A Barefoot Walk in the Woods

This article was originally published at Maastricht Region: to Live.

I love being barefoot. In the summer I minimize my footwear as much as possible, and even in cold weather I’d rather be out of my boots than in them. So when my colleagues and I were surprised with a Blotevoetenpark visit as our Dag Uit activity, I admit I was pretty excited.

A “Barefoot Park” is more or less exactly what it sounds like. It is a natural space where you take off your shoes and hike simple trails through a variety of substances to enjoy being more connected to nature. Being barefoot is suppose to be quite good for your health (with some explanations more believable than others), and some people even run Marathons barefoot. Personally I like the feeling of mud swishing between my toes, so any activity that includes that already rates high on my list. It turns out that these parks are all over the place, so let me tell you a bit about the one in Brunssum.

The park in Brunssum features 4000 meters of trails featuring a variety of obstacles. Some of these are simply boxes filled with different types of stones or mulch.  Others are shallow(ish) pits filled with muddy water. Many were poles and posts of wood you were meant to walk on as you wandered through the woods. To keep things a bit fanciful, wooden faces and fairy dolls were scattered through the trees.

The most challenging part of the park was a series of posts you could use to cross a small pond from one side to the other. I suspect it was designed for people taller than myself, but we all made it across without any spills.

If you visit the Blotevoetenpark in Brunssum as normal visitors, you can expect a 1.5 hour visit on average with coffee/tea and snacks available when you’re done. If you go with a group, you also get a variety of trust-building exercises and a longish lecture on foot palmistry. If I were you, I’d forgo the lecture.

Personally, I’m ready to go back and will happily pay my 6 euros for the chance to wander barefoot in a natural setting again.

A Taste of Limburgish Beer

This article was originally published on Maastricht Region: to Live.

Recently I heard about Beercycle, a local business that delivers beer and wine between 9pm and 2 am in Maastricht. They have partnered with Jules & You, a student support organisation, so that members of Jules & You can get a discount with the company. I haven’t tried the service myself, but it did get me thinking. So today I thought I’d introduce you to a few of the typical beers available in the Maastricht Region.

Pils

The classic Dutch beer is a Pilsner and it is typically served in a .2ml or .25ml glass. It has a light gold or yellow color and I find a good one to have a crisp taste; good after a long bike trip. If you want to try a Limburgish pils, give Brand, Gulpener, or De Leeuw.

Pilsner’s in the Netherlands are considered the main tap beer in any cafe or restaurant. That means if you just order “beer”, you will get a glass of the house pilsner. You also will find that most cafes are loyal to a single brand; so don’t ask for a Gulpener in a Heiniken place.

Wit

Another popular beer type in this area is the Wit, or white, beer. This beer is an unfiltered wheat beer and often has a citrus flavor. Maastricht is best known for Wieske Witte, a white beer that was originally brewed locally. Today it is owned by Heineken and brewed elsewhere. Most of the other local breweries, Gulpener for example, also have their own white beers. You can often get Belgian and German white beers in Limburg cafes as well.

Belgian

If you like something a bit stronger or darker, Maastricht’s proximity to Belgium can place a wide variety of Belgian beers at your disposal. Sure the Dutch companies do have some Doubles and Tripels which are quite good; but why miss out on our neighbor’s beer making excellence.  Several Belgian beers are Trappists beers; originally or still brewed at monasteries and frequently feature rich and dark flavors.

If you don’t know which you want to try, I suggest you try one of the handful of beer speciality cafes in Maastricht. These bars have an extensive beer menu, allowing you to taste a variety of beers from all over the region.

Small Brewers

Although difficult to find in bars, I should point out that there are many tiny brewers in the area around Maastricht. If you prefer a microbrew, visit Glimburger to check out their selection and mix and match your own six pack.

Heiligdomsvaart Maastricht: A 7th Year Tradition

This article was originally published on Maastricht Region: to Live.

Last weekend (Thursday to be precise) marked the beginning Heiligdomsvaart, an eleven day religious celebration of the relics of Saint Servaas. Occurring only once every 7 years, the city has dressed up in banners to prepare this celebration of it’s first bishop. We wandered down on Sunday for the chance to witness the rare ceremony of processing the relics.

The highlight of Heiligdomsvaart, from the curious bystander perspective anyway, is the procession of the relics held by the local cathedrals, so that’s the part Dan & I went out to view on Sunday. Saint Servaas naturally took center stage, but St. Labertus and others were also represented with reliquaries and bust. Many bands and choirs provided music throughout the 2 hour parade. A nice little pamphlet was handed out so I was able to follow along with many sections.

I had expected the procession to be a bit like the Easter Monday one that takes place every year, but it actually felt a bit more like Carnival. Lots of fancy dress, although granted much more sober (both in tone and drink). The first portion of the procession seemed to focus around the life of St. Servaas as he became the first bishop of Maastricht and his death. In this section everyone was dressed up in Roman-esque and Medieval style outfits. There were even people riding on horses and floats representing different stages in his life.

After the story-telling part of the procession, the relics themselves were carried out; each accompanied by attendants from their respective churches. The pomp and circumstance surrounding the relics and the processions was pretty interesting, but my fellow parade goers seemed to be taking it all pretty casually. It was a very slow procession too, with many stops and starts as it wound its way around the old parts of Maastricht in a rough circle.

If you’re interested in catching this procession, they are holding again at the end of the Heiligdomsvaart celebration on 10 July at 2pm. In addition to the processions, many cultural events will be taking place, including music, an exhibit of art in the Treasury of the Basilica of Saint Servaas, and theatre shows. If you’d like to learn more, you can visit the Heiligdomsvaart website (Dutch mostly).

 

New Toastmasters in Maastricht

I know I said I was going on hiatus, but I thought I couldn’t pass this announcement up.

On the 7th of the 7th at 7 hrs pm Toastmasters will start in Maastricht with
their first info session in CAFE ZUID Ceramique.
Meetings: Alternating Thursday
Permanent Venue t b d
Bi-lingual: English-Dutch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_159433130791924&ap=1

Website: www.Toastmasters.nl

Not sure if I’ll be there (I’ve got the sniffles and find public speaking terrifying). But if you go, do let me know how you like it.

Eat your Herring

This article was originally published at Maastricht Region: to Live.

I find it interesting that so many European cultures have a special place for herring. I suspect that this has to do with how cheap and easy it has been to get for centuries. Plus it pairs well with potatoes; another classic staple. Although we aren’t as fish-centric here in Maastricht as our northern neighbors, herring still plays a role in the cuisine.

The classic herring dish in the Netherlands is Hollandse Nieuwe, a fillet of herring served raw (well, lightly brined) with raw chopped onions. Tail on, but (thankfully) headless. People traditionally eat this fish by lifting it by the tail and lowering the fish into their mouth. At first I was sure this was just a joke that Dutch folks play on their visitors, but I’ve now see enough people do it to be convinced. I suppose it make sense if you want street vendor foot that you don’t need special utensils for. On the other hand, eating and walking will often result in chopped onion bits everywhere.

The rest of the year herring is more often eaten on a bun or in a broodje. High-end restaurants even slip it in here and there to add a Dutch flair to their cuisine. And naturally it is always available in the grocery store.

Want to try a little Dutch-style herring in Maastricht? Your best bet is the Friday market on Markt square. Fresh fish from a street vendor with the full fish market atmosphere to accompany your tastebuds.

 

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