After the busy time in Paris and Amsterdam, it was time to slow down a bit. Hence Robyn found a fantastic cabin near the Belgium border (we actually took the dogs on a walk into Belgium). The cabin is an A frame set in a forest next to a little lake. A perfect little place, to take a break especially on a rainy soggy day (we had one of those where we were happy just to stay put and remain dry)
Eindhoven is very different from Utrecht, Amsterdam and the towns that surround them. It has a much more modern feel to it with more modern architecture. However the cathedral is very interesting with glass floor through which you can see some very old skeletons (including a little toddler). Whilst the origins of Eindhoven go back to the Middle Ages, very little of this is left. Most of the historical buildings were destroyed during WWII, and modern design is seen throughout the city, especially the high rise and industrial looking buildings.
We spend a few days exploring Eindhoven, including doing a Sherlock Holmes Murder mystery that made us run around the old part of town solving clues to the murder. It’s a great way to explore a new place and keep the girls really engaged. The minister of security was stabbed in the back at a street party, and we had to figure out which suspect did it. Checking out all the suspects motives and alibis, we came to the conclusion that it had to be … (no spoilers!). We were right of course, dear Watson.
Another reason for coming to Eindhoven was the GLOW festival. It is a collection of light exhibits throughout the city that you can walk and see. Some of them have a bit of a music show (lights and music), some are interactive (as you clap the lights change), some have some mechanical motion added to lights, and some are just fun static light exhibits. Safe to say, it involves a lot of walking.
There were a few exhibits that really stood out. The children of Eindhoven and the surrounding area, all drew pictures of flowers or self portraits. These were then scanned, and enhanced digitally to make them more alive, and then projected on the inside of an empty church. The colours and patterns were amazing!. Mish really liked the art and light show based on the working of a truck engine, loud and flashy.
We even managed to visit the “silly walks tunnel” - a pedestrian & bike tunnel with murals of the "Silly Walks" sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus… we obviously all had to practice our silly walks, and take a few pics of the nonsense too!
The city is also known for being tech focused, and they had a cool exhibition called Motion imagination. It is another light based activity, but this time indoors and based on a combination of illusions and dynamic feedback. It was pretty fun, we us spending quite a bit of time in a large empty room. This empty room was filled with light projectors that change the room into different playrooms. One was an obstacle course, (think Mario Bros) then we had a massive twister game, followed by find the animals in the jungle and even a massive maze.
Eindhoven has been a fun place to visit but now its time to move on to a new country: Germany!
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