On the 10th July’24, I went on a very long walking tour in the surrounding area of my son’s house in Eindhoven & was very inspired by the healthy lifestyle of the Dutch people whether young or the old.They all are very health-concious engaging in various excercises/sports activities to keep their bodies fit & healthy.On my long tour I witnessed them busy with these activities,namely, Brisk walking ,Running ,Cycling ,Scating, playing games such as Football ,swimming ,Lawn tennis,Horse riding,Canoeing in the river stream, fishing , Pets raising(dogs & cats), Visiting organic farms for purchase of fresh produce & long-distance bike racing.Followed by these activities ,they have very healthy eating habbits always going for fresh food refraining from very strong spicy food (cooked in masalas).I was very much impressed with their activities & took some photos for my readers to view.One thing I observed was that,they mostly travelled by bicycles irrespective of their status in the society & never thought low about it.This culture has not only minimised the pollution levels here but has contributed to their physical fitness & sound health.One more observation I have made is that people here ,on many weekends, leave on friday nights for distant sea-side destination by cars with boats towed to their vehicles to rejoice after the week at office.Its how they rejuvenate themselves.Although all my readers are already quite aware of the virtues of various physical activities, excercises & healthy eating,but still, lets revise as to what it takes to be healthy.Happy Reading, Friends !

STAYING ACTIVE, REGULAR EXCERCISES/SPORTS/YOGA & HEALTHY EATING:

We know that staying active is one of the best ways to keep our bodies healthy. But did you know it can also improve your overall well-being and quality of life? Here are just a few of the ways physical activity can help you feel better, look better & live life better. 

It’s a natural mood lifter :

Regular physical activity can relieve stress, anxiety, depression and anger. You know that “feel good sensation” you get after doing something physical? Think of it as a happy pill with no side effects! Most people notice they feel better over time as physical activity becomes a regular part of their lives.

It keeps you physically fit & strong :

Without regular activity, your body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function properly. It’s like the old saying: you don’t stop moving from growing old, you grow old from stopping moving. Exercise increases muscle strength, which in turn increases your ability to do other physical activities. 

It helps keep the Doctor away :

Stand up when you eat your apple a day! Too much sitting and other sedentary activities can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. One study showed that adults who watch more than 4 hours of television a day had an 80% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Being physically active can help you : The adage “healthy body, healthy mind” is true for all ages. Being physically active can increase your confidence and sense of self-worth while also providing you with social opportunities. Regular physical activity, such as yoga, can help you sleep better, improve your harmonal balance & digestion.

Being Physically Active benefits you in many ways :

1)Lowers your blood pressure. 2)Boosts your level of good cholesterol. 3)Improves blood flow (circulation). 4)Keeps your weight under control. 5)Prevents bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis. 6) Lowers medical expenses, interventions and medications in later life!

It can help you live longer :

It’s true, 70 is the new 60 …but only if you’re healthy. People who are physically active & at a healthy weight live about seven years longer than those who are not active & are obese. The important part is that those extra years are generally healthier years! Staying active helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases associated with aging. So active adults maintain their quality of life and independence longer as they age.

Here are some other benefits you may get with regular physical activity :

1)Helps you quit smoking and stay tobocco-free 2 )Boosts your energy level so you can get more done. 3)Helps you manage stress and tension. 4)Promotes a positive attitude and outlook. 5)Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. 6)Improves your self-image and self-confidence. 7)Helps you spend more time outdoors.

Many reputed organisations recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. You can knock that out in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. And every minute of moderate to vigorous activity counts toward your goal.

The Role of Entertainment, Sports & Excercises in Maintaining Sound Health :

In recent years, physicians, psychologists and economists have embarked on a journey to illuminate the connection between joy and wellness. Fascinating research exists, and there is value in understanding the effect of happiness on our lives. Happiness has been correlated with better health, both in individuals and communities. Some studies have even suggested that states of happiness may be associated with lower stress-related hormones and better immune function. Various Data collated from different researches have shown that positive mood, optimism and humor are linked to better health and well-being. One key factor that brings about happiness however is Entertainment because of its ability to provoke laughter through the humour it creates. Entertainment is a way of teaching or passing information in a more relaxed atmosphere. It consists of sports and physical exercises, music, dance and drama.Any related research,therefore, is a sojourn into the various ways entertainment can contribute to the physical well being of those who participate in it. It presents an individual analysis of the various tools of entertainment (sports and physical exercises, music, dance and drama) and the roles they play in healthcare.

VERY BIG STADIUM HAVING NUMEROUS TENNIS COURTS FOR ALL,YOUNG & OLD

Role of Travel & Tourism in Personal Well-being & Health:

Travel is an aspect of life like our travels through life. To travel is like pursuing our goal in life. There are many goals in life which we get to stop at and explore but we still know where we eventually want to proceed to. Exploring a new country is like making real what is not yet attained, like dreams, it becomes a reality . To journey is to enjoy what is on route: whatever our interests are: people, architecture, customs, history, weather, the local situation, their politics and the personal ups and downs of journeying. This is just like life. We expect life to run smoothly, often complain when it doesn’t, some of us even try to control life tightly in our fists so that we don’t face any unexpected situations. But if we let go and flow with life, we enjoy what is on route; it might not be exactly the way we thought it would turn out but it will be fuller and richer. My personal experience of life and travel is that it is much better than what I imagined it would be.

Role of meditation & tranquility for attaining inner mental peace in our lives: 

Meditation infuses far-reaching & longlasting benefits into our lives:we lower our stress levels ,our pain,connect better, improve our focus & are kinder to ourselves .But it needs a quite tranquil environment to be effective. “Tranquility is stillness of the mind, inner silence in abundance, quiet bereft of chaotic state, prevalence of inner peace consistent with our need, calmness in any situation and condition. A tranquil state of mind is acquired when we’ve total control over our mind and body. Meaning of peace is quietness, being in harmony, tranquility or without any sort of disorder”.

Role of Refreshments & drinks for replenishment followed with physical exertion:

While we engage in sports & physical activity ,we must also take care that our body is replenished with some breakfast & drinks regularly at any Restaurant or any food point.

Note :I am indebted to the Wikipaedia for the invaluable information on the subject.

On 05/07/24, I Visited & toured the amazing Food Farm in Eindhoven & watched as to how green vegetables, herbs & mushrooms are grown in the Care & Community farms ecologically through innovation & technology for healthier living.Best part of it is that the items are delievered to the consumers directly.Especially I watched the production of ‘Broth’-the Elixir of life which is a vegetable soup with very rich protein ingredients providing great source of energy to the consumer at the same time it has curative properties in cases of certain ailments!In olden days it used to be termed as Grandmaa’s sure-shot prescription in a variety of illnesses especially for young children & mothers.Here I am describing my visit in the words of the ‘Phood Farm”

Sustainable ecological farming,healthy eating

Phood Farm is an Aquaponic Care Farm and Community Farm in the southeast of Eindhoven. Here we grow vegetables, herbs, microgreens and mushrooms in a sustainable, ecological way, both indoors and outdoors. In the middle of the city! Our mission is to keep the city healthy, which starts with what you sow, how you grow it and what you eat. We grow our products and deliver them hyper-locally, directly to the end consumer and companies that want to buy healthy, local and ecological vegetables directly from the ‘farmer’

We are “greening” the city with a pink edge.

Phood Farm is the urban farm that inspires the city to produce and consume regeneratively, caringly and community based. Our innovative aquaponic care farm has now grown into a hyperlocal farming community. Together with the neighborhood and our care participants we grow vegetables, in the middle of the city in a hypermodern way. The place where fresh, pure, unprocessed food is the new standard. Where you come to recover your health through healthy eating .

Welcome to the Phood Family :

What is “Phood Farm”? What do we find important & what do we stand for? A green future, where the healthy growth of plants & people is central. We would like to take you into our world of pure, fresh ,healthy , unprocessed & ecologically -grown vegetables.

We produce unprocessed food locally, through innovation,technology & an ecological system.

Our plants grow in different ways for different purposes. For example, within an Aquaponic Care Farm we have one of the most innovative and sustainable ways to grow vegetables in places where this was previously not possible, such as in (monumental) buildings, on roofs or in deserts. In short, Aquaponic Farming is growing on water, where the food comes from fish manure and is converted into usable plant food. The fish in turn get clean water from the plants, which completes the circle in a self-regulating system. A very sustainable way of growing food that uses 90% less water.

Sustainability is of the utmost importance to us, which is why we opt for hyper-local production in the middle of the city that delivers directly to the end consumer, without any form of transport.

Phood care.

In addition to health and sustainability, caring for each other & each other’s well-being is an important point of attention within Phood Farm. We are a social enterprise & offer people with a distance to the labor market opportunities for development & growth.

Learning by working in the farm:

At Phood Farm we are all students of life, with an open attitude to new possibilities and developments. Are you motivated to build a green and social world together? Then take a look at our internship vacancies and growth places.

Phood kitchen:Local food nurtured by new technology.100%good for you

In a monumental building in the middle of the city, the world of restorative food and urban farming comes to life. Hyper-local, rich in vegetables, herbs and color, based on stock and with an alkaline balance. Our products are grown with care, both through aquaponic farming and regenerative methods in the open ground. Get to know the new Phood Standard and discover how we are redefining nutrition and wellness.

BROTH : THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

What do you eat when you don’t feel fit? Grandma’s chicken soup or vegetable broth. And we love your health! That’s why we brew an elixir that has been around since the beginning of time – BROTH – or (bone) broth. It repairs your inner intestinal wall, supports your collagen production, detoxifies your liver and is a small protein bomb in one. You will find our broth every week in the Phood Farm Vegetable Box.

Broth is used for pregnancy support, flu symptoms, leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammation reduction, skin rejuvenation, muscle health, joint strength.

I’m grateful to ‘Phood Farm’ website for invaluable information on the subject.

Happy Reading ,friends 😁

VISIT TO THE GENDERPARK :

On 24/06/24, We went on our morning walk to the wonderful Genderpark & the surrounding areas in Eindhoven, Netherlands and found it so very refreshing & relaxing strolling along the gender river stream with the numerous benches to relax on.There are so many beautiful bridges on the Gender.Its an ideal place for picnic, long walks/running & a nice weekend getaway from city noise with family.The gently flowing Gender stream is full of ducks,swans & fish.Nearby there are some outlets serving icecreams & takeaway snacks.The area is not crowdy normally !Apart from being ideal for a healthy morning walk its also good for relaxation in the evenings after a hectic days work.Also its a suitable place for engaging in different sports, get together & practicing Yoga .Its a cool place owing to the tree cover/shade so welcome in the summers.Its a great place for the old & the young.There are some noticeable nearby places such as Suma college of Vocational studies,Morein Maria-a Day Care Centre,Speetuin Gender-a nice playgroung &Vitalis Engelsbergen-a Doctors clinic, Primary school De Troubadour, Zest for Life-Massage therapist.

About the Genderpark :

Gender park is located in Gestle district near Vitalis housing complex about 3km from the centrum.Its quite a spacious park with ample place to sit ,play & relax with numerous benches along the Gender. There are separate walking & cycling tracks.The long-stretched Gender Park owes its name to the Gender: a river stream about fifteen kilometers long in and around Eindhoven. You can walk through the recently renovated area alongside the walking strips.There are so many lovely bridges on the Gender stream. As per reliable sources, some Primary School children have planted a mini-forest with more than 600 trees in the location. This will contribute to increased biodiversity & greenery in the surroundings of Eindhoven!Lots of rennovation work in progress which will render a much more appealing look to the visitors of the park.There is opportunities for fishing in the Gender. The park has a dedicated, separately enclosed & leash-free ‘Dog Place” for dogs to play in the grass lawns & have a dip in the Gender stream.

ABOUT THE GENDER STREAM :

The Gender  is a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It originates in originally marshy flatlands near Steensel and flows through Veldhoven and its eastern district Meerveldhoven in a general east-northeast direction towards Eindhoven. The Gender is one of many small streams that drain what once was the marshy heath and moorland of eastern North Brabant and the Kempen plateau. Similar streams include the Dommel, Kleine Dommel, Keersop, Tongelreep, Aa, Binnendieze and Run. All of these streams at one point or other merge to finally form River Dieze in Den Bosch, which in turn flows into River Maas.Out of sheer curiosity I want to make a trip to Den Bosch to personally witness the merger of various water streams into the “River Dieze” subsequently flowing into river Maas.

Near Eindhoven, the Gender originally flowed just north of the medieval city walls, serving as the north part of the city moat, to end in confluence with the Dommel stream. As early as the fifteenth century, its course was diverted southward through the city centre, to provide the city with freshwater supplies and fire-extinguishing means. By the 19th century, the stretch within the old city had been filled in and the Gender now ended in De Vest, the city moat, which itself was connected to the Dommel. Archaeological excavations during the 1980s and 1990s before the construction of a new shopping centre have brought several branches of the artificial inner-city section of the Gender to light, including a connection to the moat of Eindhoven Castle, which stood just east of the city walls.

The Gender in the western suburbs of Veldhoven:

20th-century channelisation and the emergence of large-scale residential areas in the Gender basin have seen the last stretch before the city centre cut off. In order to regulate water levels of the Dommel and Gender streams, which occasionally threatened to flood Eindhoven’s inner city area, a drainage canal (Afwateringskanaal) was dug in the late 1930s to connect the Dommel to the newly constructed Beatrix Canal and so dispose of excess water. Into this canal the Gender now discharges. A further downstream section of the Gender between the canal and the Engelsbergen pond remains, but receives little water of the original stream. Two districts of Eindhoven that are situated on its banks were named after the Gender stream: Genderdal (‘Gender Dale’) and Genderbeemd (‘Gender Meadow’).

Note :I am indebted to the Wikkipaedia for the invaluable information on the subject

On 20th June,2024 ,We went on our third visit (previous two visits being in Sept.2019 & Aug.2022) to Nuenen village(8 km from Eindhoven city,Netherlands)where one of the greatest artist, that ever existed, lived once upon a time.This is the place where the painter Vincent Van Gogh started his artworks many of which were the ‘masterpieces’ of his paint & brush.Although his life was quite turbulent & he was a troubled soul , his paintings were very beautiful . Personally speaking I am a great admirer of his creations & have got many prints of his framed paintings doning the walls of my living room (at my residence)!His works are so precious that there are occasional ‘Van Gogh exhibitions’ being organised in many cities of the world!Here I am giving a detailed account his personal & professional life for my lovely readers to go through “the incredible experience of immersing oneself” in the amazing masterpieces of the great artist!Happy Reading!

VINCENT VAN GOGH ( March, 1853-July ,1890) was a very famous Dutch painter . His work falls under post-impressionism, an art movement that followed nineteenth-century  impressionism( Post-Impressionism was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction against Impressionists’ concern for the naturalistic depiction of light and colour)! Van Gogh’s influence on Expressionism ,Fauvism and early abstraction was enormous and can be seen in many other aspects of twentieth-century art. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is dedicated to the work of Van Gogh and his contemporaries. In the Kroller-Muller Museum is home to the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world. Van Gogh is considered one of the greatest painters of the 19th century. This recognition came late, however: although he already had some fame in select art circles in the last years of his life, his work was not noticed by the general public until after his death !He posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings , most of which date from the last two years of his life. They include landscapes, still lifes,portraits, and self portraits, and are characterised by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art . He was not commercially successful and, struggling with severe depression and poverty,committed suicide at the age of 37.

Vincent van Gogh, born in the province of Brabant, is one of the most famous artists who ever existed. If you wish to admire Van Gogh’s works, you really must visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. But there are other special places that you really should visit if you are a Van Gogh lover! In the beautiful National Park De Hoge Veluwe lies the Kröller-Müller Museum, with the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world! And in Brabant, the region where he was born, you can still visit unique locations that were instrumental in shaping his life and work. These are highlights you simply cannot afford to miss! To truly understand Vincent van Gogh, it’s essential to look beyond the canvas. Step out into the Dutch countryside, villages and cities that influenced his life and work. In the south of Holland,the quaint village of Nuenen is an essntial stop. Van Gogh moved here in 1883 to live with his parents, shortly before moving to France, and it was here he produced monumental paintings like ‘The Potato Eaters’ (1885). Today, the Van Gogh Village Nuenen is dedicated to his artistic endeavors and offers a memorable audio-visual experience. In his birthplace of Zundert, the Vincent Van Gogh House invites you to learn more about the artist’s early life, while in nearby Tilburg, you can experience where the 13 year old boy took his first drawing classes. The Noordbranbant Museum is another impressive art institution to show his work in dedicated exhibition spaces. To best experience the natural and artistic charms of North Brabant,explore Van Goghs Holland by bike, taking the time to experience the landscapes and villages that helped shape the artist’s inimitable view of the world.

 Van Gogh Museum (in Amsterdam) 

Its a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent Van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam south, close to the Stedelijk museum, the Rijksmuseum & the Conertgebouw.The museum opened on 2 June 1973,and its buildings were designed by Gerrit Rietveld & Kisho Kurokawa. The museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world. In 2017, the museum had 2.3 million visitors and was the most visited museum in Netherlands, and the 23 most visited art museum in the world. In 2019, the Van Gogh Museum launched the Meet Vincent Van Gogh Experience, a technology-driven “immersive exhibition” on Van Gogh’s life and works, which has toured globally.

THE VINCENTER:(VINCENT Van Gogh Museum in Nuenen village near Eindhoven)  is a Dutch museum in the North Brabant town of Nuenen with documentation about the residence of the painter Vincent Van Gogh. The museum is located in the former town hall of Nuenen from 1874. Vincentre was opened on 18 July 2010. The permanent exhibition of the museum tells the story of Vincent van Gogh and Nuenen using audiovisual techniques. Van Gogh stayed here from 1883 to 1885 and realized an important part of his oeuvre during this period. This includes reproductions of paintings of the landscapes and churches, as captured by Vincent in Nuenen. The Potato Eaters  is an oil painting painted by him in April 1885 in Nuenen! It is in the Van Gogh Museum  in Amsterdam. The original oil sketch of the painting is at the Kroller -Muller museum in Otterlo, and he also made Lithographs of the image, which are held in collections including the Musem of Modern Art in New York City. The painting is considered to be one of Van Gogh’s masterpieces & is a subject of multimedia presentation!

What is on view in Salon Nune Ville?

1)Ancestral home of Margot Begemann (lover of Vincent van Gogh).

2)19th century art salon with paintings of fellow painters of Vincent van Gogh.

3)19th century attic with a fully furnished servant room, and the room where a Jewish boy went into hiding during the Second World War.

4)Fully Furnished 19th-century rooms.

This house was built in 1874, following 18th century style for Reverend W.L. Begemann.

It is located next to the parental house of the artist Vincent van Gogh, who lived and worked in Nuenen from December 1883 until November 1885. Reverend Begemann and his family moved in. He and his wife soon died, however their three unmarried daughters kept living in the house including Margot, Vincent van Gogh’s later beloved. The house served as Reformed Parsonage from 1926 until 1954. Then the house was acquired by the Van Gogh family, who restored it, and so Nune Ville remained a historically valuable monument. It is now a private residence but on certain days partly on view. Every saturday afternoon open. Address: Berg 24, 5671 CC, Nuenen Village

VAN GOGH BRABANT :

 Kröller-Müller Museum :

The Kröller-Müller Museum is a Dutch museum for modern and contemporary art , located in the De Hoge Veluwe National park in Otterlo . The museum and its associated sculpture park, together approximately 25 hectares, are internationally renowned. Until 2020, the museum attracted increasing numbers of visitors from home and abroad every year, with 405,428 visitors in 2019. The museum is characterized by an extensive collection of works by Vincent Van Gogh .

History :

The museum is named after Helene Kroller-Muller, who assembled a large part of the collection, advised by art educator HP Beeder . It was officially opened as a national museum in 1939, a few years after the foundation of the National Park. After the government decided to make the museum, like all other state museums, independent & the name Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller was dropped, the statutory name of the museum became the Kröller-Müller Museum Foundation. The museum received ANBI status. 

The collection:

Since her first purchase of the painting He comes from far away by Paul Gabriel in 1908 , Helene Kröller-Müller had built up a collection of paintings that, unlike collections of her contemporaries, concerned modern works. Because Kröller-Müller had to undergo a serious operation in 1911, which she assumed she would not survive, she decided that her collection should be left to the Dutch people. However, when she survived the operation, she had various architects, such as Ludwig Mies,Peter Behrens & Hendrik Berlage , draw up plans for the construction of a museum, the Groote Museum, to house all her works of art.

The Groote Museum 

The Groote Museum was commissioned by the Kröllers, initially (in 1918) by Berlage, who also designed the hunting lodge on the family estate. However, relations with Berlage deteriorated, after which the Belgian architect Henry Van de Velde was employed in 1920. In 1921, construction of his design, the Groote Museum, started at the foot of the Franse Berg in Hoenderloo. The Maulbronner sandstone required for this was delivered by rail. Due to financial headwinds, the construction of the museum was halted. In the meantime, the Kröller-Müller Foundation, founded in 1928, organized exhibitions at Lange Voorhout 1 in The Hague, including exhibitions by Issac Israels. Because Kröller’s company was doing worse, the government was asked to help finance the Groote Museum. On April 26, 1935, the foundation donated the art collection to the government, which in return promised to help realize the museum building. The De Hoge Veluwe National Park was also founded on the family estate, also with government support.

FAMOUS PAINTINGS OF VINCENT VAN GOGH :

‘I dream my painting & then I paint my dream’

Vincent to his brother Theo, September 1888

STARRY NIGHTS :

The Starry Night is an oil-on-canvas modern art painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Painted in June 1889, it depicts the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village !It has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of modern art in New York City since 1941, acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest. Widely regarded as Van Gogh’s magnus opus, The Starry Night is one of the most recognizable paintings in Western art.

MEET VINCENT VAN GOGH EXPERIENCE : TAKE AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY TO THE WORLD OF VINCENT VAN GOGH AT THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM ,AMSTERDAM.

Educational value :

The interactive approach of Meet Vincent van Gogh appeals to families and schools as primary target groups. The Meet Vincent audio tour tells Vincent’s story at two levels: from 8 to 12 years and 13+ years. The texts are based on Vincent’s unique collection of personal letters from the Van Gogh Museum. The audio tour consists of interactive stops and a scavenger hunt for children and turns a visit into an exciting hands-on digital learning experience. The Meet Vincent van Gogh Experience has had successful editions in European and Asian markets.

Meet Vincent’s innovative techniques and storytelling are aimed at:

• Families looking for a cultural experience for both parents and children;
• Digital nomads looking for innovative ways to experience art;
• Tourists with an interest in cultural and retail-based excursions;
• Lay people and art experts;
• School groups with a focus on art, art history or science.

CHILDREN GET TO WORK THEMSELVES & USE THE SAME MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE AS THE PAINTER VINCENT VAN GOGH USED THEN

Note :I am indebted to the Wikkipedia for the invaluable information on the subject

On this weekend, the 15& 16 June 2024,we went for an exploration visit to the Genneper Parken, Genneper Hoeve, Heem park,Genneper Watermollen & Eindhoven museum in Eindhoven ,Netherlands to discover the amazing landmarks relating to the area’s flora & fauna.In this vast park ,seeing the lush greenery,flora fauna & feeling the freshness of breeze ,we experienced healthy vibes coming our way relieving us of all tiredness or anxiety which we had previously!While strolling in thr park the atmosphere induces in us an urge to inculcate healthy habbits to improve health of the body & the heart. During my 75-day stay at Eindhoven I have made sure to visit the park for long brisk walks & or short distance running daily being near to my son’s villa !Especially for aged & retired people like us ,the place is like Rehabilitation homes for recovering normal health after some illness or disorder!In the Dommel there is facility for Canoeing ,fishing as well as skating(in wintres) !There are occasional fares/exhibitions for family recreations & health awareness for all people & agesIn the park there is an amazingly developed Prehistoric/Medieval village housing artefacts & tools/items used by our ancestors in the ancient times!Its a must visit place to experience life (back in time)led by the people in that era!At the Genneper Hoeve,(organic farm) one can choose from a variety of refreshments & fresh fruits & say goodbye to their kitchens for a while! For the working people it is an excellent weekend getaway with family & friends!

The Genneper Parken:

It is a nature, sports and recreation area in the south of Eindhoven. It is named after the hamlet of Gennep and is one of the largest parks in the Netherlands. The Genneper Parken area is located in and along the Dommel and Tongelreep rivers , the latter of which in particular has managed to retain its natural character and meanders strongly . This stream valley area is part of the ecological main structure of the Netherlands . Several shorter walking routes have been set out here and you can also walk along the Tongelreep to Aalst and beyond. In the opposite direction runs the Airbornepad Market Garden , which leads from Lommel to Arnhem . In the Genneper parken are housed some of the most amazing landmarks which relate to the area’s flora & fauna.

The Genneper watermill (also called Gennepermolen )

It is a watermill in Eindhoven, Netherlands . The mill is located on the Genneperweg, along the Dommel in the Gestel district of the municipality of Eindhoven . It is located in the Genneper Parks . The current mill is an undershot mill with one water wheel. The function was flour mill , previously there was also a second wheel for an oil mill . It is a national monument that is owned by the municipality of Eindhoven. Volunteer millers grind the mill and assist visitors, and organic products and flour are also sold.
The mill was recorded several times in November 1884 by Vincent van Gogh. A windmill with two wheels can be seen on it. The Genneper Watermill along the Dommel is an undershot mill that was used as a flour mill. The mill was restored in 1963 with government grant; it was actually rebuilt for the most part. After a fire on February 11, 1998, the roof was replaced; the cover of the wheel is thereby undone. The mill was painted and drawn in the nineteenth century by the artist Vincent van Gogh . It is a national monument .

The Eindhoven Museum and Prehistoric Village:

Located in Genneper Park,’Prehistoric Village’ originated from experimental archeology . An attempt was made to reconstruct the construction of a house from the Iron Age,& subsequently a complete village from that time was set up. Later a medieval village was also recreated.(Visit to Museum & the Prehistoric Village I have already covered in my recent blog dtd 14th May,2024 on my site for my dear readers to explore virtually)

De Genneper Hoeve : An Organic farm in Genneper Parken:

DE GENNEPER HOEVE :

It is an organic mixed farm in the middle of the greenery of the city of Eindhoven that is open to the public with 30 red-and-white dairy cows, young stock, chickens and pigs, organic farming and a market garden with seasonal vegetables, a cheese factory & cheese dairy, a farm shop and educational programs on the farm. It is an urban farm where the public can experience the animals, the stables, the cheese making, the milking and the work in the cheese storage up close. The farm shop sells all products from its own company, as well as various products from fellow farmers in the region.

The Heempark Frater Simon Deltour:

Its a botanical garden that houses hundreds of native plant species on a site of three hectares which are grouped into twenty Brabant landscape types. This park has been managed by volunteers since 1983. The park is named after Brother Simon Deltour, a brother who was active on Eikenburg .The park consists of landscape types & elements from the Kempen and the Meierij with the plants that naturally belong there. The Heempark was created in 1983 by a volunteer working group in collaboration with the municipality of Eindhoven. It is named after a champion of nature and the environment .

 Environmental Education Center (MEC) was located next to the Genneper Watermill in Gestel. Until December 2008, permanent and changing exhibitions in the field of nature and the environment could be visited here. Projects in the field of environmental education were also organized here, for example for children. After years of vacancy, the building has been in use since January 2019 – by way of vacancy management – by Facet, a consultancy for sustainable development and the Gilde Sint Joris

Note :I am indebted to the Wikkipaedia for the invaluable information on the subject.

Recently on 26/5/24 ,we visited Evoluon museum of Eindhoven,Netherlands & were pretty impressed with the buildings’ architecture & numerous inbuilt facilitities encompassed within them.Although its impossible to predict the future but we can certainly imagine what it looks like!Visiting the magical instalations of Evoluon is like an expedition that fills us with feeling of nostalgia encountering the thrilling experience!Great experience for the young & the old taking us on an attractive ride to the distant future on the Merry Go Round, shoot at donor organs, swim like a virtual fish ,talk to a mussle or create a deep fake of yourself .Evoluon welcomes all to World of Space Farming which is believed to be the Future of Food!Team of farmers ,Scientists ,Enterpreuneurs & designers are already developing new foods finding innovative ways to turn into reality!Here I have posted almost an endless panorama of photos & texts of Evoluon museum for my lovely readers to “Enjoy the Future”

Evoluon’s History :

Originally a science museum, the distinctively designed Evoluon in Eindhoven,Netherlands is now a sleek, modern conference center. This famous landmark has secured the coveted Benelux’s highest possible rating, of ‘5 hammers’ and vaunts an events venue that can accommodate up to 1500 visitors .Frits Philips commissioned the Evoluon to commemorate the Philips company’s 75th anniversary in 1966 and gifted it to the public. The Evoluon was extremely popular, attracting over 500,000 visitors in 1970 with its thought-provoking science and technology exhibits that encouraged visitor interaction.

Museum :The building was used as an educational technology museum from 1966 to 1989 and attracted large numbers of visitors until the 1970s. This was partly because the visitors themselves were allowed to experiment and operate demonstration models. At the time, this was still new and especially attractive to students and other young people. Many schools traditionally organized an ‘Evoluon trip’ once a year. It was part of an NS day trip. Moreover, there were no competing technology museums in the Netherlands yet. In the 1970s and 1980s, however, similar technology-oriented public museums were also established in other cities, such as in Amsterdam. As a result, the number of visitors to the Evoluon decreased every year. The exploitation and updating of the set-up cost a lot of money and in the end people ended up in the red. Also with Philips (owner of the building) things did not go well in those years and the group disposed of many unprofitable branches during large-scale reorganisations. According to Philips, it became too expensive to update the exhibitions sufficiently. Despite much protest, the group management decided, after years of investing money on the Evoluon, to close the exhibition in the building and from 1989 it no longer had a public function.

Convention and Event Center :

Subsequently, several new buildings were completed on the surrounding site and since 1996 the Evoluon complex has been a conference and events center. From 2004 to (March 11) 2013, the Friends of the Evoluon Foundation was active. This foundation strived to restore the Evoluon as an icon for technology and progress. The foundation was re-established on February 27, 2018. Since the summer of 2012, Philips wants to use the building again for (temporary) exhibitions. In that year the kick-off was given with an exhibition about the human brain, in collaboration with Discovery center Continium in Kerkrade . More events will follow in collaboration with Continium, as well as with NEMO and Technopolis in Mechelen (Belgium).

New Evoluon:

In October 2013, the German band Kraftwerk  gave four 3D concerts at the Evoluon, each attended by 1,200 spectators. The room was personally chosen for this purpose by Kraftwerk founder Ralf Hutter , because of the retro-futuristic appearance of the building and its relationship with Philips . 3D animations showing the saucer section of the building descending from space were part of the song Spacelab .In the autumn of 2014,RTL 4’s Slimmer I Oen program was included in the Evoluon .In the film ‘The Slim Family’, the Inventicon inventors’ fair takes place in the Evoluon. 

A UFO Has Landed :

The Evoluon’s distinctive design resembles a UFO that has landed in the middle of Eindhoven. The building was based on an original idea by Frits Philip. The unusual design meant many calculations were needed to make sure the 77-meter concrete dome was properly supported. Concentric rings line the dome like circular balconies and are now used for events. In the late 1980s, the building was renovated and expanded to be used for receptions and conferences for the Philips company. Later on in the 1990s the Philips Hall auditorium, meeting rooms, and VIP suites were added. The Evoluon is now available for conferences, meetings, and events. At the beginning of 2021 it was announced that the Evoluon will once again become a museum (a so-called future lab ) for science and technology under the leadership of the Next Nature Network . Half a million euros will be made available from the Ministry of Education , Culture and Science , the municipality of Eindhoven and the province of Noord-Brabant will contribute another 5.4 million euros for the next four years . The permanent exhibition is expected to follow in about four years time.

Some of the amazing innovations of the Future Lab in the Evoluon Museum :

Its a must-visit museum to explore the exciting ‘World of Future’ imagining how it might look like! Its a Science & Technology museum also called the “Future Lab” I am truly indebted to Wikipedia & Evoluons Official Website for the invaluable information on the subject “Happy reading😁

We had reached Eindhoven,Netherlands to reunite with our son & daughter in law on 10/5/24 & visited the amazing Prehistoric village(also called Eindhoven museum) on 14/5/24! It was an enriching experience of a lifetime which I have put in words for my valued lovely readers :

At the Prehistorisch Dorp(Prehistoric village), lets walk back in time in the prehistoric & medieval village immersing ourselves in a historic adventure strolling over the paths, houses, homestead & the barns !Listen to stories of the villagers ,experience their daily lives & play various games & activities of the past !Lets have an idea how to throw a spear or control a woden canoe !The prehistorisch dorp in Eindhoven is the replica of a prehistoric & medieval village, complete with dwelings & demonstration of skills used by historic people!The open air museum recreates life from this and later eras !On your way you will meet hunters from the stone age farmers from prehistoric times and craftsman from the middle ages!Stop for a chat & be amazed by their stories about daily life in the past! Lets learn to throw javelin or make a fire ,learn to weave a tape or paddle in a trunk canoe !The vikings amongst us learn to shoot with bow & arrow or how to forge a sword! Visiting Prehistorische Dorp is experiencing life through an adventurous journey back in time !Experience what life was in times of hunters & gatherers ,the time of first farmers & feel astonished by the stories of the villagers & discover traditional crafts & skill !The Prehistoric village lies north of the recreational area called the Genepper Parken Eindhoven !

Following are the unmanned activities to indulge-in at the Prehistorisch village practiced by the inhabitants in that era:

1)STONE AGE <250000-5300 BC>(Age of hunters & gatherers)––Spear throwing, making music, building a hut.

2)BRONGE AGE & IRON AGE<5300-50BC>(Age of first farmers):Playing in the loam pit (Agricultural Soil-Pit), Grinding grain, Canoeing.

3)ROMAN AGE<50BC-500AD>(Native Roman era): Creating pegs(tent fasteners), Pulling raft, Loculus Puzzle(kind of mathematical games)

4)EARLY MIDDLE AGE <500-1000AD(Age of Franks & Vikings) :Mill Game, Dressing up as warrior, Swordfighting.

5)LATE MIDDLE AGE<1000-1568AD(Age of Trade & Cities) :Pillory(a wooden framework for imprisoning offenders open to public), Medieval pooping (getting rid of the body’s unabsorbed & undigested waste ) ,Writing with a goose feather.

6)EARLY MODERN AGE <1568-1648AD>(80 Years War)–Stiltwalking (wooden poles or structures to raise a person or structure above the ground) ,making a coat of Arms, Throwing pebbles !

About the Eindhoven Museum:

The Eindhoven Museum is an archaelogical open air museum in Eindhoven Netherlands, focusing on the Iron ages and middle ages in the province of North Brabant The museum is situated in the Genneper Parken area at the south side of the city. It focuses on the daily lives and routines of people in the time periods mentioned, through demonstrations and recreations of buildings, practices and routines. For example, there are demonstrations of cooking on open fire, of games played in the Middle Ages and groups of school children are allowed to spend the night in the stables. The museum has several distinct target audiences. Primary among these are school children, who comprise most of the visitors on weekdays. In the weekends and during holiday season the museum focuses on regular tourists. The museum features a lot of living history & exhibits as well as semi-historical re enactments. During holiday seasons extra activities are staged for children. The museum also arranges historically themed corporate and family outings outside of opening hours. Some 60.000 people visited the museum in 2005.

History of the museum :

The Eindhoven Museum was founded in 1982 by a group of teachers from the local teachers academy led by Anneke Boonstra; it was then known as the “prehistoric village”. The first ten years were spent slowly and painstakingly building an Iron Age village with help of many volunteers and local unemployed people. In 1995 the museum drew national and international attention with a life experiment. Officially called “For 2 Moons”, it involved a small group (including the director Anneke Boonstra) withdrawing from civilization for two months to live life as it was in the Iron Age. Towards the end of the 1990s the museum began receiving European subsidies, allowing it to double in size and add a whole new theme on the new grounds: the Middle Ages. The museum is one of the founding members of EXARC , the international ICOM affiliated association of archaelogical open air museum and Experimental Archaeology From 2006 to 2009 the museum was project lead of a European project of 8 archaeological open-air museums, liveARCH. This project was co-authored by Roeland Paardekooper ! Luc Eekhout became director of the museum in September 2010.

MY DEAR READERS, WAS IT AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL ADVENTURE STROLLING THROUGH THE ‘ANCIENT’ TIMES IN THE PREHISTORIC VILLAGE ?PL. OFFER COMMENTS ON YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE EINDHOVEN MUSEUM

Apart from our this 75-days visit to the amazing city of Netherlands,we have been to Eindhoven on two other occasions: August 2019 & August 2022 to explore its quite fascinating,refreshing & peaceful spots .Also we have visited about 9 countries keeping Eindhoven as our base for the fabulous trips to these countries!I had already posted blogs on them so very well supported & encouraged by my lovely readers! We will be posting some blogs on our local visits of the city in this period.

We reached Eindhoven on the 10th May for reuniting with my son Abhimanyu & daughter in law Akanksha & assisting them in delievery of their first child due in about a week’s time!We straightaway took up the responsibility of the kitchen & the household including purchase of the essential groceries! Akanksha was admitted to the Catharina Hospital on 17.5.24 & Abhimanyu, with his quite reasonable communication abilities in Dutch,did the job of admission procedures interacting with the Doctors & nurses!The medical treatment & care was of the highest order!We paid our hearty prayers to the Almighty for safe delievery & good health of the mother & child !

Finally the much awaited moment arrived when Akanksha gave birth to a very cute baby girl! The time of Birth was 19:15 hrs local Eindhoven time( 22:45 hrs IST)!Both the mother & child were quite healthy & doing very well! We gave her the name of “Taarini” –Taarini word means :Saviour, she who delivers from sin ,another name of Goddess Durga ;Goddess Parvati.

0n 23/05/24 ,Akanksha & Taarini are discharged from the hospital after final medical checkups of the mother & child by the medical team !Catharina hospital has rendered very efficient & expert medical services !It was such a nice experience at Catharina!

Vishakha Purnima :

Its a very auspicious day today being Vaisakha Purnima and we performed the Puja Rituals as per our Hindu traditions! Vaishakha Purnima is one of the most significant day in Hindu religion having a great religious & spiritual importance! On this auspicious day people offer prayers to Lord Vishnu and observe Satyanarayan Vrat! This day is celebrated by Lord Vishnu devotees with immense devotion & fervour visiting religious places & Ganga ghats to take a holy dip in the Ganga river .This day is also celebrated as Buddh Purnima as Lord Buddha was born on this auspicious day

On 23th May,2024,during the medical check ups of the mother & child in the Catharina hospital before discharge ,we got an opportunity to visit Henri Dunant Park in the neighborhood & had a great time enjoing the greenery & its scenic beauty !Lets take a short tour of the beautiful place.

Henri Dunant Park :

The Henri Dunantpark is a park in the north of Eindhoven located near the Catharine hospital in the De Tempel district. The park was constructed in 1972 and covers 22 hectares.The aim was to create ‘a piece of nature in the city’ that offered a peaceful atmosphere for family picnic & even have a barbeque. You can take a walk in long curvy paths and there are adjoining cycling tracks too.

We pass through forests with mainly native plants such as oaks, poplars, birch, alder, chestnuts, ash and willows. We pass playing fields. In striking places we encounter water cypresses and white maples. A water feature and swamp pond, where height differences have been created in the park with the excavated soil. A pinetum has been planted on one of the hills. Large parts of the park can be overlooked from the hills.

The pond in the park has been used since 2010 to drain rainwater from the neighborhood, to improve the quality of the water.There is beautiful fountain in the pond.This is how Eindhoven connects technical innovation with nature !There is a beautiful De Splinter park for the children.Also italian icecream is available here for people to enjoy during the picnic.

My readers may pl. note that while we will remain in Eindhoven for 2 months & not travel to any other destinations ,we may revisit some old spots of Eindhoven & rewrite some blogs with some additions or changes!Happy reading my dear friends💕

1. Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!
2. You registered on WordPress.com 4 yrs ago.Thanks for flying with us.
3. Keep up the good blogging.

Yesterday I received this notification of my completing 4 years with WordPress.com & felt very happy achieving the milestone in my blogging journey. I am very very grateful to all my readers & 380 followers(WP.Com followers=377,Email=3) for extending the much-needed support making the journey till date such a memorable one.I will be hoping for the continued support in future too.

All-time stats:

Views=20,598

Visitors=7,670

Posts=109( 110 including the current one)

Comments=2,196

Followers= 380 (377 wordpress +3 mail)

All-time annual insights

Year	Total posts	Total comments	Avg comments per post	Total likes	Avg likes per post	Total words	Avg words per post
2019	5	134	26.8	66	13.2	4,572	914
2020	27	722	26.7	1,182	43.8	43,580	1,614
2021	22	654	29.7	1,276	58.0	11,071	503
2022	47	517	11.0	814	17.3	57,414	1,222
2023	8	170	21.3	147	18.4	10,579	1,322

Passion for travel and adventure : Right from my early childhood ,I had a passion for travelling to new places & indulging in sports and adventure !As I grew up I started travelling & exploring places as soon I got any opportunity being very curious about the way of life, language, culture & the religious belief of people !Having travelled to places I wanted to share my travel stories with people alongwith information on the places visited!After a bit of search I came across this beautiful site-Wordpress serving a great platform for exchange of invaluable information on diverse topics,Travel being one !Here I got associated with many great travelers & their great sites with a treasure of informative blogs !I am immensely inspired by their thoughts regarding ‘travels’ which I am putting into words here:

“Travel is an aspect of life like our journey through life. Traveling is like pursuing our goals in life. Exploring a new country is like a dream turning into a reality .To journey is to enjoy what is on the route: whatever our interests are: people, architecture, customs, history, weather, the local situation, their politics & the personal ups and downs of journeying. This is just like life. We expect life to run smoothly, often complain when it doesn’t, some of us even try to control life tightly in our fists so that we don’t face any unexpected situations. But if we let go and flow with life, we enjoy what is on route; it might not be exactly the way we thought it would turn out but it will be fuller & richer. My experience of life & travel is that it is much better than what I imagined it would be”  

Some of our requirements for life & travel :There are requirements; we can’t just sit back & hope it will happen. We need desire, vision, planning & research, good equipment, maps, money, a good support system, good advice, perseverance, tenacity, patience & courage to explore new situations & places. These are just a couple of things we need.

Choice is also a very important part of life and travel: We all have our own choices to make and should not feel bad for making them just as we can’t judge others for their personal choices. When traveling some people choose to do things on a shoe string budget and go camping or house swapping; others live lavishly in hotels and guided tours and some choose just to be comfortable. What is important is that we tailor our travels or our life to suit our interests and life style.

Travel challenges old stale ways and notions: It might even help us to become flexible, robust and resilient because it is easier to accept different scenarios in a place we don’t live; but I wonder if we set aside old interests, preconceptions and fixed thinking in our lives generally – could we be more open to new possibilities and situations. I find it a fascinating topic to be mindful of; each of us is going to be different on our journey in life and in travels because we are so unique.

By now I have posted 110 blogs & am overwhelmed with the lovely response of my dear readers.In these 4 years, I have written on many Indian destinations having visited most of the states (23 out of 28 states & all Union territories )and also on some foreign destinations having visited 10 countries.We visited Paris/Brussels/Amsterdam/Zanse Schans/Interlaken/Jungraujoch(Switzerland)/ Berlin /Lisbon /Barcelona /Rome/Pisa /Venice /Vatican city & Nepal .My son Abhimanyu & dear Akanksha(who are staying in Netherlands)have been instrumental in fecilitating & promoting our visits to foreign destinations making this blogging journey such a memorable one.My wife Anupama has always been beside me throughout this amazing journey.I will like to share a few photos of this amazing journey with my lovely readers !Happy Reading !