Roger and Stephen in Singapore: Holland

Monday, 20 May 2013

Keukenhof - world's largest flower gardens

Keukenhof is the world's largest flower gardens with about 7 million bulbs planted. Situated about 40 minutes from Amsterdam the gardens are open from March to late May and because this year Holland had a late start to Spring, we were able to see the gardens in their full glory. The gardens cover over 32 hectares and many themed gardens are covered such as Japanese and English styles. Also large areas are natural bushland with the bulbs planted amongst the trees.
Adjacent to the gardens are private bulb fields that are a wonderful and colourful sight .
When we arrived at Keukenhof there would have been at least 30 tourist coaches in the car park, but as the grounds are so large it did not seem crowded.
The plantings were spectacular and as you turned each corner a new combination of bulb plantings greeted you.

Entrance to the gardens

Tulips

The adjacent tulip fields

Highlighting the red tulips only

The adjacent tulip fields used for bulb production

Mixed plating of tulips

Flowering bulbs amongst the manicured lawns

One on the many varieties of daffodils

Planting of hyacinths

Sculpture amongst tulips

More tulips

Tulip bulb sculpture

Daffodils, jonquils and tulips

Grape hyacinths

Daffodils amongst the Birch trees

Striped tulips

The windmill shot!

Sunday, 19 May 2013

Amsterdam

The warm weather continued on our holiday which made Amsterdam a lively city with many restaurants busy with alfresco diners soaking up the sun after a late cold winter.
Getting away from the tourist masses in the Kalverstraart area we were taken by the many beautiful houses and interesting shops along the canals. Everywhere we looked we would see beautiful restored houses each one different with decorative features such as gables and cornices. Some retained wall plaques that were used to identify the houses before street numbering was introduced. Also noticeable was the tilts the houses had due to the houses foundations sinking. Some houses facades also tilted forward but many were built like this for the purpose of the windows being protected when goods were winched up to the attic.
Copenhagen prepared us for the bikes and bike paths and we joined the locals by hiring bikes and riding the various streets and lanes around the canal. We also did a few laps of the large inner city park called Vondelpark which was crowded with joggers, picnickers and dog walkers.
We spent an enjoyable afternoon at the recently reopened and renovated Rijksmuseum as well as watching a free concert for Liberation Day in which members of the Royal family were in attendance.