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Many moods of Maastricht
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Caves, churches and cruises... It's well worth the effort, says APARNA KARTHIKEYAN
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PHOTOS: VVV Maastricht Tourist Office/Studiopress
DELIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE Maastricht is one place you can't miss photoS VVV Maastricht Tourist Office/Studiopress
"Where did you go? To Moscow," asked my neighbour, laughing at the weary, bedraggled group getting back at witching hour, from our `day-trip' to Maastricht. Well, if there had been no `work on the rails', we might've zipped across Holland in a couple of hours to explore the city. But despite the long-drawn train journey with several connections, it was tough to stay annoyed, given the wonderful views from the window — vast expanses of grassy fields, dotted with black-and-white Dutch cows, fat, woolly sheep and little black ponies, ducks and swans splashing in the water-ways, a windmill here, a tractor there...
Arriving at Maastricht, the first thing that greeted us was the Saturday antique street market! What could be better to lift flagging spirits than a healthy round of haggling and buying stuff that might never be displayed? And so I did. One painting, three flower pots, and one musical beer jug (don't ask!). Weighed down with my `great bargains', we set off to find the tourism information office. Having read up a little about the city renowned for its `Treaty', I knew exactly what to ask at the counter — "What time does the last boat leave for the three-hour trip to the marl caves?" Pat came the reply: "In ten minutes!" Ack! In ten minutes! Before the family could start the `and all because you dawdled to buy the musical beer-jug' chorus, I ran to grab the tickets.
Scenic cruise
In exactly eight minutes (huff!), I had the tickets in hand (puff!) and we hopped on (pant... ) to the boat; only, `boat' wasn't really the mot juste. It was a grand, classy affair, all crisp white table linen and polished decks. The scenic cruise down the River Maas, which neatly slices through the city of Maastricht, was a delightful experience. When the boat docked at St. Pietersburg, almost everybody made a beeline for the famous caves. But between us, the enthusiastic tourists, and the caves, there was a whole hill to climb! Once on top, we joined the guided tour and headed off.
Given that garishly bright basement car parks were the only subterranean spaces I had ever visited, the silent, dark limestone caves, lit solely by hand-carried hurricane lamps, was a dramatically different experience. "Are there ghosts in here," asked my daughter, even as the light threw long, wobbly shadows on the walls!
Once the guide started talking, however, we were lost. It was all double-Dutch to us! We had no clue what he was saying or why everybody was guffawing, until a friendly native took it upon himself to provide an impromptu translation.
Interestingly, the tunnels are entirely man-made, over several centuries, as people cut out the `marlstone' to build houses. Many million tonnes of stone have been removed, but since the 1920s, mining is prohibited, save for restoration purposes. The existing labyrinth has more than 20,000 passages, with inscriptions and drawings, some prehistoric, adorning the walls. Besides bats, people have apparently inhabited the caves at various periods, the most recent being during the Second World War, when preparations were made to shelter 50,000 people, complete with hospital, chapel and loos!
Step by step
Stepping out of the dark grotto, dazzled by the brilliance of the setting sun, we quickly climbed downhill to the waiting boat, and got back to the city. Having already purchased, for a grand sum of 1.5 euros, a step by step `city tour' brochure in English, we set off to explore the old city centre in all its twilight glory. But that, alas, proved to be my nemesis. The sun was low in the sky, my camera's battery was low on power, a lethal combination, certain to ruin every single shot. Blissfully unaware of this, I went about fervently clicking pictures of the aesthetically lit sights — pretty cobbled-stone streets, winding lanes flanked by beautiful old mansions, massive fortified walls, tall churches, the wide river with its imposing bridges — it was really such a lovely city!
The `walking tour' was clearly put together, so that even directionally-challenged souls like me would be able to see the best of Maastricht in an hour. Passing through the fashionable shopping quarter, we reached the Basilica of Virgin Mary. Though beguilingly resembling a fort, it was, on the inside, a very old, magnificent church, dimly, yet beautifully lit and so peaceful. Reluctantly leaving the church, we climbed up the old city ramparts, which offered a panoramic view across the Maas River. Descending the ramparts, we crossed the `Hell's gate' (the oldest city gate in the Netherlands) and reached the old city wall. And in that little lane, with its ancient, crumbling wall, we almost felt transported to another era! And that's when my husband noticed it. There we were, map in hand, plainly broadcasting our touristy status, in an absolutely deserted street, and between us, all the only Dutch we knew was counting 1 to 5!
Naturally, our `walk' thereafter went completely haywire; I would insist on going through every street mentioned in the map, and the husband would, fearing the worst, make a run for the nearest street lamp. Literally racing past the towering Basilica of Saint Servatius, we relaxed only upon reaching the bustling Vrijthof Square, teeming with people and pubs. After soaking in the atmosphere of the charming square for a while, we crossed the Sint Servaas stone bridge to catch the train(s) back home. But, honestly, Maastricht was well worth the effort!
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