Day 6-9 - Maastricht, Netherlands then back home
Well, Barry had to go back to work, so I was on my own. I could easily have done some other side trips, but to be honest, I was worn out and just wanted hang out and do nothing. This was a vacation, after all, and I had a right to be lazy! Maastricht is a college town, and has a lot to see, so I did some exploring and photographing, shopping and eating. We had a couple of pastry shops right across the street, so breakfast was a no-brainer! Good thing I had to walk everywhere, or that might have caused me to gain a few pounds! Funny thing is that people, in general, don’t get up early there. I’m used to getting up at 6:30 and having breakfast at Starbucks or Panera. Here, the one pastry shop was open at 7am, but they may not have had coffe or OJ ready by then. McDonalds was on the street, also, but they didn’t open until later. There were all kinds of shops, and I picked up a couple of things for myself. It's a college town, so they cater to the young. Another quirk is that most shops close at 5 or 6pm. Only on Thursdays did they stay open until 9pm. I guess that’s another reason that long, lazy meals are so popular!
The city is on a river, which made for some nice pictures. There is a second, large square in town that seems to have a market every day. The place was always packed! You could get everything from fresh fish and meats to veggies and fruit. They had vendors with leather goods and cloth, and just about everything else you could imagine. The main square had a couple of old churches, but I didn't go in these. They weren't nearly as grand as the ones we had already seen. By the end of the week, the sun decided to come out and it warmed up, so we were able to enjoy lunches outside by the river. Even though I wasn't doing a whole lot, these 4 days went by way to quickly!
Before I knew it, Saturday arrived and it was time to go home. Barry had to head to England, and was able to fly out of Brussels, so he drove me to the airport. Thank goodness for that, because I was dreading a train ride back! Unfortunately, his plane was much earlier than mine, so I had to wait forever. Brussels airport is miserable - worse than Atlanta, and I HATE the Atlanta airport! Crowded, no place to sit, not enough places selling food and beverages. But my flight finally left. The flight was long, but not as cramped as the way over, and uneventful. We had a tailwind the whole way, and made it to Dulles about 45 min. early. That was a very good thing, because I had given myself less than 2 hrs before my connection and was afraid I wouldn't make it thru customs. Thanks to the weather and the pilot, I had plenty of time, and I made it home as scheduled.
It was a great trip, but it is always good to get home. And I sure missed the doggies! They survived their stay at camp, but I have never seen Basil so tired!
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