Before we got on a train that would take us to Breda, just half an hour away from Eindoven, I walked around the train station photographing the garbage bins I felt had quite artistic paintings on them.
To reach the city centre of Breda we had to climb up flights of stairs on stairway bridges at the train station that never seemed to end and climb them down again on the other side ... and what was rather funny was that when we finally managed to set foot on the city there right in front of us stood the "Superman" painting on a wall ... (which is exactly how I felt after having made it all the way up to where we were standing).
We turned right so as to explore the Walkenberg park, said to have been a former garden pertaining to the Castle of Breda. It was very well looked after and it just felt very relaxing. At one of its entrances the Baronienmonument siad to have been made in 1904 to commemorate the 500 years of a strong bond between Breda and the Nassau family, believed to be the ancestors of the current Royal family.
Nassau Baronienmonument designed by the architect P.J.H. Cuypers
A little bit further on a rather impressive World War II memorial "De trek" (leaving) by Hein Koreman - 1956
Slightly to the left and before turning onto the Beguinhof gardens another statue, which seemed to depict pilgrims, but there was no reference so I don't know whether I am right as far as the assumption is concerned.
The Beguinhof is said to have been intimately connected to a semi-monastic community of religious women called beguines for wanting to serve God despite not retiring from the outside world. This particular 29 houses beguinhof was founded in 1267 and although the last beguine of Breda is said to have passed away in 1990 it is still possible to live at the Beguinage as a single woman nowadays.
The small Museum and the church were closed at such an early morning hour, so we ended up visiting neither. We nevertheless felt the Beguinage garden and the whole surrounding atmosphere were jewels of peace and tranquility
Walking out of the Beguinage we turned left and headed towards the city centre so as to visit the Grote Kerk, we could see in the distance.
Equastrian statue depicting Willem III of Orange (left).
(To be continued)
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