"Dear Annalaan" Published on Crossroads Magazine

The article I wrote about Sint Annalaan has been published on Crossroads Magazine as part of a two-part article about an international family and how they came to name their daughter “Annalaan”. Part one of “Ever named a kid?” is written by Eric Lemay, who lives with his family in the US, about how he and his wife named their daughter. Part two is my letter to Annalaan sharing as much about the place she was named after as possible. We also sent her some goodies like menus and newspapers from the area.

I am pretty excited about this article going live, so I encourage you to swing by Crossroads Magazine and check it out.

A Christmas Carol in the Velvet Cave

The holiday season is picking up here in South Limburg, even if we haven’t had a single flake of snow. So to get into the spirit ourselves, Dan & I hopped on the train to Valkenburg and followed the Kerstmarkt signs to the Fluweelengrot (Velvet Cave) for their annual underground Christmas market.

The Velvet Cave is one of two marl caverns in Valkenburg dug in the early 11th century to provide stone for the Valkenburg castle which now stands in ruins above the modern town. The network of tunnels were used over the centuries as secret passageways, a hiding place during multiple wars, and a platform for fantastic murals and sculptures carved into the soft stone. Today the cave can be visited on tour (Dutch with an English pamphlet), but once a year this hidden place is transformed into a themed holiday market. This year the theme is “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens and as you walk through the market you will find large-scale dioramas depicting important moments in the story.

The Christmas market was both larger and somewhat more commercial than I could have ever imagined it would be. For our entry fee we wandered for one and a half or two hours viewing the various wares, Charles Dickens decorations, and inspecting the non-holiday art on the walls which peeks through the garland and lights. Some of my favorite items being sold were large decorative paper stars (which are popular in the Netherlands), wooden carvings by a Polish artisan, and impressive handmade clay dolls. Many more non-handmade items were also available including Christmas decorations, toys, and African statues. The most unique items we’ve found were fossils being sold in an alcove dominated by marl sculptures of prehistoric creatures.The passageways were absolutely packed with people visiting during the first weekend of this market.
 

Almost more impressive than the Christmas market was its unique surroundings. The Velvet Cave is more narrow than the marl caves in Maastricht, but the artwork adorning the walls is nothing short of amazing. The route taken by the market leads you past a variety of murals and statues many of which were kindly not hidden away by vendors. Unfortunately the number of people visiting the market made photography of the large murals nearly impossible. Still the enclosed, natural environment lent a touch of magic to the experience of shopping for holiday gifts.
 
Holiday snacks were available inside and outside the cave including poffertje and gluhwijn (a mulled wine), but no oliebollen.
 

In the end we tried some gluhwijn, but did not make any purchases since we’d been looking for handicrafts and most of the vendors were selling commercially made products. But the trip was still fun and I hope to visit again perhaps after the new year when I can be sure to get a good look at the cave itself. From a preservation and archaeology perspective I have to wonder what effect these markets, lights, and large crowds are having on the marls caves in their unique artwork.
 
We didn’t visit, but the Gemeentegrot (Municipal Cave) in Valkenburg also hosts a Christmas market this time of year. Each market costs 4 euros per adult or 1,50 euros per child to visit and the markets will remain open until December 22. Visit Kerststad Valkenburg for more information about their many Christmas activities. View more pictures in a short slideshow here.
 
This article was written for Maastrichtregion.com and can be read in the “To Live” section.
 
This blog article is dedicated to NaNoWriMo 2009. Please sponsor me and my goal of write 50,000 words by making a donation to the Office of Letters & Light.

Places Around Maastricht: John Mullins Irish Pub

Type of Place: Restaurant & Pub
Location: Brugstraat 50, 6221 ED Maaastricht
Website

Located conveniently just across the St. Servatius bridge, John Mullins Irish Pub is a large restaurant and bar serving traditional Irish fare and nearly any kind of Irish drink you desire. When you walk in the front door, you will notice that the pub is done up in a classic style with dark wood, a very long bar, and maybe a few too many Guinness posters. The lighting is kept low and the ambiance has a certain charm quite distinct from the charm of a Dutch brown cafe. Beyond the initial pub seating area, which includes a bright but crowded window section, you can find two more sitting areas towards the back that helps the pub accommodates their evening customers. The food service covers the gamut from an Irish breakfasts to high tea to a nice sounding weekly special for two.

John Mullins appears to cater to a young professional clientele and a fairly international one, at least from what I’ve seen. If you visit during a football, rugby, or hurling match you can be sure to find John Mullins packed with locals and foreigners there to catch the game on one of several large televisions. They have other events as well. Once a week, usually on Saturdays, a live band comes in to play. The music tends towards pop and alternative, but other bands come in as well. Every Wednesday Tuesday, a quiz night is held in both Dutch and English. There is no cover charge, and the quiz only costs 2,50 euros to play.

Dan and I have have only eaten one meal there (a moist and tasty fish & chips), but we’ve visited enough time to try their appetizers and drink their beer. From my limited experience in Ireland, the pub feels very authentic and I find the ambiance to be extremely comfortable. They had a unique cheese platter, which was very tasty, and they serve Korenwolf white beer. It’s not Wieckse Witte (my favorite) but it is close enough. The only real strike against John Mullins is that they don’t serve bitterballen and (I’m told bitterballen are part of the ‘partysnacks’ appetizer) the service can be slow during the off hours. That may be different during peak times when they have more staff, but we usually go there at off times to work on our writing.

In fact, one of the things Dan and I like the best is that John Mullins doesn’t mind if we come in to have a few drinks and write or read. They even have boardgames in the window area. I like to work on my blog away from the Internet so it is always nice to find a place that is willing to accommodate us. Throw in the weekly special for two: the chefs special of the week, soup, and dessert, plus half a liter of wine for only 35 euros and John Mullins becomes quite a deal.

Update: Thank you Max for your corrections. I’ve updated them above.

Update: Read about more oranje adventures at John Mullins.

This blog article is dedicated to NaNoWriMo 2009. Please sponsor me and my goal of write 50,000 words by making a donation to the Office of Letters & Light.

Asian food, Dutch kitchen, American hands

Before we move to the Netherlands and some time after undergrad, I discovered a deep love for food of an Asian tradition. What started in college as occasional sushi nights became monthly outings for us when we moved to Boston. Living in Allston, we were exposed to a wide variety of cuisines and quickly became fans of Thai and the occasional Chinese fare. I even began to make some of the foods at home and still remember with amusement when I was accused of “bringing the wrong food” to a staff potluck where we were supposed to bring native and ethnic dishes. I made rice balls. I suppose I was expected to bring hamburgers.
 
When we moved in to our Maastricht flat, one of the first things we found was a nearby Thai takeout restaurant with pretty decent Pad Thai. The just a couple of months ago we found a sushi joint that serves all-you-can-eat sushi. But it wasn’t until the Asian supermarket opened up this month that I was able to seriously entertain thoughts of cooking Asian dishes again.
 

The new Asian supermarket, Amazing Oriental, is similar to the one we had near us in Boston (Super 88), but without the fish market that always made the store smell a little funky. They do have all my favorite noodles, mochi, and all sorts of strange and interesting snack foods which I hope to continue working my way through. There were also a variety of Indonesian sauces which will be sure to spice up our weekly meals.
 
Dan and I celebrated the opening of the store by purchasing two different varieties of Mochi and red bean paste-filled glutinous rice balls. Mochi is a sweet made from rice flour made into a paste and usually fill with something. It can be terribly sticky and messy, but it is a very fun food to eat. We tried a blueberry jam filled-mochi which were so tasty they didn’t last us a walk back home. We also got to some ice cream mochi which was one of our favorite snacks in Boston. The variety we bought here has a much thicker mochi shell around the ice cream then the brands we were accustomed to in the US. But I guess that means we will just have to keep hunting for the right one.
 

I first had glutinous rice balls made from scratch by a Chinese history teacher in undergrad and at that time had really enjoyed them. So when we found a frozen variety, I decided to introduce Dan to this small, sort of slimy snack. They were very easy to make. Just boil the water, toss in the frozen balls, and simmer until they all float to the top. The results is a soft ball filled with (in this case) red bean paste which is a not too sweet flavor. Dan found them a little bland and added a bit of sugar.
 
The one thing I didn’t find at the Asian grocery store that I was disappointed about is miso, although that may be because I’m not looking for the right words in Dutch. Dan and I used to eat miso soup at home at least once a month. I would make what I called “super” miso soup with extra vegetables, silken tofu, and the mild yellow miso paste. I did find what I think is the red type, but it’s not our preference so I will have to keep looking. Miso soup is just so comforting on a cold, dark winter night.
 
This blog article is dedicated to NaNoWriMo 2009. Please sponsor me and my goal of write 50,000 words by making a donation to the Office of Letters & Light.

Orthopedic Surgeon Referral Update

I’m going to keep this one short since I’m sure you all are getting sick of hearing about my personal medical problems, but I think it’s worth it to chronicle the process and what can be expected from the medical profession here. My referral came pretty quickly in the mail, about a week, and the appointment was set for a week or so after that (today). Maybe it is different in larger cities but here in Maastricht the process seems to move pretty quickly. Basically I received a letter stating the date and location of my appointment and asking it take the letter along with me.
 
A friend in Arnhem says that she doesn’t like how the office you are referred to gets to mail you the appointment. If you can’t make their schedule then you have to give them a call. It doesn’t bother me. Since I don’t have a day job or at least not one with set hours, I do have more flexibility to meet the best times for other people. I also don’t mind having the appointment set for me because I tend to be slow to call and set my own appointments.
 
At my orthopedic surgeon appointment, the office had most of my insurance and address information although I did have to explain this situation to the doctor and he didn’t know my primary care physician. It was both a quick and informative meeting in which I got the treatment I needed and another appointment set up for the next day (for a light cast). In addition I was given an appointment card which I believe I am to use throughout this treatment to ensure that everyone, or at least I, can keep track of this referral process.
 
From a writing perspective, I am progressing with treating my wrist problem and hope it will get better soon. I will be in a cast to immobilize my wrist and thumb for a few weeks. I hope it won’t interfere with my blogging, but that remains to be seen. I think I’ve done everything I can to help me keep on top of my various projects. Fingers are crossed. Just not on my right hand.
 
This blog article is dedicated to NaNoWriMo 2009. Please sponsor me and my goal of write 50,000 words by making a donation to the Office of Letters & Light.

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