Ridderronde Maastricht

I made a snap decision to head back to the Continent today: events are in motion in Cambridge and results won’t be known until Tuesday, so there isn’t much to do (control).  Philosophically, I can change the scenery and my attitude, so I hopped the early ferry and hit town about two pm.

It’s a lovely sunny day in Maastricht, shimmering water and laughing children.  It’s also the day of the Ridderronde Maastricht, a series of bike races with some of the top cyclists competing.  The circular course through the  three public squares goes right under my window, so we had an impromptu party and hung out the windows, cheering.

The women competed much harder than the men, the athletes more than the bartenders, the elite athletes most of all.  The cyclists came past every few minutes, preceded by a motorcycle and chased by vintage cars with the event queens and local dignitaries. Very strange.

 

And the music, the beer, and the dancing went late into the evening (on a Wednesday!) with Cataplana, performing at the end of the ‘Skade; always fun when someone you know is in the band.