Tulips Ad Nauseum

A truly beautiful day to feast our eyes on a panoply of flowers in the most splendiferous of settings!

At long last, we made it to Keukenhof, the world's largest flower garden!

It took train and bus rides - a total of 40-45 minutes combined - to arrive at this 'Garden of Europe' and we spent about four and half hours walking and frolicking about amongst a plethora of flowers. There were gerberas, peonies, pansies, wisterias, and of course the superstar of the floral show, tulips in a spectrum of colours, including black! Apart from polychromatic displays, the tulips themselves came in many different forms such as feathered (or fringed), flamed, striped and variegated.

For this lovely excursion, we met up with hubby's colleague, Najo and her hubby, Pak Yai at the entrance of Keukenhof. Following bathroom breaks and map purchase, we proceeded to traverse the extensive grounds. However, my family and I lost sight of Najo and Pak Yai shortly after our first oohing and aahing of a vibrant cluster of tulips. As a matter of fact, we were spoilt for choice and engulfed by the never-ending bombardment of the floral kind.

Lunch of dinner rolls dipped in homemade chicken curry at the indoor Willem Alexander Pavillion was followed by a relaxing stroll, eating our desserts alongside the hedgerows, arch hedges and magnificent water fountains at Oranje Nassau Pavillion teeming with (what else!) flowers.

By the end of the wood trail, at the far corner of the park and near to the lake area, we were bushed (pun intended) and overstimulated by the flora and fauna (birdcages and petting zoo) present in Keukenhof. As Najo aptly put it, she was 'mabuk bunga'. Hehe.

The only drawback to this field trip is the lack of tulip field to run across and get lost in. The tulips beds were empty save for a fiery red strip over yonder. It is almost towards the tail end of the tulip season (20th May being the last day to visit the Park) that some of the tulips we saw already spread open their tepals compared to the pristine, stately quality of full-bloom tulips. As such, it is advisable to make a visit during early to mid-April when this canonical flower is at its zenith.

Our visual perception cloyed by floral images, we decided to call it a day and lined up for the Bus Number 54 which would bring us back to Leiden Centraal Station to go home to Delft. A long wait it was that Sadia fell asleep in the babycarrier and when the bus finally arrived we only managed to get 'standing room' in the packed bus.

At the station, while seating and waiting for our train on the designated platform, a funny thing occured. A group of three ladies - two looking like college students and the other, middle-aged - approached us and inquired if one of them could photograph us. The young women were on a photography class assignment and the elderly lady must be their tutor. Or one of the young ladies' mother. We were too tired to ask for details and just sat there 'sitting pretty' for the camera.

I guess Keukenhof's radiating effects lingered on us a few hours after we said our goodbyes. Now that's what I call the best Beauty Therapy our money can buy! ;-)

p.s. please don't sue me if you get 'flower-sick' at the end of this series of photos!