A cluster of Tulips at the Keukenhof – the largest flower garden in the world.
‘Which colour do you choose? We have every one of them.’
A flower from Central Asia, first found by the Turks but now the symbol of Holland.
Over 7,000,000 bulbs planted each year.
As stubborn as a tulip! – for it thrives in very harsh climates.
Despite the many varieties, the traditional yellow and red remain my favourite.
Tempted to orchestrate Wordsworth’s “The Stolen Boat Ride”.
Smuggling some tulips out in my little boat as the people around stand captivated by the famous windmills of Netherlands.
Souvenir shop – The wooden shoes which complete the traditional attire of the Netherlanders.
Who ever heard of a Treehoroscope. Well, in Keukenhof you do. I was proclaimed to be a cedar – symbol of self-confidence they say!
One word for Amsterdam – co-existence. The same street houses a church, a sex museum, a “pub” and the red light area in perfect harmony. I was made to believe even the animals believe in the same moto.
A field of pink tulips.
Just four hours away from little Hildesheim – but you instinctively know it when you move from Germany to Netherlands. The rapeseed fields disappear; cattle, horses, sheep and farms dot the countryside.
The little trams that run all over the place. Just watch out you don’t get run over by one of them.
On a canal cruise… a great way to explore the city and get a first introduction. It also helps when you want to do some roaming around on your own afterwards.
It is a city that runs on bicycles. You have them everywhere. And here is a three storey bicycle parking area that can hold 2500 cycles.
What is a harbour without a “Viking” around?! The Amsterdam Port is special since it is a freshwater harbour located on the North Sea Canal and does not face the rise and ebb of tides.
The houses are built on piers since the marshy peat will not do. All the old houses have a hoisting beam which was used to haul groceries and other household items upstairs as the stairways were too narrow. Even the present day houses tend to have them only for use while moving furniture.
The city has a great night life. May 5th also proved to be the Liberation Day which marks the end of occupation of Nazi Germany during World War II. And hence there were a number of free concerts on in the city which I was lucky to witness.
My den in Amsterdam – the green dorm at Lucy Lake Hostel. Very clean and neat, the hostel was right next to a lake but my two day trip didn’t afford me the time to explore the neighbourhood. Also I lost precious time commuting to and from the city center. The place would have been ideal for a longer holiday retreat.
Dawn breaking at Lucy Lake.
The pigeon man at Dam Square – the city center.
A relatively empty square in front of the royal palace on an early Sunday morning.
The imposing royal palace and Nieuwe Kirk.
The 2-3 mts deep canals are home to around 2500 houseboats – further increase being restricted by the government.
The Westerkerk – a protestant church with the tallest steeple in Netherlands. Also where Rembrandt is buried and next to Anne Frank’s House.
I would like to believe that this little shop invented the saying – “Say cheese” to sell all their goods.
The street where Anne Frank lived. The book was one of my favourites as a child and I had always wanted to visit the Anne Frank Museum. Wish fulfilled and it left just as deep an impression as the book!
The narrowest house in Amsterdam – the one with the white balcony located on one of the three main canals – Prinsengracht (Princess Canal). The other two being Herengracht (Gentleman’s Canal) and Keizersgracht (Emperors Canal). The UNESCO World Heritage List features these canals which form concetric belts around the city. I absolutely loved my lazy strolls along these canals.
About to dig into chicken pancake at the Pancake Bakery. Had never seen such a big menu of pancakes.
The Bloemenmarkt (flower market) on Singel canal which is the world’s only floating flower market. The brightly coloured street will not fail to riase your spirits.
The business face of Amsterdam – by Zuid where you have all the office buildings.
Doe-doei to the “Venice of the North”. My two day visit proved miserably insufficient to explore the city which has mush to offer. I had to literally pluck myself out and head back to the station. But nevertheless, I was able to get a good feel of the place.
Highlights of my trip:
1. Canals of Amsterdam
2. Anne Frank House
3. Night life
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Thanks for the beautiful photo and visit.
Lisa Maria photos featuring indiemaxxx_111
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Greetings and hugs from Amsterdam – The Netherlands.
The pigeon man at Dam Square.
Beautiful pictures, Lisa! We gave Keukenhof a miss this year because the weather on most weekends were just lousy. Good to see your pictures which are all beautiful. You even went to Amsterdam South where my office is. 😉
Thank you Malou! I am glad you liked them. The weather was bad the first day I was there; the second day was far better though. Aah, had I known you stay there I could have asked for more advise on what to do while I was there. Maybe if I come around sometime again! 🙂