Breda

Street party parking

Now on the Ginnekineweg, the last day of the Zomerfest, and more perfect weather would not be possible. One sees how closely knit are families, as I sit at a café enjoying a plate of poffertjes, to me the ultimate Dutch food, tiny eggy silver dollar-sized pancakes that are gooey inside, all sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. Some tables are occupied by big extended families, from little girls with ponytails to sixtyish matrons with wrinkled necks. It's a kermesse, a block party, and everyone's out on this perfect late summer's day.

Poffertjes!

Yvonne Lewin admires a Pietá

Now back out at the Mark - as Yvonne insisted. I came into town this way but didn't realize it was the Mark then. The scene could not possibly be more appealing. A marshy river, grass, pastures, beyond trees and a church spire. The trail is in heavy use today, as it is such a fabulous day, and there's an event at the top of the river, "Plein Air,"in which artists set up on the banks and paint idyllic scenes. The place was mobbed, somewhat mitigating its charm. But to be riding in the air-conditioned sunshine through such a pastoral landscape is an endless thrill.

Painting the Mark

Breda was incredibly lively and interesting. Not as beautiful as some other towns perhaps, as Yvonne pointed out, but it has a real pulse and, it seems, a vibrant cultural life.