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Category: Group Travel Blog
Aalsmeer and Keukenhof…flowers everywhere!
Our last full day, and it’s a busy one! Up early in the morning to travel to Aalsmeer, where the world’s biggest flower auction takes place every day. An overhead grid of platforms allows you walk around and see down onto the huge floors filled with cart after cart of any kind of flower or plant you can imagine. It’s a very colorful sight! You can even peek in one of the many auction rooms to watch the proceedings while the carts are being bid on. Its hard to imagine that the flowers we were seeing on the auction floor could be in a vase on our kitchen table by the time we arrived home tomorrow afternoon. But that’s how quickly the flowers are moved through the process. Fascinating!
And now for one of the greatest “shows” put on by Mother Nature, with a great deal of help from many, many willing hands. We are here at the Keukenhof National Flower Exhibition, a 72-acre park with floral landscapes in every conceivable color and color combination. It is a treasure trove of a place for all ages, because the winding paths and the ponds with fountains and the patches of tulips wending into the distance beckon in every direction. If only I had power-driven wheels on my shoes so I could take in the whole park!
And now here we are for the grand finale—the Captain’s Dinner. I didn’t know how they would top it considering all the wonderful dinners we’ve had all week long, but they did. It was a great feeling to give our crew a big round of applause for the A-1 treatment we received from each and every one of them.
Aalsmeer and Keukenhof
Today was yet another highlight, though I knew it would be with Aalsmeer and Keukenhof on the agenda. I have wanted to see the flower auction and it did not disappoint. Seeing the “action” as it unfolded was awe-inspiring, from the trolleys of flowers being shipped to the auction itself. Keukenhof is simply gorgeous and a true feast for the eyes. The flowers, sculptures, manicured garden scapes…words just can’t describe the beauty. We had the perfect amount of time here and I must say, even seeing all I did, I’d go back again in a second. It is such a tranquil setting and in full bloom when I went.
Alkmaar and Amsterdam
The last of the tulip fields drifted by our boat around 7:30 this morning, so in this case it was true that “You have to get up pretty early in the morning” to see the flowers! Now we’re on our way to Alkmaar, well known for the cheese auction that takes place every Friday in the main market square by the Weigh House. Our guided tour took us to the various parts of the city, which included many old buildings that have retained their original facades. Having the guide explain the meaning behind the various signs and carvings certainly added a lot of humor and understanding!
Alkmaar is a great place for shopping, and many of us took advantage of our time to put a serious dent in our financial situation. Back on the boat, it was a relaxing afternoon as we sailed into Amsterdam harbor. It was very clear that we had left the countryside behind. After yet another sumptuous dinner, some of us took an evening canal boat ride through part of the city. Evening rides are fun—the canal bridges are lined with lights and many of the larger churches and buildings are spotlighted. We enjoyed the cruise down the canals where many of the older buildings exist and have been made into apartments. So we did a lot of “window peeking” to see that some residents had left the original large chandeliers and ornamental patterns on the ceilings, while others had gone wild with huge splashes of color.
Franeker and the tulip fields
A quick trip into the town of Franeker before hoisting anchor, and then we crossed the Waddenzee, which is normally very, very calm, but decided to be a bit choppy today. The Salvinia held steady, however, and soon we were back in the narrow channels. And suddenly we are in the midst of one tulip field after another. Row upon row of blazing color. I heard more than one person say, “How many pictures of tulip fields do you need to take?” Good question but we kept on shooting. Tulips are grown in Holland like we grow corn in Kansas. So the tulips are allowed to bloom to check for color. After that, the flowers are removed and the rest of the plant is allowed to go dormant as part of the process for growing the famous bulbs that are shipped all over the world.
Shanty singers came on board to end our day with some lively Dutch tunes. Quite a colorful day, in more ways than one!
Groningen and the North Sea
Today our motorcoach excursion took us into Groningen, where we had a chance to look around before meeting Sietze de Vries at the Martinikerk (Martin’s Church). Sietze is the organist at the Martinikerk and is also a world-renowned performer who has taken first prize in many international organ competitions. He talked to us about the history of the two organs within the church and then led us through a musical demonstration of the horns, reeds, flutes, and other components that make up the distinctly different sounds. Talk about shaking the rafters! It was incredible.
Later in the afternoon, we found ourselves at Lauwersoog, where the Waddenzee meets the North Sea. It was quite windy and wild up on the seawall barrier, and quite a hike down to the water’s edge on the manmade rock wall. With the help of a fellow passenger, I braced myself against the rocky hillside and stuck my foot into the North Sea (it’s my little “souvenir” to myself whenever I travel to a major body of water). It was a bit exhilarating and felt like quite an accomplishment considering either me or my helper or, at the very least, my shoe, could have floated or blown away in the process!
Back on board the Salvinia, we enjoyed another scrumptious meal—did I mention how delish the dinner is? It’s a sit-down affair complete with a salad course, and then soup, and the main meal served country style. There is always plenty to eat and more where that came from. I never heard anyone complain that they left the dinner table hungry!
After dinner, a Frisian folklore group came onboard to entertain use with some dances from centuries past. They explained the various costumes and how one could tell social status or wealth depending on the type or amount of fabric and embellishments used. The most fun was watching some of our own passengers who “volunteered” to try the dance steps.
Excursion into Friesland
Today is Easter Monday in the Netherlands. Traditionally, this is a holiday to get together with friends and family to celebrate springtime. On our excursion through the countryside, we saw many people out on bicycles or picnicking alongside the canals. Once again, the weather was ideal!
Two villages in particular seemed to pull out all the stops for this day. Rouveen and Staphorst have a number of citizens who still dress in the traditional style of years past, and it was fun to see so many of them on their way to church service in their Easter Monday finery.
We also stopped to see the hunebeds—huge granite burial chambers older than the Egyptian pyramids. I did some research online and discovered that there are over 50 of these megalithic monuments scattered over the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen, but not much is known about the people who built them.
In Giethoorn we boarded special “touring boats” and cruised the small canals into this very unique establishment where, in most cases, each house is on its own island surrounded by water. Many of us wondered what it would be like to live a life where one would grab oars instead of car keys to “run to the store for a few things.” It’s certainly a peaceful and beautiful place to visit.
The Orchid Farm in Luttelgeest was a treat for the senses. It’s a lovely place to stroll around, with thousands of orchids in all directions. We walked through the beautiful “Butterfly Room,” home to dozens of species of butterflies, ponds filled with koi, and we even met the resident iguana. Must be iguanas don’t eat butterflies. . .
Cameras were busy all through the day as we drove through or stopped at the many villages, each with its own special history and charm.
Giethoorn, Sloten, and Sneek
I have read about Giethoorn “the Venice of the North” for many years and seeing it in person was well worth the wait. I enjoyed the canal ride, which allowed us to see this picturesque village. Our stop in Luttelgeest to visit the Orchid Farm was another sleeper hit for me. Viewing the orchids, the coy pond, and the butterflies was truly a site you need to see to believe.
Sloten is another cozy city and had lovely homes and small shops. We enjoyed a little free time in this city. For me, the highlight was shopping at H.J. de Jong Kunstnijverheid. It was originally closed for the day; however, Henk requested the owner open his shop to our delight. I purchased a handmade porcelain item from the store. They also had line drawings, paintings, and many other porcelain items as well. It was so quaint…a true highlight of its very own. If you visit Sloten, be sure to check out this delightful shop.
We met up again with the Salvinia in Sneek. After dinner, those that wanted to joined Ellen on an evening walking tour to the Water Gate. I enjoyed this walking tour…spectacular.
Easter in the Netherlands
I enjoyed my own personal Easter sunrise—I was up in the ship’s lounge enjoying more of that wonderful coffee at 6 a.m., and I watched the river come to life. I was serenaded by a pair of geese along the riverbank and laughed at the antics of the newborn spring lambs frolicking in a nearby field. After breakfast, many of us walked into Zutphen for the Easter service. Dutch and English voices were raised together in song, which made for a grand celebration of life!
Back on board later in the morning, as we watched the crew prepare the boat to get underway, I spotted a little boy along the water’s edge, watching the proceedings with rapt attention. He was obviously fascinated, because he kept hopping from one foot to the other and tried to take in every detail. His ear-splitting grin and wide eyes told me he thought it would be such wonderful fun to be on the boat instead of watching from the sidelines. I wanted to shout, “Oh, it is! It is! And your turn will surely come someday!” But instead I waved and he waved back with tremendous enthusiasm.
For those of us who stayed on the ship instead of taking the excursion for that day, this was a great time to get acquainted with fellow passengers and find similar interests to discuss. Or you could stroll around the ship and check out the interesting décor in the lounge. It was a good day to be content. The ship glides through the water with barely a ripple, and if you shut your eyes you wouldn’t even know you were moving. I found out I should have packed my binoculars, for I was in the middle of a bird-lover’s paradise. Even without the birds to watch, there are plenty of other sights to enjoy, with or without binoculars. Some looked for more challenging pastimes and discovered the boat’s vast collection of board games.