This weekend we participated in a Dutch spring ritual: the viewing of the tulips (and other assorted and no less beautiful spring bulbs). In the past, we've taken long bike rides through the field south of Haarlem. This year, we went to the Keukenhof and had wonderful warm, sunny weather for it, too. The Keukenhof is only open for about two months a year and in that time, they receive over 700,000 visitors. So yes, it was packed. But it was also beautiful. They do some serious planting magic to insure that there are always flowers in bloom and the sheer variety was overwhelming! The flowers vary not only in color, but also in size, shape, and texture. Inside one building, they showcased loads of different varieties.
We quite enjoyed ourselves in the end, which was nice. I was a bit worried that the whole experience would be a bit under-whelming, but it really was beautiful. At the end of the day we had a special treat - a free ride back to Lisse to catch the bus home! Life could be much worse.
I feel homesick now! (though I must confess I haven't been to the Keukenhof since I was 5...)
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI have begun a blog myself recently about my expat life here in the Netherlands as an American. I've been here for 6 years and decided to put it all in one place for friends and family back home. And for everyone :) I found your blog and love it! I wished to let you know I've found your blog so helpful, so I decided to add your blog to my list of helpful expat links!
Again, great blog!!
Isabella