Breda - June 27

June 27 ~ Breda

This was another town I had read about, and since it was not too far from den Bosch and fit nicely into my plans for my last day, I decided to visit. It, too, has a church and a tower, but this tower was also closed.

The Church of Our Lady was something else. I walked in and stood in awe, gazing around me. They were setting up for a concert, which is why there is a reddish light in some of the photos. 

The church is made from white stone, and it is truly beautiful. Construction was started in 1410. Its organ is from the 16th century and it is one of the largest in the Netherlands. It is definitely eye-catching.

The ceiling medallions and other decorations are simple, but perfect.


Some of the niches feature old, faded frescoes.

 

 

 

Again, it was raining the whole time I was here, so I didn't take as much time as I would have liked to explore and I didn't take many photos of the things I did see.

But there are some wonderful old buildings, beautiful canals, and pretty parks. 

I will have to come back some day when the sun is shining and the church tower is open!

When I'd had enough of walking in the rain, I went back to the train station and returned to Nijmegen. On the way I was wondering whether I should ride the bike back to Arnhem or take the train.

But by the time I picked up my bike from the parking lot, the clouds were parting and there was a bit of sun, so I decided to ride. And I was glad I did. It was about 6:30 when I left, and I fully intended to take exactly the same bike path back that I had taken there.

Somehow, that did not happen. After a significant junction at a minor train station (the same place I got off track the first time I rode to Nijmegen) I ended up on quite a different path.

Of course, a different path is not all bad, as it means I can see different things, like this flock of sheep grazing and these homes
situated on a canal with various types of small boats moored right outside their back doors.

And this rather random-seeming piece of airplane.










At this point, the bike path runs along the highway and I happened to catch a glimpse of a highway sign saying, "Arnhem 6 km." Shortly after that, there was a sign on the bike path saying, "Arnhem 10."

Okay, that is simply not fair. I didn't mind, though, as it was a beautiful evening and I was out to enjoy the ride. It was a perfect way to end my visit. My last day in Gelderland.