This was a day off - no commitments, no arrangements. After a leisurely morning we headed into Etten-Leur to visit the Paulushofje, a home originally built in 1681 to provide accommodation for poor women, and is now used to house elderly people. The complex includes a local museum that contains a wealth of artifacts of the Etten-Leur region arranged thematically in sections, and includes a typical 18th century room.
It was also our first real opportunity to explore the centre of Etten-Leur. Ed pointed out the tie motif on the front of the Town Hall, and I noticed the permanently attached window cleaning ladders at the rear. There seems to be an ongoing discussion about whether the Dutch are obsessive about clean windows, or just house-proud, however the windows here do look very clean.
Afterwards, we split up, Ineke and Frances going shopping and Ed and I to do the essential work. We had quite a pleasant afternoon, Ed painting children's equipment in the backyard while I prepared dinner in the kitchen, then the women came home...Later, Saskia and Miranda (Ed and Ineke's daughters) dropped in with their younger kids, Sem and Romi and we all enjoyed being outside in the mild weather.
After dinner, Ed, Ineke, Frances and I played 500. Ed and Ineke hadn't played before so we've been teaching them how to play. Unfortunately the teaching has gone too well, they're quick learners, and they beat us in the last game, so we decided to call it a night and go to bed. It was altogether a very social evening.
