Lisa-Lisse

This time of year in the countryside just outside Amsterdam there are the Keukenhof tulip fields in bloom. In just eight weeks of the spring you can see hundreds of acres of bright and beautiful tulips ranging in a variety of colors. However, if you go one day too early the blooms haven’t opened yet and the all tulips look green. If you go even one day too late all you will see are stems and no blooms. Well, as you could have guessed we were one day too late and all of the beautiful tulip fields were a pasty color of green. ☹ No blooms, bummer. However, there were still tulips on display around the park and so we decided to take a gander. Afterward we decided to ride our rented bikes to where this guy said there were two tulip fields left, one red, one yellow. We rode and rode along a canal in the Dutch countryside and didn’t see any tulips (of course). I will say, however, that the area we were riding along was one of the most peaceful places I have ever been to so it wasn’t too much of a waste. Somewhere on the other side of the Keukenhof fields there is a canal that is more like a stream with lily pads and a small road that runs all along its side. One the other side of the road are nothing but open greenish fields (which I presume are empty tulip fields). A bike ride along this road, there is no noise. Just the rustle of the leaves in the wind, the trickling of the stream, a few birds chirping, and the sound of your bike pedals being pushed round and round. I am sure if there were tulips in these fields it would be the most colorful and spectacular place – but alas, the tulips eluded us; maybe another time when we find ourselves in Dutch countryside in the spring. Right. Afterwards we rode our bikes into the town center, which wasn’t very big and mostly all closed due to it being Sunday. We found ourselves a bitty Italian restaurant for some comfort food and biked back to our hotel for some much needed rest and sleep. It was a very nice, quiet, and peaceful day. Tomorrow we head back to Amsterdam for our last three nights in Europe. Hopefully this time around it will be a bit more relaxing.

Days Traveled: 34
Distance Traveled: 20,146km/12,591.25mi
Countries Visited: 13