Coming from Australia I am constantly amazed at how easy it is to go from one country to another. We drove the short distance from Rotheux, near Liège in Belgium, to Maastricht on the banks of the Meuse River.
Of course Maastricht is well known for its relationship with the European Union Treaty. Undeterred by this important role, my focus this time was on shopping and cafés. The sales are not only on in France but were certainly evident in Maastricht.
First stop was lunch at charming café, Café d'Artagnan, where I thoroughly enjoyed my prawn croquettes served with salad and probably the best chips I have ever eaten. I don't often eat chips but these were excellent - crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside (served of course with mayonnaise). The prices for food and drinks were quite reasonable and a relief after Paris prices.
It was time then to do some window-shopping. There were lots of high end fashion shops, beautiful jewellery and homeware shops. Unfortunately our time was quite limited so I can't recommend particular stores. Regrettably I came away empty-handed.
Overall I was most impressed by the architecture, cobble-stoned streets, cafés and the stores in Maastricht. It had a laid-back relaxing feel about it and was very clean and well maintained. I definitely would like to go back to explore it in greater detail perhaps spending a couple of nights as well.
Grand café d'Artagnan
Graanmarkt 3 6211 HG Maastricht, Netherlands
Graanmarkt 3 6211 HG Maastricht, Netherlands
Looks very pretty. I like the bronze statue sitting on the wall.
RépondreSupprimerI love bronze statues in general - but this one certainly was extra special. He was sitting just near where we had lunch so we were able to observe the response he evoked in people.
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