Keukenhof

Today we're visiting Keukenhof which is known as the most beautiful Spring garden in the world. It consists of a 79 acre wooded park complete with lakes, ponds, streams and canals. Set up in 1949, Keukenhof contains around 6 million bulbs.

 

Inside one of the greenhouses the tulips were blooming lovely!

Emma tries out macro mode on the camera. 

Smoked Eels anyone?

A traditional Dutch sailing barge.

 

Checking out the aerodynamics of the windmill - unlike most we've seen, this one was going round!

Emma spotted these raised herb beds - apparently that's how ours are going to be.

Keep off the grass.

We tried out the "selfie" garden!

Traditional Dutch dancers.

Masses of flowers overwhelm your senses!

One of the many ponds (and Emma).

Our first really sunny day - the wind is still cold but its great to see the sun at last.

The Japanese cherry trees are just starting to blossom.

Try riding an old bicycle with clogs on - impressive!

 

The Delft dolls.

Some random sculpture.

We particularly liked the woodland garden - it reminded us of home.

Cycling in the Bollenstreek

This afternoon we're cycling in the Bollenstreek (Bulb Fields) which stretch some 30km from Leiden in the south the Haarlem in the north.

Quiet roads surrounded by fields full of flowers.

 

The daffodils flower first.....

....followed by the hyacinths. The tulips come later - perhaps we'll see some when we return at the end of this month.

Hyacinths in any colour you like.

Flowers as far as the eye can see! 

Noordwijk

This morning we've cycled into Noordwijk which is a few km south of our campsite. The main reason for coming here is to check out where the Bloemencorso (flower carnival) is due to start from on 25th April. Unfortunately, all of the campsites in the vicinity are fully booked up - and have been for months - so we're planning to park somewhere on the outskirts of the town early in the morning of the carnival parade and walk in.

 

The old lighthouse is unusual as it is square.

 

We have to disagree!

Sign of the Day

We're now staying for a few days on a campside called Op Hoop Van Zegen which is a few km north of Noordwijk.

 

This looks a bit like the tiny tent we bought in Australia.....

Leiden

We've now left the camperplatz outside Den Haag and have travelled a few km north to visit the university city of Leiden. Built on the Rhine, this is yet another city to be completely surrounded by water. There are also numerous canals and waterways cutting through the interior.

 

Rather than try to find somewhere to park in the narrow streets, we left Kiki in a quiet residential area outside the old city moat and enjoyed a pleasant walk along the waterside into the city.

There are lots of floating restaurants on the canals.

This walkway under the bridge is suspended on chains. 

Someone described Leiden as Bruges without the tourists! As with everywhere in the Netherlands you can't move for bicycles.

The reliefs on the wool merchants building depict various woolly goings on.

An old house - the (old) owner appeared shortly after Emma took this photo and looked quite grumpy!

I waited ages for the bridge to open.....

The entrance into the military college

A very narrow house looks squished between the larger one's either side.

The Stadhuis looked like it had come from Switzerland - perhaps this was designed by a different architect?

Den Haag

Today we're visiting Den Haag (The Hague) which is the capital of the Netherlands. We arrived last night and are parked in a "camperplatz" about 10km to the south of the city. This meant we had to "get on our bikes and ride" this morning!

We must congratulate the Dutch on their excellent network of dedicated cycle routes complete with their own traffic lights and crossings. We rode all of the way into the capital city without having to meet or share our route with a single car.

 

Warming up with hot chocolate topped with cream & marshmallows after our cold, but fortunately dry, ride into the City.

 

The Passage, built in the 19th Century, is the only covered arcade remaining in the Netherlands.

Quirky shops in The Passage include a pen shop and a pipe shop.

Binnenhof, which is the government and parliament buildings, was originally a 13th Century hunting lodge.

 

The church inside Binnenhof.

Large drifts of daffodils decorate the verges.

Paleis Noordeinde is where the monarch has their official offices.

The Peace Palace built in 1939 is the location of the International Court of the United Nations.

Delft

We're now in Delft which has a couple of old churches and a lot of blue & white pottery.

Delft has been described as Bruges without tourists - there's certainly enough canals around.

The old curiosity shop, full of miscellaneous junk.

We have no idea where these came from or what they are supposed to be.....

Posing with the cows.

Another Stadhuis designed (cookie cut) by Hendrick de Keyser - can you see a theme here?

Emma ate Alice's (gluten free of course) "eat me" cake and can now fit into a clog!

Fortunately the effect wore off soon after.

Gouda

After a quiet night (at last) spent in the car park in Gouda we headed back into the city for another look around before moving on.

 

The Stadhuis (town hall) dates from 1450 and is one of the oldest in the Netherlands.

Gouda train station - what else could it be?!