sssNNNNOOOOwww!!

Our weekend travels were spoiled by Mother Nature and the Dutch. It seems that the Dutch are like our Southerners: put an inch and a half of snow on the highway and everyone freaks out. Dow Jones newswire story here. USA Today story here.

We left for Den Haag at 7:45am Friday morning. By the time 11:30 rolled around, we were 1/3 of the way there (normally a 3 hour drive). We came to a complete halt on the highway several times and made very little progress. So, we stopped in the Dutch village of Den Bosch.

Of course, it had a beautiful cathedral. Other than that it was very similar to Maastricht. The same stores, familiar restaurants, and similar citywide layout. We ended up drinking and eating the 20 euro allowance given to us by our directors whilst aimlessly wandering around. Despite the nasty weather, it was a pleasant day.

Saturday was more of the same. We woke up at seven, checked the weather, and came to the conclusion that 20 mph winds, blowing snow, and below freezing temps did not sound like a day worthy of Bruge foot travel. We ended up going back to bed, waking up at eleven, and taking the train to Liege for beers and lunch. My favorite beer in Liege was Duvel.

After returning to Maastricht, Justin and Karli went shopping while Patrick and I went to the market square. From now until well after we leave, the square will be filled with a winter wonderland. Beer, waffel, kebap, and brat stands are sprinkled amongst amusement rides, a ferris wheel, some live animals, and an ice-skating rink. I'll put some pictures up at some point. Saturday night was Karli's last in Europe ... I hope she had fun.

As for the snow, its still here. Although, it sounds like a big snow storm is getting ready to hit the homefront, so my situation probably mires compared to the accumulation back home.

Go Vikes!