Maastricht

With the youngest on scouts camp we went for a short overnight trip to Maastricht. We stayed in the Kaboom Hotel next to the central station. We travelled by car and could stay in the car park next to the station. From the car park to the hotel was a simple matter of crossing the street. The hotel is a bit trendy but the rooms were nice and spacy with all comfort to be expected. Even though situated right across the station we didn’t hear any noise from the trains. Breakfast was OK but a bit pricey. I can recommend the hotel but would advise to skip breakfast and instead to to one of the places nearby to have breakfast. We arrived late in the afternoon and went for a walk around some historical sites. After walking around in the afternoon heat we had a drink in Cabaret Douze. While sitting on the terrace and enjoying a beer we explored our options to have dinner. We ended up going for the Italian Il Giardino right next door. People were super friendly and the food was very good. With a full stomach we walked back to our hotel enjoying the evening breeze. The next day was spent shopping during a rainy day. We had a late lunch outside at La Bodega. The food was very good and the service seemed quite authentically Spanish. I can recommend this place for food or just to enjoy a glass of wine. I didn’t indulge in the wine as we still had to travel back after lunch. So, far too soon we had to return home. We have been to Maastricht already a few times but still plan to come back. Not just for the shopping though. While waiting for the women shopping I discovered that during covid the Dutch Mountain Trail was inaugurated. It is supposed to be quite undulating and over a 100km long in total, ‘rivalling’ some hikes in for example Austria. One day in the not too distant future I plan to walk this trail.