Amgen has a logicstics center in Breda, with the bulk of European IS operations there as well. Breda is a small city near the Belgian border (close enough to bike there).
The city government is intent on making Breda a vibrant place - in the nearly 6 months I've been here, there have been dozens of festivals, street parties, concerts in the park, etc. Just prior to my departure, the Breda Marathon was run, and this is the view from my apartment balcony. The route is peppered with local brass bands near sidewalk cafes, attracting spectators to sit, listen to the music, watch the runners, and enjoy a drink.
The city itself has many charms, including a large central square with a cathedral built in the 14th century. The religious neutrality of this cathedral is carefully, if subliminally, maintained. It was evidently the site of an extraordinary amount of artwork, statues, etc., but virtually all were destroyed in the iconoclasm that followed the start of the Reformation. Only the statues of the historical founders of Breda remain. 
My apartment was in the Chassé Park neighborhood, very near the city center. It's within easy walking distance of the railway station, shops, museums, and dozens if not hundreds of restaurants.
Just across the park is a huge casino / performing arts complex. The Nord Brabant Orchestra plays there; for a regional group, it's extremely good. In addition, the smaller venues double as movie thaters, showing a wide selection of classic and off-beat films.
The social life of Breda revolves around late evening dinners at the many cafes, restaurants, and bars in the town. Here's one such dinner with colleagues from work.
Friday and Saturday mornings, especially from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., have been festive times in Breda for centuries, as this painting in the Breda Museum attests. Noisy partygoers return from dinner late at night, with the normal Dutch inhibitions removed by darkness and vast quantities of beer. I've learned to close my windows after midnight - I'm just not too festive then.
Breda is surrounded by farmland and forests, the latter cultivated over the centuries to support the shipbuilding industry that forms the background of Breda's economy. The Mastbos (literally, "ship mast forest") is a pleasant and popular place for hikes and bike rides in the evening and on weekends. Scattered throughout the area are historical gems, including a Spanish fortification (from the times of the Counter Reformation), and this castle, owned by the local Duke.
While in Breda, I was befriended by Nanny and Mark, the lovely couple that owned De Ijsbeer (The Polar Bear), the gelato shop across the street from my apartment. We exchanged recipes, and they had me over for dinner one evening.
I also enjoyed the hospitality of the members of Tonkunstkoor Breda (Music Artist Choir of Breda), a community chorus that met weekly in Ginniken, a beautiful little village that had been incorporated into Breda. Musical direction was exressed using Italian terminology (as is customary even in the United States), so it was pretty easy to follow the director. During breaks, the choir members were happy to speak to me in English. I attended a half-dozen rehearsals during the six months I was there, but missed too many to justify participating in the performance. I did bring a bunch of Amgen colleagues to the concert near the end of my stay.
The assignment has provided me with ample opportunities to travel around Europe. These trips have included numerous return visits to Milan and Lucerne, plus first visits to Frankfurt and its surroundings, Lyon and Biarritz France, Leeds and Cambridge UK with business colleagues.
I scheduled a number of business meetings in Zug with hotel stay in Lucerne in such a way that I was able to attend a concert by Andreas Vollenweider at Kleintheater Luzern - good planning on my part!
My kids and I have taken side trips to the Moselle Valley in Germany, to Trier, and many other cities and towns in the Netherlands, and Carol and I have been able to visit friends and colleagues in Antwerp. Take a look at the other travel pages here for more detailed descriptions.
In 20155, Carol and I had the chance to participate in a singing tour of Ireland with the Los Robles Master Chorale.
We landed in Dublin, but immediately traveled to Limerick by bus. After a rehearsal the next day, we performed at a choral festival there. Time didn't permit much exploration, but from there we toured the western coast of the country, including stops at a cave, the Cliffs of Moher, and paused for another two days in Cork, a lovely city.
After our Cork concert, we made our way back to Dublin, with a wonderful stop at a silver factory neaqr Cahir, where our group entertained other travellers with an impromptu concert of music from Phantom of the Opera. In appreciation, the factory owner bestowed upon us a full selection of their products, including silver tea sets, platters, etc. We sang our last concert in Dublin on the Fourth of July, adding "America the Beautiful" to our concert lineup. To our surprise and appreciation, the moment the first phrase was sung, the audience stood as one to honor the United States for its role in accepting Irish immigrants in the 19th century.
Last Updated January 07, 2024