216. Europe Bicycle Trip--Convent Retirement Home, Christmas Birthdays, Goodbye Zuster Marietta

After looking at all the photos of family in Zuster Marietta's room, she wanted to take me for a tour of the home. It is a beautiful building with several floors that house not only retired nuns but also retired priests and one whole floor is for the public to use for those who need care.

A photo of a photo of the building many years ago.

One of two chapels

Notre Dame's Living Stones--A wall depiction of the building with those who live there now and also those who have passed away as marked by the crosses next to their names. .

The inner court

Through the window , there is a view of  Westpoint Tower which is the tallest residential building in Tilburg at 141.6 meters high with 48 floors. Construction was completed in 2004. The vertical and horizontal concrete elements of the grid at the front and the back of the tower are painted in different colors. At night, lights in different colors decorate the tower.

The exercise room

Sister Marietta does her exercises every day as well as riding the stationary bicycle. You would never know that she is in her late 80s. We continued on checking out the kitchen, the section for the priests, offices and so on.

This map indicates the different parts of the world where Sister Marietta order of the Daughters of our lady of the Sacred Heart have been missionaries.

We finished our visit with a cup of tea and a cookie together continuing in much conversation. I don't know how we got on the topic of birthdays but at the very end, we discovered that we were both born on December 25th, Christmas Day. That was special. Sister Marietta came outside to hug me goodbye and I could see her waving as I cycled to the front of the building. It had been a very enjoyable 4 hour visit. I had arrived at lunch and it was now going on 4:30 for my ride to Oosterhout and Cousin Hans' house.