197. Europe Bicycle Trip--Three Hours to Wait, A Shady Gasoline Station Cafe and A Cycle Through Sittard

I arrived in Nieuwstadt at about 3pm and found from a neighbor that Jacques and Betty were returning from Paris at about 7 pm so I had time on my hands. I was a little tired from cycling 82 km already but I had to keep on going.

The Nieuwstadt sign with the old name of De Nuujsjtadt as well

At the end of the street, I found a gas station that had a little adjoining section with a couple of tables and chairs and a bathroom. I stayed out of the sun for awhile and had a cold drink. I cycled around Nieuwstadt and came back to the little cafe. Then I decided to cycle a couple of kilometers to the city of Sittard which was south of here and do a little round tour  there.

Sittard is a city of about 48,400 inhabitants in the province of Limburg, Netherlands. On the east , it is bordered by the German municipality of Selfkant. The city is at 45 meter above sea level. OIt was founded around 850 AD and destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly.It was under French occupation from 1794-1814. It has been part of the Netherlands since 1814, except for the years 1830-1839, when it joined the Belgian Revolution. During WWII, it was occupied by the Germans. It was liberated Sept. 18-19, 1944by the 2nd Armored Division. Over 4000 shells and rockets struck the city . After the war, many new neighborhoods were built. The coal mines in the region were the driving force of a booming economy until their closures in 1960-70s. It now has large industrial zones and office premises.

Colle Rental and Sales

Water Technology Holland

A house building from 1875

Hotel Oranje-a big chain hotel

Maybe a college

Sittard has several old churches--St. Peter's, St. Michael's, Basilica of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Dutch Football (soccer) fever

Lots od ORANGE

The Red, White and Blue Dutch flag and the Lion   I cycled back to Nieuwstadt and back to the little cafe. They closed at 6 pm so I cycled to the end of Jacques street where there was a path and a field and I walked back and forth until 7 pm when I cycled again to their house and knocked on the door and this time they were home and greeted me warmly.