The Kurtz family takes Europe - Part III

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After leaving Amsterdam, Mom & Dad finally got to see Maastricht. I think they really liked it, especially since it's incredibly more laid-back than Amsterdam (especially since you don't have to be on the look out for bicycles, trams, & scooters constantly!)

Essentially, I showed them around the city that has been my home for the past few months. We did some shopping, walked around, & relaxed after a long journey. We even did a trolley tour around the city (that I didn't know existed), but it was really nice. Unfortunately, the information given was in German & Dutch, but the guy that conducted the tour was nice enough to fill us in in English on certain things. He was very nice. I have a new-found respect for this city because I never realized how beautiful & full of history it actually is. Definitely the most fascinating thing about here is the city walls. There are essentially remnants of 3 different walls that were used as fortifications against invasion. As the city grew & more security was necessary, more walls were built. Also, the St. Servaasbrug had a wooden part that would be burnt in case of impending invasion. That's pretty cool. During the plague, sick people were thrown outside the city walls. Next to the main gate, there was a convent that would take food & water to the sick & dying. There are also houses with plaques above the doors. These served as the first "house numbers" before house numbers existed.

I also learned that just recently, they found a road that existed from the Roman times (before Christ) when they were digging under the Vrijthof Square to make a parking lot. Apparently there had been a cemetery under the Vrijthof, but under that was the Roman trail. Pretty incredible.

Basically, the pictures speak for themselves; however, I will gather thoughts & impressions from my Mom & Dad & add them at a later time.

For all the photos from our trip, see this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024142&id=68800099&l=e8bf607c49

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Photos

Old Convent
The nuns at this convent would give bread & water to those sick & dying of the plague that were thrown outside of the city walls.

Bear statue
Apparently, at one point in time, there was a bear cage in this park. However, they took it away & this statue commemorates how sad the bears were.

D'Artagnan
D'Artagnan, the lieutenant of the Three Musketeers, died in 1673 with the siege of Maastricht by the French army.