In the Middle Ages Kerkrade was famous for its abby, Rolduc. In the 20th century it was a mining center. After the mines closed it had to re-invent itself and has since become quite a tourist area. Mondo Verde is a social kind of zoo showing off architecture, sculpture and animals. The football (soccer) team Roda JC has its home and stadium here. And Pinkpop, a yearly music festival, is held just around the corner in neighboring Landgraaf.
For us the most interesting for a time was that an electronics store was to be found in Herzogenrath (the little German town just across the border). Before the EU brought in the euro, electronic goods were cheaper in Germany. Taking a short ride to Kerkrade meant being able to buy electronics at a much better price. We could also visit the German Aldi, which had different things than we had in Belgium or the Netherlands.
Now we visit the city because one of our families in the church lives there. They moved down from the north (Haarlem, the Netherlands) a few years back and have settled here in the south. The wife loves the hills and landscapes which remind her of her home country of Ecuador. The husband struggles with some culture shock, being a man from Amsterdam who is used to biking everywhere and easy public transportation.
Either way, we are thankful not only that they are here, but that we get to visit them in Kerkrade. Most recently we were any their house to see their son give his life to Christ and be baptized. Soon we hope to visit them again as they have recently added a dog to their family. We are looking forward to meeting him.
(Picture is of the Rolduc Abby)
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