In which Amsterdam is still ridiculously photogenic.

Back in March, I attended a work conference in Amsterdam and went down a couple days early to explore. I'd been there once before in 2012, which was a jolly, sunny, springtime jaunt with my parents. A friend generously put me up and let me join her walking tours of the city (thanks!). Over the next few days, I walked its canals in the evening sun (fun), had some great food (fun), got soaked by morning and afternoon rains and winds that literally dyed my feet blue (not fun), aaand spent as much time as possible being inside, warming up. The weather was mostly cold and miserable, the city full of tourists (guilty), and while it is an objectively lovely place, it was hard to be outside for most of it. These pictures are mostly from the first and last days there -- the last day being from a canal tour. It was a gorgeous evening, certainly photogenic, followed by a nighttime stroll through quiet streets, the water awash with window glow.

In which we Holla! in Holland. Part III.

 

 

And now for a color explosion of Wonka-esque proportions! The Keukenhof, open only two months of the year, proclaims itself to be "the most beautiful spring garden in the world"-- it's right there on the website. As I have not yet had the pleasure of viewing all the spring gardens on this fine planet (and I doubt the Keukenhofers have either), I am in no place to judge. Howeeeever, it was certainly smashing enough to be worthy of protective goggles. The boasting continues with 32 hectars, 7 million bulbs in 1600 varieties, 15 kilometers of footpaths, etc, etc, and interestingly enough, 30 male gardeners and 1 female gardener. Why in the world this gender ratio is so skewed and why they decided to scrawl it on their menu of superlatives is a mystery to me, but in any case, a sunny spring afternoon strolling in this bloomy queendom with fine company is certainly a juicy treat for the eyes and a scrumptious nugget of color-kapow for the soul. If flowers are yer thing, that is.

 

The humdrum lurking in my innards as the clouds accompanied us on our way to Tulip Mecca slowly turned to yumyum as the fields started blushing.

 

 

And then, and then! Tulips.

 

 

 Tulips & Friends, rather. 

 

Rivers of them.



 

Striped and spotted, in spots and stripes.

 

Floofy ones and fluffy ones, jagged and jigged. All of them with their own special names, such as "Fabio" and "Hotpants".

 

Chopin was there, too, though the reason for his presence there was all Dutch to me.

 

 

The surprise P.S. of this excursion came in the form of the Big Blue, splooshing and sparkling in the evening sun like a giant, watery gem at the end of the rainbow.

You've already seen how the end of this jaunt jaunted. Oh, the yum, the yum, the colors, the sea and the yum. Thanks again to the friends who made it possible, and to the Mutti for the joy of oggling.