Beautiful Sunday

After the usual morning to mid-afternoon MOOC session for me (with some Bollywood in between) and gardening for hubby, we took the bikes again around 15.30 and just went around town.  With no particular place in mind, we just enjoyed the weather.  After about 1.5 hours, we found ourselves in Princenhage and I discovered a monument that marked the fact that the first Count of Nassau, Engelbrecht van Nassau, founder of the House of Nassau before it turned orange, got married in Princenhage in August 1403 to the then 11-year-old heiress of Jan van Polanen, Johanna, and it was they who founded the current dynasty.

Jan van Polanen was Lord of Breda and it was around that time that the castle played a prominent role.  We don't know where dear Johanna was born but that she grew up in the area of Breda is clear.  Breda having been built on the strategic spot where two rivers meet, the counts of Nassau had to have a stake in it and hung around town till the 80-Years'-War.  Johanna and Engelbert are buried in the Great Church here (see post of a couple of weeks back), and some Nassaus, but Rene van Chalon as well, Prince of Orange.

On the way home, we passed by a pub-café and had a bite and a beer (tomato juice for me).  Back in our living room, hubby sighed, 'What a beautiful afternoon that was!'  It gave me a very warm feeling.  The shot shows hubby ahead of me along the canal next to the castle grounds and park.  We have now biked more than we used to when we lived in the other place.