All About Flowers

You have been warned. I can’t stress it enough. This will probably be my most colorful post.

Last weekend we went to Keukenhof in the Netherlands, famous for its collection of just all types of tulips with access to views of tulip fields carpeting vast arrays of land. We are probably on the cusp of the tulip peak season when some of the tulips are starting to wither but still, the blossoming ones are overwhelmingly plenty. In fact, we probably have seen enough tulips and flowers for an entire lifetime.

The problem: CROWDS! Suddenly all roads led to Amsterdam and the tulip fields that weekend so we had to wait patiently in kilometric queues and elbow our way through the swarm of equally scurrying tourists. But enduring some serious elbowing left and right was totally worth it. The bus rides to and from Keukenhof takes you by the fields to enjoy views of the tapestry of colorful tulip plots extending endlessly across the plains. I’ve never seen such vast tulip plantations in my life.

Then, after an hour or so, we reached the famous gardens bursting with vivid colors from the entire rainbow spectrum. Basking under the rare spring sunlight, we sauntered across the well landscaped paths wading through flocks of tourists also for our chance of that picturesque moment. It was definitely worth every penny. I wish we had time to bike around and explore the nearby fields. In Keukenhof, there was a tulip field but most of the flowers were already harvested. One definitely has to take the bike lines parallel to the bus routes to get up close with the tulip arrays. I gazed enviously upon those who did, my nose pressed up against the bus windows inside the super crowded bus. Nevertheless, the bus and train rides to Leiden from Keukenhof offer spectacular views of some of these vibrant plains. So if ever you do come this season, and I say this with passionate regret… BIKE!