Wearily into the weekend

I got up this morning knowing that there were a dozen things marked ‘Urgently Burning’ on my To-Do list. How does life get into this state? I do think I’m doing a better job of selecting tasks to commit to, of prioritizing what needs to be done on any given day, and even of anticipating what might be done ahead of time. But I still think that deadlines come in waves, despite the best laid schedules, and I’m certainly in the deep-water crest this week.

The big accomplishment, though, is to have found a likely candidate for an apartment in Maastricht.

Yesterday, the whole day was dedicated to the search, driving down from Arnhem at 6 am and walking through about a dozen apartments with three realtors. I focused on the city core: a few in the Ceramique, a variety of flats in the Wijk and lofts in the Old City. The neighborhoods continue to be appealing, but the apartments too often looked like student flops.

There were a few good ones: a top-floor apartment at the edge of Ceramique (left) and a lovely living space in the Old City (right):

A realtor’s window featured a few apartments with river views, and a quick visit suggested that there might be an unusual possibility located directly on the Maas: a bit traditional, but in a spectacular setting.

Okay, a very interesting collection of Oude Dutch, but clean and well kept by the landlady downstairs, who seems very nice. And the price was more than reasonable, with views directly onto the river that were one of a kind.

So, the bid went in today and I’ve got my finger’s crossed.