201. Europe Bicycle Trip--More of Maastricht---Goodbye Jacques

Jacques continued to give me an excellent personal tour of the old sections of Maastricht.

We walked through this archway to the other side..

Helpoort or Hell's Gate is a former city gate in Maastricht dating back to 1229 and is the oldest surviving city gate in the Netherlands. It got its name from the fact that prisoners were kept in its towers. It is a part of the First City Walls and served as the southeastern entrance to the city. When the Second City Walls were built in the 15th century, the gate was no longer needed as an entrance to the city. Over the years, it served as a residence, storage space and workshop.

In the 20th century, the area above the gate was used as a workshop of the artist Jef Schipper (1910-1967). During the summer months the gate has an exhibition about the history of the fortifications of Maastricht.

Jacques told me that at Helpoort, in the 16oos, lepers and people with plagues were expelled from the city and took up residence in this building just outside the gate.

From Helpoort, we continued to follow the wall around to Peter Vink Tower which was rebuilt in 1906-7.

Here one can see the deterioration of this part of the Second Wall.

Feilzustersklooster-(Veil or Miserably or Resounding Sisters)--of the original Monastery of St.Katharinadal--1350--17th century

These sisters (nuns) wore black woolen cloths over their heads and shoulders and their vows were to take care of the sick, especially those with the plague.

The archives--Jacques and Betty found information here about Betty's grandfather.They found out that he went to school here and became a teacher. They also found out where he stayed and his grades.

Boekhandel Selexyz Dominicanen is a book store that is in a former Dominican church. It opened Christmas Day, 2006.

A foundation fragment of the first city wall under the wall of the former Franciscan monastery, now the Regional Historic Centre, Limburg. In the restoration of the monastery, the crack was made in the wall to mark the site of the first city wall.

Lang Grachtje Straat marks a fairly long piece of the wall. In the middle ages , the arches were used as storage.

These symbols on the buildings told the delivery couriers who lived where.

There are many different ones throughout the city.

Dinghuis or Thing House is a medieval courthouse near the old administrative section of the city. In the cellars were prison cells. It has a high roof topped with a turret and a loud bell suitable as a lookout, especially for fire. In the past, it also served as a sheet weaver craft place, a theater,  a studio for sculpture and engraving, a museum, a place of assistance for Dutch soldiers, a puppet theater, a club for high school students and a tourist office.

Welkom Thuis Het Andre Rieu Plein---Welcome Home--The Andre Rieu Place----Andre Leon Marie Rieu (born Oct. 1949) is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johan Strauss Orchestra. Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring music act as successful as some of the biggest global pop and rock music acts. He was born in Maastricht and returns here for concerts that fill the outdoor Vrijthof  Square of Maastricht.

Standing in Vrijthof Square with St. John's Church on the back left and St. Servatius Church on the back right

Basilica of St. Servatius is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Servatius, an Armenian missionary. . It is an architectural hybrid but mainly Romanesque. It is probably the 4th church built on this site. This church was built in the 11th century. Throughout the ages , the presence of the grave of Saint Servatius in the church crypt and the many relics in the church treasury have drawn large numbers of pilgrims. Starting in the 14th century, a seven -yearly pilgrimage was organized attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the region.

Sint Janskerk (St. John's Cathedral) is a 13th century Gothic church built with red stones and houses 14th and 15th century murals, memorials, tombstones and a pulpit and organ from 1780. It has  a 70 meter high tower. Since 1633 this church has been used as the Protestant church of Maastricht.

On the steps of a monument in Vrijthof Square-- -Jacques and I  had had a great afternoon touring, running over the bridge in a sudden downpour, waiting out the rain in the entrance of a store, and enjoying a cold drink in a cafe by Vrijthof square. then we headed back to the train and rode  back to Nieuwstadt.

Betty had a lovely supper ready for us of pork, rice and peas.

A delicious dessert with raspberries

Jacques had to be at the University early the next morning and was driving there to his part time apartment tonight so we did a selfie goodbye photo and I thanked him for taking  time off for me and for the tours of Nieuwstadt and Maastricht. Off he went with the vlaii for his colleagues. After he left I worked on maps and Friends of the Bicycle places to stay. I skyped Dave and visited with Betty. I got the address of Jacques aunt who is a nun in a convent in Tilburg. I will try to visit her also as she is the sister of my Canadian cousin Theo's wife, Rita.