Does anyone go abroad just to see a garden? Well, we did. We flew from New York to Amsterdam for four days mainly to see the world famous Keukenhof Gardens in the outskirts of the city. It is well known worldwide for the cultivation of tulips and Shankar had actually seen it during his work-related trips to Europe decades ago. Knowing my love for scenic places, he decided to take me there. It is known as the Garden of Europe and one of the world’s largest gardens. It was a sweet treat and a retreat!
This was our first trip where we did not use the services of a travel agent and winged it on our own. It did need a lot of pre-planning. Firstly, the flowers are in peak bloom only a few weeks in the spring and we wanted to go when the weather would be half-way decent too. In general spring and rains go together so we tried to go in the third week of April and kept our fingers crossed. Lucky for us, only one day out of three was rainy and we had picked museum visits for that day so it worked out fine.
We also had to do all the bookings ahead of time for the little trips to the countryside and boat rides as things get filled up in the peak season. But it was nice that the city is very tourist friendly and allowed cancellations 24 hours ahead. We actually booked for the garden viewing on two different days in case it was very rainy but closer to the trip we could see some sunny forecasts for our original day planned and cancelled the second one. Weather too changes frequently and rains are brief.
Taking an overnight plane from New York we arrived at the Amsterdam Schiphol airport pretty early. We took a cab to the hotel we had booked ahead, the Novatel. Most hotels in downtown Amsterdam were historical (read old) and no matter how much they renovate trying to retain the old-world charm, we tend to be partial to clean and modern. On the plus side, the city transport system was so good and convenient. We had made sure the subway was close to the hotel and got a pass for the four days. In fact we used a cab only twice to go from and to the airport, using the trains and even a tram once. But a word of advice to the novice. If the QR code is printed on a piece of paper it does not always work. We finally tried using the one on our phones. One has to scan when entering and exiting the subway. Only once we got assistance as all stations are unmanned! After putting our luggage in the storage room, we had a bite to eat and were ready for our first day of sight seeing.
We reached the Central Station in Amsterdam well in time for our 2 p.m. tour. Located very close to the banks of the River Amstel, it was a beautiful scenic spot where many roads intersected and people could stroll along the canal and on a sunny day enjoy the sight of small boats. Incidentally Amsterdam is a city of canals and interestingly the Dutch East Indian company contributed to providing funds for the improvement of the city, more on that later! We just walked around and had hot chocolate and croissants at a sidewalk café. Our tour was supposed to be a small group and we were told to look for the orange umbrella outside a named hotel, but there was none to be seen! Just five minutes before the given time, lo and behold a lady walks out of a van with a large orange umbrella, something I suspected would happen! Four other tourists were our travel mates for the afternoon. Two did not show up. They were all from the US. Two older sisters who always went on vacations together and another Indian couple. We all got along well and chit chatted on our way to see the sights.
Though the sights were all around some original old windmills and other demos were bunched together for convenience at a scenic place known as Zaanse Schans, we got a lot of information and enjoyed the demos. It was about a 45 minutes drive north of the city and very scenic being located near a lake or reservoir.We could enter an old windmill to see how it worked, saw a demo of how clogs (wooden shoes) were made and got details on cheesemaking. The windmill we saw had actually been used previously for breaking up stones and was still in use. One could climb up to a balcony close to the blades, but the climb was too steep and the area very windy. Wooden clogs were made of a very soft wood and the craftsman demonstrated this with his lathe. These days it was partly done by machine and partly by hand. A lot of water was also used in the process. Surprisingly, we were told that clogs are still used as footwear in rural areas and farms and are pretty durable. The painted ones were lovely with bright colors and we viewed some special ones used by the bride and groom at weddings. Last but not the least, a partial glimpse into how gallons of milk are curdled and churned in a big vat to make cheese. The main attraction here was the sampling and purchase of Gouda and other cheeses, some flavored with spices like cumin and red chilli flakes. They made a good gift for family back home.
After we were brought back to Central Station, we decided to eat dinner back at the hotel. We headed back by train and decided to eat some freshly made pizza at the dining room. It had been a long but satisfying day in Amsterdam. We had signed up and paid extra for the breakfast each morning and it was totally worth it. There was ample choice of items both hot and cold and the croissants we squirrelled away in our backpacks sufficed for a quick snack lunch followed by coffee or ice cream. The next day was our big day at Keukenhof garden and we made an early start, once again catching the train to the departure locality. We also had to take a short ferry ride to reach the location from where our bus was leaving. On arrival, we found many orderly lines but the organizers were quite strict about the bus bookings as it was peak season. The ride was almost an hour, but the countryside scenic. Closer to the gardens, we saw fields of tulips in rows of single colors that made a lovely tapestry on mother earth. We were glad we had booked a canal boat ride later to see these fields up close.
Lets get some facts about Keukenhof gardens for it is highly impressive! The actual meaning is “kitchen garden” as it was originally used by a countess residing in a castle. Later another countess had it landscaped to grow flowers. As of 1949, a consortium of bulb growers and flower exporters have been using it to showcase their products and support the export industry. Each autumn, over 40 gardeners plant 7 million bulbs, donated to the park by over 100 growers. The flower beds are arranged in such a way that there are blooms throughout the 8 week period when visitors come. A staggering 1.5 million visitors come from around the world when statistics were recorded for 2019. A word about the tulip fields, they can be viewed from the height of the bus on the way to Keukenhof. We had done our homework, so we got a closer look when we went for a boat ride along the canals bordering these fields. Apparently, they are grown for flower export but the just to see thousands of blooms of a similar color like red, yellow or pink is such a privilege. We were so glad to have booked that 45 minute boat ride. Another interesting visit we were told was the flower trading market in Amsterdam. Large scale flower sales happen, bouquets can be bought as also bulbs for replanting. These have to be certified and approved by the country they are being taken to.
About the garden itself, what can be said? It far outpaces our expectations. The exotic colors pleasingly put together to form the most eye pleasing combinations, the burst of rare and unusual shades, the sea of healthy blooms bordered by smaller flowers. Words definitely cannot describe this amazing sight. Maybe photos may do some justice. It was not a tiny area either, they are estimated to be on about 80 acres, taking easily 2-4 hours to have a good viewing. Suffice to say, there was no shortage of blooms. It is said that in each spot, three bulbs are planted at different heights in the soil. When the topmost plant is done blooming, the second one is ready to bloom! What precision to keep the viewers happy! We walked around without realizing how many hours had gone by. The entire garden was very pleasingly landscaped with small lakes, trees with overhanging branches, large patches of velvety green grass. One could go up close to the flowers and enjoy them and take pictures. There were no major restrictions or barriers. Of course everyone was mindful. There was a long walkway with flower patches on either side, vying to catch our eye. By the canal where the boat rides were happening, there was a windmill too adding to the quintessential Holland look. The boat ride itself brought us close to the fields. It was the experience of floating amidst the tulip beds or literally fields of the same color. The canal went all around the beds and brought us back to the garden.
Though the garden raises funds through tickets and by leasing out of food stalls, we were struck by the lack of eating places cluttering up the area every few feet as is often seen in parks in other countries. In fact there were only one or two such areas and the ice cream we had was delicious. One other item of note was a different but equally exotic flower variety filling up a greenhouse. The orchid! Every single plant had lovely strands of flowers of different colors and there were numerous pots. For a plant that is very hard to grow, the effortless ease at which this was being done was nothing short of remarkable!
Taking our hour long bus ride back, we reached the city and set out in search of Gandhi restaurant and found it on a main road a short walk away, but through some unsavory entry ways! Given the heavy non veg menu, we really wondered why it was named after an ahimsa saint! But we were satisfied with the Indian vegetarian fare served, the naan being quite fresh and authentic. Our main purpose of seeing the beautiful tulip gardens had been successfully completed. We had one more packed day left to complete our sight-seeing.
Our last full day had been dedicated earlier to museum visiting. Fortunately we had bought all our tickets online. As we stood on lines, we often noticed the “sold out” sign being put out as they did not want overcrowding. In fact it was funny to watch a young man trying to get in. After trying to convince the pleasant young lady in charge at the entrance, he requested to go into the coffee shop. Seeing through his crafty plan of sneaking in via the cafeteria, the lady politely directed him to a coffee shop opposite to the museum! Amsterdam is full of various museums so we had to pick and choose. The most popular were the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum. Our tickets went with ear phones that described the numbered paintings on the wall. Rijks (pronounced Rikes) had a variety of paintings and a few sculptures on display, some very large.
There were many floors to be covered. Those who are in the art circles know that Dutch painters like Vermeer, Van Gogh and Rembrandt were superbly talented and world famous. For some the fame came after they passed away. Painters were encouraged and recognized even in their day. Van Gogh museum featured not only his famous paintings but also his life story and many self portraits over a period of time. His full name was Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30 1853 to July 29 1890). His works were prolific, he created over 2,000 works of art. He is said to have contributed to “expressionism in modern art”. He also observed peasants and laborers and tried to depict their life in paintings. He did several self portraits, Shankar can be seen posing below with one. He was not always mentally stable and even had to be hospitalized and ultimately ended his own life. His brother Theo, with whom he was very close, promoted and sold his works during and after his life. After the intense visits to the two museums, we were secretly happy that we had not decided to do the Anne Frank museum as well! As many know, Anne wrote a famous diary about her family’s imprisonment during Nazi times. The house happens to be in Amsterdam and was converted to a museum.
Though it was raining a bit off and on, we managed to reach the dock with the canal boat ride departure. Luckily it had a covered roof and we could view in comfort without getting wet. The Dutch canals known as “gratchen” are said to run for about 100 kilometers with 1,500 bridges traversing them. It is estimated that there are 165 canals. They are said to form concentric circles or belts around the city. The original ones were built in the 16th and 17th centuries. Originally they were dug for water management and defense. They also greatly helped in the draining of the swampland and are monitored by engineers even today. Later they came in use for transportation of goods. Today the tourists mainly use them to get a view of the city. In fact a humorous side to the canals is that the lifestyle of the people over the decades was pieced together from the junk that was found at the bottom of these canals. To us Indians, a smile came to our lips when we heard the commentary that Amsterdam was a poor city till they started the trade with India after they formed the East India Company. This wealth facilitated the building of more canals. But the smooth and pleasant boat ride did make a great way of sightseeing the city. Initially we had planned a night ride, but decided we could see more in the day. It was true. We passed by many pretty painted homes and buildings, some termed “monumental”, right at the water’s edge. We passed under many bridges too.
The icing on the cake was our dosa dinner at Saravanabhava which was a bit of a walk. But after a nice meal we were unable to connect with Uber. Our signals did not seem to go through. A friendly young Indian couple who had finished dining and who lived locally helped us to find a nearby tram stop and using our pass we were able to get back to our hotel very soon. So those were the four packed days we spent in Amsterdam. Really worth it! A word of advice, try to go in tulip season and book it all ahead!
.
travelswithshamla 