All it took was a €7 round trip train ticket to get me back to what is probably the southernmost city in the country, and a little nudge from a work colleague, Agata, who had yet to set foot in the Limburg capital of Maastricht. The train out of Amsterdam Central Station left on time and whizzed us 2.5 hours in moderate comfort to a place that I haven’t been to in maybe 6 years. It was interesting trying to recall what looked familiar, from the train station to the many statues dotting our path to the old center and to the square where the red tower was located. I got to see the historic church turned Selexyz bookstore that was buzzing with both gawkers and book lovers and was able to try one of the Burgerlijk burger joints.

A highlight was simply sitting on a bright teakwood bench by the uncrowded Vrijthof while mesmerized at the lively abstract constructions of the soap bubble man on the square, at the same time us chatting as if there was no care in the world. It was perfectly sunny and autumn cool, in total sharp contrast with 6 years ago when I similarly took the train and arrived to a cold, cloudy-rainy, bleak fall day. It was indeed Maastricht Fantastic.