Tweet16-03-2011 om 12:00 by Amanda Potter

There are many things to do in Maastricht, especially if you enjoy a mix of culture, shopping, and good food, but Sundays and Mondays can pose a problem to short term visitors. We encountered this minor problem when an old friend from the United States stopped by for a couple days during his whirlwind tour of Europe. He came in around dinner time on Sunday, stayed all day Monday, and caught an early train out Tuesday morning.

So what do you do if nothing is open on Sundays and Monday is only slightly better? Well if you’re us, you eat.

On Sunday that meant we went out for Indonesian food at Gadjah Mas. Indonesian food may not seem very Limburgish, but for Americans it is often a new experience. Gadjah Mas has a very tasty menu with a variety of rijst tafels (rice tables) and a la carte dishes. We opted for the rijst tafel with a mix of saucy meats and sate skewers which were served family style in small dishes down the center of the table on a warmer. Fun and tasty.

Monday our friend tried to visit Grotten Noord, but since they weren’t offering tours that day, he opted for a leisurely stroll around town just enjoying the relaxed energy Maastricht has on a Monday morning. But after hearing he ate lunch at McDonalds, we knew we had to do something. So for dessert we took him to Brasserie Monopole for vlaai on the terrace. I like this café because they always have a variety of flavors in the window carousal. Afterwards we went to John Mullins, one of Maastricht’s unspoken expat hangouts, for a couple of local beers.

As our friend left for Frankfurt on Tuesday morning I was sad that we couldn’t share more of the city with him. But I’m glad we were able to be a tasty, calming stop in his busy trip.

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