The first Potluck lunch of the 2017-2018 club year! So nice to see all the ladies back for the club year! Rita hosted this event, and some very lovely looking food was had by all. Nice effort ladies! Can’t wait to see what everyone brings for the next potluck event!
by Mimi Z.
The October activity organized by the club was a visit to the horse dairy farm De Edelweiss in Etten-Leur. I’d never heard about such a farm and so I’ve decided to sign-up and learn about it!
Our visit was divided in two parts. First we learned about mare’s milk; we learned a little about its history and its health benefits. Then we went into the stable and watched the milking in process.
At the end, some of us purchased cosmetics made with mare’s milk.
So what is mare’s milk?
That’s the milk produced by mares to feed foals during the first six months following their birth. For thousands of years mares have been used as dairy animals in some cultures, especially by the nomads and formerly nomadic people of Central Asia.
In Europe, mare’s milk was used in the 19th and in the early 20th as a substitute for mother’s milk. Very easy to digest, it apparently helped those who suffered from cirrhosis, stomach ulcers, gastric and chronic intestinal pain, constipation, and various problems tied to the gallbladder and pancreas.
Mare’s milk is also used in cosmetics because it is rich in nutrients. It has a calming and moisturizing effect on the skin. That’s why it is particularly recommended for treatment of eczema.
by Vanessa L.
On Thursday a number of us dusted off our raincoats and armed with umbrellas joined the IWC Ginneken Walk. Our guide was Jan from the Gilde De Baronie. He took us on a colourful journey which he illustrated with stories of residents, past and present and historical places. Here is a tiny taster of the tales we were told….
Ginneken was once an independent village but is now part of Breda, since being annexed in 1942. The area became popular with tourists from Den Haag and Amsterdam around 1900. Its vicinity to the Mastbos and the Mark valley made it an extremely beautiful place to visit and relax. Some hotels and small B&Bs were established served by a busy network of horse drawn trams bringing visitors into the village area from the station. One of the favourite destinations for the wealthy ladies of that era who arrived on the 5 cent pony tram was the house of a dubious, quack healer based in Ginneken who paraded up and down the village streets in a long, flamboyant blue gown and Alexander McQueen style shoes with springs in the heels!
Have you ever heard bells ringing on a misty morning walking by the Devil’s Bridge over the Mark? Legend has it that sometime around 1300, lovers Catherina van Gaveren and Walter van Ulvenhout rushed to Ginneken Laurentius church after she was rescued from incarceration in a monastery to marry. Unfortunately, the bells in the tower had not been blessed and the devil let them fall, crushing the couple and priest during the ceremony. Afterwards, he carried the bells and dropped them in the Mark where some claim they have heard them ringing.
As the heavens opened once more we headed off to Zin for lunch and chance to chat and warm up.
