Day 11 (July 16, 2018): Arrival in the Netherlands

Today was the hardest travel day in our itinerary. It required us to get up at 2:30AM for a flight from Kosice to Prague at 4:50AM.  That was followed by a connection to Brussels at 7 AM, then a three-hour wait for a bus to Maastricht, for the start of our week in the Netherlands.  By the time we arrived at our hotel at 1 PM, we were exhausted. The lack of sleep combined with the heat (hottest day to date of our vacation), and the total change of pace and culture from Eastern Europe to the Netherlands, hit us like a ton of bricks. We spent the afternoon taking in the incredibly rich architecture and rhythm of Maastricht. But by 5:30, we had hit a wall and went back to the hotel to sleep before finding a place to eat dinner. 

As you can see from the following map, Maastricht is sort of like the kidney of the Netherlands: a little blob that hangs down, dangling in the midst of Belgium on one side and Germany on the other. Because it is a little cut-off from the rest of the country, the Netherlands did not bother to defend it during World War II. As a result, the area was not bombed or damaged.

What hits you as soon as you arrive at the train station is the number of bicycles. The risk of stepping off the curb and being slammed by a cyclist is far greater than being hit by a car.

There is a style and a vibe in this part of the Netherlands that – we are told — is quite different from the rest of the country. The coming week will surely show the variances from region to region. 

Here are a few pics and impressions from our first day in the Netherlands.

Czech Airlines ATR 42 flight from Kosice to Prague.

As we took off from Kosice, we had a great view of the steel industry in eastern Slovakia. The region is to Slovakia – and was to the Soviet Union – what Hamilton, Ontario is to Canada in this industry.

A nice view of a typical Czech small town, upon descent into Prague today.

A mass of parked bicycles at the Maastricht train-bus station. It’s hard to describe the number of bicycles in use here!

Our hotel in Maastricht is the neatest place! Appropriately called The Dutch, they have every detail down pat — like unlimited free frozen treats and cappuccinos.  A total 1980s retro theme going on here, but very modern. We love this place!

Mariamonument depicts Mary with the infant Jesus in her arms. The four bishops of the city, Servatius, Lambert, Monulphus and Hubert, recognizable by their badges, stand on the corners.


Basilica of Our Lady is a Romanesque style church from the 11th and 12th centuries.

Remnants of the old city walls. 


Maastricht boasts two massive churches that are literally within a stone’s throw of each other:  the Gothic-style St. John Church (Sint Janskerk) and the Romanesque Basilica of St. Servatius. 

Sint Janskerk is a very plain church inside, as is common for a Dutch Reformed Church.  The steeple was originally painted with ox blood, by the way. 

Given the size and importance of the Basilica of St. Servatius, it deserves a second photo. 

This fancy gold box is the reliquary shrine of Saint
Servatius from the late 1100s. 

Maastricht Town Hall faces the market square. 

The St. Servatius Bridge is an arched stone footbridge across the Meuse River. 

Sint-Martinuskerk, during my run tonight. 

Herring and pickles are a delicacy sold in the market square in front of city hall. A colleague from Moncton is from a Belgian town, 20 minutes outside Maastricht and he has been telling me about these herring, suggesting I try one. But I just couldn’t muster the courage. 

I hate to admit it, but we ducked into McDonald’s for some air-conditioning and a snack. I was impressed to see this bum-rest by the main counter. What a great idea! Typical of Dutch thinking. Note, however, in the top right-hand corner of the photo, that you have to pay 50 Euro cents to use the bathroom. Also very typical of Europe. Can you imagine having to pay to visit the loo at a McDonald’s in Halifax?


We saw two people walking around with Hudson’s Bay shopping bags. So after a little investigation, we realized there is a Hudson’s Bay department store here! I never knew The Bay had expanded operations outside Canada.