One of the many surprises of the Netherlands is how it is subtly divided into two by religion and culture, particularly at the start of Lent, as one English émigré discovered near the entrance to Maastricht’s train station, a line of pandas was doing the conga. Across the cobbled street, a horde of Vikings in horned helmets and thick furs gathered around an iPad, searching for directions to the nearest bar. Nearby, four Roman centurions removed their red-feathered helmets, rested their shiny shields against a wall and opened a crate of beer.They – and I – had travelled to the Netherlands’ most southerly city for Carnaval, the annual carnival celebration, rooted in the Catholic faith, a final opportunity for a blowout before Lent. In northern Dutch ci