The city of Zwolle was our destination last weekend . Partly because it is a fortified town – and it is one of our goals to visit each and every fortification in the Netherlands. In case you are curious: there are 159 in all. How to visit Reimerswaal – submerged below the waves – is presently under deliberation. Zwolle was easy, it is a one-and-a-half hour drive from where we live. We also went because its art museum ‘de Fundatie’   hosts an overview of Dutch portrait photography – a must-see.

Zwolle was pretty nice, with one of these skies that is so very very Dutch. How come these sleepy Dutch cities have so much charm. apart from the obvious charm of a so-very-springlike day? It must have to do with the brick-fronted houses, the fresh paintwork on doors and windowframes, the very human scale of streets and small squares. I think that my recent trip abroad also gave my appreciation of cities like Zwolle an edge.