bridges as well that cross it, but is wide like the Columbia and very impressive.

We headed first for the Vrijthof where we were able to park in an underground parking garage and come out literally in the square itself through a tiny glass elevator. It wasn't very crowded at that time being still mid-morning, so the square seemed even more impressive in its expanse with two large churches on one side and the other flanked with cafes with sidewalk seating and patrons enjoying their morning coffee.

These two churches look rather imposing together. The one on the right is St. Servaasbasiliek whose crypt dates to 1000 A.D. with work continuing until 1475. The crypt (which I did not have time to see this trip) contains the tomb and remains of St. Servatius who was buried on 384 A.D. Supposedly, each year, thousands of pilgrims visit his grave where they eat a nice turkey dinner. No, not really... just a silly moment. You certainly get the gist. There are pilgims, but alas, no turkey. The ovens here wouldn't allow it. Too small. The church on the left is St. Janskerk, a 14th-15thC church origionally built as a baptistry for the former. It's claim to fame is the 230 foot red tower that stands out against the greyish hue of the rest of the church.
Tiara and I were starving, but wanted to get off the Vrijthof and see something else before we stopped. We wandered down a narrow street towards the Stokstraat Quarter passing a few tempting restaurants and intriguing shops along the way. Tiara really wanted to go into a hat shop with a beautiful window display of hats in all colors and styles, but they were closed. We did duck into a very quaint antique shop and looked around. They had antiques of all kinds, some priced well, and others seemed high. They had a large basement filled with "treasures," many of which were catholic in nature - old crosses, crucifixes, statues of saints, etc... The really pretty part of the shop was the garden in the back. They had furniture, tables, and cushions all displayed in the rear garden as if it was someone's garden living room. Elegant and whimsical. I heard a man who worked there say that he didn't speak Dutch. Maastricht is in the Netherlands. I turned to him and said that he surely is in the wrong country. He said that he is from Argentina and came to the Netherlands for "amor." That is the way in the Netherlands. It is a very multicultural place and he is not the first who's come here for love. A very common, but sweet story.
We eventually wound our way to the Stokstraat Quarter, a nice area with restaurants and great shopping. Our stomachs demanded that we eat before anything else, so we found a table in the square outside and sat down. Two cappuccinos. Ahhh... that is breakfast.

The church on the corner by where we sat is the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek, parts dating from 900 until the early 12thC. At this point, I'd only seen the imposing front and had no idea how big it was. Tiara was hungry, so touring a church at that point was out of the question. I did go inside the smaller part on the left. It is the entrance, but looks very different from the rest. From outside you can see an ornate carving of Mary lit dimly in the background with candles all around in the foreground with people lighting them and praying. A very peaceful setting.
Poor Tiara is so patient with my photo taking. We did order. She ordered the pasta carbonara and I ordered the Mestreechs Zuurulees (Maastricht beef stew). Elise had kipnuggets (chicken nuggets). I was restless while we waited for our food... may be because people watching was so fun, may be because our chairs were very sticky. I wanted to sit, talk, relax, and absorb the atmosphere, but it was very hard to overcome the aversion of a sticky chair and the overwhelming question popping into my head, "I wonder how often they clean these?" The pidgeons flew in and out around tables without trepidation of any kind as if they were well-paid members of a Broadway cast just doing their part. Someone should train them to clean tables and sticky chairs.
Tiara pointed to a bicycle coming from behind me and I turned to see a sea blue bicycle pedalled by a well dressed man. Attatched to the bicycle, in front, was a wicker style bench with a back and sides. It looked like a piece of wicker furniture from Pier One Imports, but it was decorated with red paper balls. Sitting in it was a mother and daughter. The mother wore a blue formal gown - simple, but elegant. She held a large bouquet of white flowers. The girl, who looked about 9, was wearing all white and had a white flower crown in her hair. She looked very nervous. The bike stopped in front of the church, the church bells began chiming, and a crowd slowly gathered around taking pictures of the girl on her big day - first communion. This region of the Netherlands is very staunchly Catholic, so events like this are a true celebration. I like that here - that even among the oldest buildings, life goes on and this girl is having this special life event in such an old and beautiful place. That gives life to all these cold stone buildings and makes them even more beautiful. Everyone sitting at the tables around us watched. Some even stood up to see the young girl nervously pacing with her little basket of rose petals. I got up with my camera and took a couple of photos before my card was full and our food came. Tiara was embarrassed. "Oh, mom!"
Tiara's Pasta Carbonara was the best she or I have ever had. It was delicious with a really interesting sauce and big chunks of bacon. The portion was huge. We could have fed 4 people with that, so it was sad that we had to waste so much. Doggie bags are just not done here. I had the soup which is a Maastricht-only thing. Our waitress was from Amsterdam and had never tried it before. It was very good... just beef and onions in a dark vinegary broth. It tasted like a Sauerbraten soup almost... a bit tart, but very good.

After lunch we continued to wander through the city ultimately headed towards the Helpoort and the Meuse, but we didn't take the direct way at all. I saw a piece of wall art from the distance that I wanted a photo of and then we'd turn and go down any street that looked interesting. Unknown to us, we were only 4 blocks from the Helpoort, but we walked for at least an hour before we got there. Not far from where we ate was a wonderful old building that housed a mill and a bakery that made beautiful Vlaai (Dutch pie). We were to full to try it then, but we'll go back there again. It all looked delicious. The streets were very clean and the buildings all quaint. In both Germany and the Netherlands, the window boxes are overflowing with flowers. It is so beautiful. These flowers and windows were just one level above a drug store.
Wandering still, we came upon another street flanked by churches. One was the Eerste Minderbroederskerk, yet another old Maastricht church. Across the street was another. Both pretty to walk by. Just past the churches was a quaint little cafe with grape vines growing all over the front of it dangling clusters of bright green grapes above the doorway and above the outdoor tables where people sat with their coffee and snacks.

A little pedestrian street turned in there and just opposite was part of the old city wall complete with "windows." It was such a perfect setting with the quaint vine covered cafe and houses lining one side of the passage, and the old wall on the other with little openings in the stone where you could peep in and see ornate gardens hiding behind it. There were steep, narrow stone stairs in one section, but they were blocked off with iron bars.

We were on the Lang Grachtje, a small street known for it's beauty and where one of the more interesting parts of the wall (year 1229) resides. That wall is built in two layers with a total width of 8 feet and it was topped with a battlement. So those "windows" were actually loopholes below the wall arches. It was there that we entered the Jeker Quarter, another part of town known for it's artsy feel. We wandered towards the park. These towns were not built on grids, so there are times when we almost felt trapped, but then a tiny little passage would appear. In one place, a narrow stone stairway went up between two old houses. It had an arch overgrown with flowering vines, so we went up those stairs looking for the park where the Helport was. We ended up walking towards the Helpoort on top of another long section of the old city wall.

Maastricht is the oldest city in the Netherlands. The region was primarily farmland as early as 5300 BC, but as early as the 1st century BC, the Romans had come to Maastricht which was founded sometime before AD 250. The land itself has been under many rules and has a diverse history, but the Roman past is something that they are proud of, I think. There is a large museum dedicated to that history with many artifacts from that period.

The city wall is from the Middle Ages and is largely intact and very expansive. We walked on top of it for quite a while before we found a place to get down. Every little while there would be an old turret. Down below on the Meuse side of the wall is a small canal and a nice green park full of thickly trunked trees and a lot of shade. In one area there is a Deirenpark or small zoo along the canals. Paths go right through it and along the sides are small fenced off areas filled with deer and wild birds.
We found another steep stairwell to go down (may be that's why mortality rates were so high back then!) where we walked along a stretch of wall that was orininally arched and then later filled in. Tiara played in one broken piece noting how soft it was. The blocks that they used to fill in the arches are made of Marlstone, a sedimentary rock, and while thay last a long time, they are also very sandy and easy to carve. Many people had carved there initials into it and other random messages.
Walking through the garden area was nice. There is no end to the amount of shade making it a very welcome sight after a long walk on a hot day. People were walking, biking, and rollar blading through the park, walking dogs, pushing strollers, and laying in the grass reading books. Every little bridge over the canal had one or two people on it standing, leaning over the railing, and watching the ducks below. An old man fed the ducks on one bridge, so with a little bread Tiara had saved from lunch, she and Elise fed the ducks on the other side of that little bridge. That is when my camera battery died and I had the horrible realization that the replacement had never been recharged. Another good reason to go back.
That is also when I saw a sign pointing the way to the Helpoort, so we climbed a steep incline putting us back on top of the wall and we walked a little while longer, past some beautiful houses on our left and a large fountain in the gardens on our right. Eventually that portion of wall ended and we stood looking across a large grassy oblong along another long section of wall with 5 evenly spaced canons sitting in front of it. Then, to our left was the Helpoort, the old city gate. It led to a narrow passageway of shops and restaurants, that put us behind that beautiful church in the Stokstraat where we'd eated lunch.

From there we walked just a little ways to the river that the girls had wanted to see so much. What was really nice is that there is this beautiful pedestrian walkway right there. Elise enjoyed walking up those stairs, and down again. On either side of the wide stairway are deep grooves just the width of a bicycle tire. And, sure enough, moments after I'd wondered what they were for, a man ran up the stairs pulling his bicycle, tires in the grooves, up the ramp with ease. We didn't have enough time to cross the bridge into the Ceramic and Wick Quarters... those will be another day, but the bridge itself is quite beautiful and very well used. It just felt great to be there looking out over the river and walkers and bikers rode/walked by.

Time insisted that we head back since Arianna and Luci would need to be picked up. So, we headed back by the wall, near the Helpoort, through the square in the Stokstraat, and through a nice shopping area. A mother with her 11-year old daughter would be remiss in not stopping in a shop or two, so we did stop, not to offend the spirit of shopping. Tiara was drawn to the shoes... I loved them too, but 150Euro is not even tempting, so we didn't stay long. Mexx drew me in - my favorite brand here and they are having their big July sale, so I just HAD to go... and am glad I did. There was a very cute jacket there 50% off that is quite at home in my closet. Esprit had a sale too, so Tiara was able to get a few things for school and we both felt very good about our "good deals."

Speed walking through the thickening crowds was not easy and it started to rain as well. We hurried a different way back, this time. Ended up at the Markt which isn't far from the Vrijthof, but isn't where we parked either. A kind man gave us directions back to the Vrijthof and we were on our way home minutes later. The day was great. Tiara's only regret was that she didn't have her new camera yet. Taking photos is much more fun than watching someone else take photos. And, I will be more prepared next time with an empty card and two good batteries. There is so much to see there.

If you've ever seen an old fashioned brick oven, then you know what we're living in. These brick houses, while beautiful, absorb heat and hold it, so even if it did, perchance, cool down (which it is not!), these bricks would still hold the heat for days. I think that we're all, quite literally, slow roasting in our own house.

These weeks with Arianna and Luci at school were supposed to be liberating and fun for Tiara and I. We are trying to get out and see things, but hte heat is everywhere and unescapable, so it's been really difficult to find something to do. Everything we want to do and see is outdoors - and 37C isn't quite the weather for exploring. The house isn't much better, so we're all getting restless and cranky. Tonight Luci fell asleep under the kitchen table while we were eating dinner. Elise is only happy falling asleep if her little sticky forehead is toucning my sticky forehead and she has an arm and/or let flopped over on me. Half the time she falls asleep, the unsticking-myself-from-her process wakes her up! Arianna is the only one that seems unscathed by the heat. She doesn't like it, but her bubbly personality won't be stopped. Tonight she went on and on about the magic show that she's performing tomorrow for her friends at school, "and there will be popcorn and lots of candy and you, mom, will bring the decorations." Her magic trick? Freezing. Yep, her friend, Nate, taught her how to freeze and she's convinced that "freezing" is a way-cool magic trick that will wow not only her friends, but their parents as well.




In the evenings... if it's cool enough, the girls play outside on the slide. Tante Tinny lets the girls use her bench cushions to speed down the slide faster. Freia and Beret (Tante Tinny's grand-nieces) come over and play with the girls too. Freia is 9 and the younger of the two and loves playing with all my little ones. Elise climbs up the ladder herself carrying the small cushion, but prefers to slide down "the big one" which they can all fit on. So, they pair up and slide together. It's very sweet and yields a lot of laughs.



The wheat is being harvested. Every day the fields change. Large tubs of wheat kernels block traffic regularly and other harvesters fill the fields. Bob the Builder is popular here, but I think they need to create a new show - Fritz the Farmer, who has every piece of John Deere farm equipment made. Some of them are quite scary. Really, I'd hate to run into one in the night with those long spiny arms up in the air. Some of the tractor-type vehicles here look like the monster from the Black Lagoon or some Alien lifeform. With eyes and a cartoon mouth, they'd be ready to teach our kids all sorts of life lessons on PBS or Nick Jr.