There might not be a better herald of Spring than tulips. Once tulips raise their pointy green hats from the still frozen ground, we know there is hope.
Tulips originally came from Turkey and Persia in the late 1500’s to the Netherlands. When we were in Turkey we visited the palace of the very Sultan who gifted the first tulips ever to arrive in the Netherlands. What started with one bulb is now a major export industry. And the most famous garden to see Dutch tulips in all their glory is called The Keukenhof (the kitchen garden).
Getting to The Keukenhof is easy from Schiphol, Amsterdam’s International airport. in spring, at the height of tulip season, special buses run to this major attraction straight from the airport. We caught one and within a half hour we were dropped off at the entrance.
Millions of tulip bulbs are planted on the park’s 80 acres. And not just tulips but also hyacinths and other bulbs. There are theme gardens, art displays, a restaurant and much more. Millions of people come from all over the world to see (and smell) this impressive flower display so be prepared for crowds and lots of walking.
The Dutch introduced tulips to countries around the world, including to Canada. During World War II, the Dutch royal family was welcomed to Canada to live in safety and to await the end of the war. Crown princess Juliana and her young daughters lived in Ottawa while her husband and mother, Queen Wilhelmina, worked for their country from a base in London. In 1943, princess Juliana gave birth to princess Margriet (yes, same as my name!) in the Ottawa Civic Hospital. Because this was a royal birth, her room was temporarily declared Dutch territory so that the baby would be born as a Dutch citizen. After several years in Ottawa, during which time the little princesses attended school and learned English, the royal family was able to safely return to The Netherlands in 1945.
As a perpetual gift for hosting them during the war, the Dutch government sent a thank you to the people of Canada: 20,000 tulip bulbs the first year and 10,000 more each and every year since. These millions of bulbs have been planted across Canada and wave a cheerful reminder to Canadians, a thank you for their hospitality to a friend in need.
The Keukenhof is opens in early spring for a few months. If you ever find yourself in the vicinity, be sure to visit this glorious place.
Public transportation in Holland is impressive, not just to get to The Keukenhof. If you ever plan on traveling in this country, you might want to do the following: buy a OV chip card which you can use for all public transport. (OV stands for Public Transit in Dutch).
You start by buying the card at the airport or at a train station, or at supermarkets or newspaper/book stores. Throughout the country are special posts where you can upload credit by swiping your creditcard and then your OV chip card to load credit onto it. Simple.
Each time you travel by tram, bus or train, you swipe your OV chip card when you board ánd when you disembark. Upon leaving the bus or train, the reader will show what the trip cost and your remaining credit. Simply upload as needed.
This is a fantastic system since it makes public transportation seamless. Just don’t forget to check out. Trains have a large number 1 for first class on the outside, or a 2 for the regular, economy class. Trains also now have many ‘silence’ compartments, in which you cannot have loud conversations or be on your cell phone! A wonderful bonus if you want to read a book or contemplate the countryside. But while public transportation in the Netherlands is efficient, it is not cheap.
Scratch & Sniff your screen…
To plan any trip, across town or across the country, you can access this website: www.9292.nl Select any date, place and time here to see the most efficient way of getting somewhere. We bought a SIM card for our iPad so that we can access this great service anywhere in the country.
And if you travel through the country but are confused about whether you are in Holland or in The Netherlands, here’s the key: The Netherlands (meaning low lands) is the official name of the entire country.
Holland refers to the 2 provinces of North and South Holland. Somehow the name stuck and people now use it, incorrectly, to refer to the whole country. It’s kind of like calling all of Canada ‘Saskatchewan’.
To help clarify, or to further confuse you, check out this funny video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE_IUPInEuc&feature=youtu.be
Resources:
https://keukenhof.nl/en/ (click on Plan Your Visit for transit information)
BOOKS: click, then scroll down to The Netherlands