Forest near childhood home.
Castle Breda river entrance.
Jasmijn at Slot Loevestein
Slot Loevestein Wedding Room
Slot Loevestein: Andrew and Armour
Breda Cathdral Royal Tomb
High rise bicycle park, Amsterdam.
When I sought this place out, after being away about 25 years, I was shocked to discover how much it had shrunk. The street that went forever, had shortened! The vast and mysterious forest nearby was smaller and less mysterious. But at least it still contained WWII bunkers!
Jasmijn lives in scenic semi-rural Breda, in the south of The Netherlands. We go cycling in the countryside a lot.
However the countryside is not so welcoming in winter.
Many duck families live here.
Surrounded by 2 moats and 2 huge rivers, and with 60 foot walls, Slot Loevestein is an impenetrable fortress. 600 years old and extremely cool, it's only about 30 km from Breda where we live.
Hugo de Groot, founder of the French Heugenots, was imprisoned here during the 17th century (?) for his political views. An avid scholar, he obtained his Doctor of Law degree at 16, and continued studying, writing and teaching during his imprisonment. He escaped in a book case, fled to France, became their ambassdor to Sweden and was eventually allowed back into The Netherlands where he held high administrative office (prisoner interrogations involving torture had put him off practicing law; he clearly had higher ethics than some modern lawyers, not to mention the US and various other militaries ;)
You can book this room to get married in.
30 mins ride from our apartment.
Inside the Breda Cathedral, which is one of the biggest in The Netherlands. It's about 600 years old.
The first Dutch king and queen lie entombed within. They are some of the many dead notables whose bones lie beneath memorial slabs in the cathdral floor.
The small country town of Etten Leur is about a 30 minute cycle from Breda.
At an international jazz festival in Breda.
See Mum, they actually do have nice beaches in The Netherlands! I think you can even swim in midsummer!
This extremely cool wind organ was about 100 m out into the North Sea on the end of a stone pier at Vlissingen.
For my birthday Jasmijn decided to take me canoeing in the rain in a sinking canoe around a vast nature reserve :) where we found this hungry swan.
Jasmijn actually got quiet alarmed. I wasn’t much use – I couldn’t stop laughing :)
The Dutch are world leaders in renewable energy generation and have extensive wind farms. One of the many cool features of this very progressive country, which also legalized euthanasia, gay marriages, marihuana and prostitution ages ago.
Unable to drive on the correct (left) side of the road, the Dutch are more suited to the bicycles with which they have an ongoing national love affair.
Yup, those Dutch are really progressive. This is about my favourite toilet in the world! :)
Amsterdam is full of very cool museums, including the Van Gogh museum (he was Dutch). This was a real museum and very interesting. It was funny watching the elderly Japanese women delight in being photographed next to the 7 foot carved penis :)
