It was an incredible day - just what I came to Holland for. We actually got sun today even though it was still cool. We met Puhls for the breakfast buffet at 7:30 and left for at 8:30. Holger drove his car but his GPS got us lost a few times. We made it to the Garden before 9:30. We got a great parking spot near the back entrance since we were early. On the way there we saw lots of colorful tulip/hyacinth/daffodil fields. I got some pretty good photos even from the moving car.
Keukenhof Garden has to be on the list of places to see before one dies. It is 79 acres of incredibly beautiful gardens with lots of walkways and trees. I truly am at a loss for words to describe all the glorious beds of flowers. I never knew there was the huge variety of tulips/daffodils/hyacinths. There were beds of all one color with different kinds of flowers. There were very structured beds and very mixed beds. There was a good sized lake plus other water features.
The first hour we were there was not very crowded, but then the hordes came. This is the busiest weekend of the 2-month season. The crowds were large but mostly manageable.
There are approximately 11 areas that run seamlessly into each other. In many areas is a restaurant/toilet/souvenir complex. At the main entrance there was an old-time organ wagon with a complex wood relief side with wooden moving figures.
An historic garden was interesting and informative. Each area had something unique - a working windmill, a farm animal petting zoo/children's play area, a view of flower fields. It was almost too much to absorb.
We got a 'small lunch' from a kiosk that Puhls chose - warme beenham. I was expecting nothing from the ham sandwich everyone got, but it was delicious - fresh bread, yummy mustard/mayo sauce, and some really good shaved ham. Sitting down to eat was a blessing. There seemed to be plentiful seating throughout the gardens.
Then it was on to the greenhouse. That was a huge spectacular array of all kinds of bulb plants of a million varieties including amaryllis, jonquils, daffodils, tulips I had never seen before. It was all jaw-dropping amazing. Have I used enough superlatives yet?
More walking to the orchid building. All the buildings seem modern and full of light. Orchids of every color, size, shape were on display. By then we had been walking for 4 hours, and Holger's knee was bothering him, and we were all tired and very much overwhelmed. This place was way above any garden I have ever seen in both sheer size and beauty.
After the drive back to Rotterdam (Bill slept the whole way), we dumped our stuff at the hotel and went for coffee and cake at Western Pavilion on the corner. Puhls and I got chocolate mousse cake that was to die for, and Bill got carrot cake. We came back to the hotel at 4:30 and rested until we left for dinner.
Holger really liked the looks of the hamburger I had at Western Pavilion the other night, so we decided to go back to Western Pavilion. The food is good and much cheaper than any place around except Ari's. Holger and Barbara both had hamburgers and fries. Bill got the steak 'bonne femme', a filet with a vegetable sauce along with a salad and fries. I got the leek soup which was thinner than other soups I have had on this trip, but still quite tasty. I also had to try the "bitterballen". It was on Ari's menu, too, and is supposedly a typical Dutch snack. I asked the waitress what they were, and she tried really hard to explain. I ordered them anyway, and they were quite good. According to Wikipedia it is Bitterballen (plural of 'bitterbal') are a savory Dutch meat-based snack, typically containing a mixture of beef (minced or chopped), beef broth, flour and butter for thickening, parsley, salt and pepper. This is also called ragout. Some recipes also include nutmeg and/or curry powder. The ingredients are combined and cooked, then refrigerated so the mixture can firm up. Once firm, the filling is then rolled into balls roughly 3 cm in diameter, and battered in a breadcrumb, milk and egg mixture and deep-fried. They are typically served with a ramekin or small bowl of mustard for dipping."
I shared with the others, and they liked them as much as I did. We had a walk around the block before coming back to the hotel lounge for beers for Puhls, coffee for me, and a scotch for Bill. We chatted until 9:30, and then we all went to bed.
It was an amazing day, and I will post photos as soon as I get home and get them processed. We are meeting Puhls for breakfast tomorrow at 8am before they head back to Bremen. We are not sure what we will do tomorrow. Bill is seriously considering going back to Keukenhof Garden. We covered a lot of ground today, but 79 acres is a lot to see.
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