"There are places I'll remember......"
For some reason, I've been humming that tune
for the last few days.
I'm not sure how or why it popped into my head,
but it's actually apropos as I think about our visit
to Keukenhof Gardens during tulip season eight years ago.
Memories of exploring this glorious park outside of Amsterdam haven't faded;
in fact, they're as vivid as the colorful riot of blooms
which blanket the grounds.
which blanket the grounds.
I'd like to say that it was cleverly intentional on my part
to plan our trip to Amsterdam during tulip season,
but, nope, it didn't even occur to me.
There was no flexibility in our travel dates........
we went during Junior Goo Shoes' spring break from school.
to plan our trip to Amsterdam during tulip season,
but, nope, it didn't even occur to me.
There was no flexibility in our travel dates........
we went during Junior Goo Shoes' spring break from school.
The fact that we ended up in the Netherlands during
peak tulip time just happened to be a lucky coincidence.
Seeing Keukenhof Gardens in full bloom,
if I might humbly opine,
has got to be one of the most lovely sights the world has to offer.
I'd go as far as calling it one of the wonders of the world.......
okay, not one the top seven,
but certainly high up there on the "Wonder" wheel.
but certainly high up there on the "Wonder" wheel.
Perhaps most spectacular of all was the rainbow panorama
of endless tulip fields growing outside the park.
of endless tulip fields growing outside the park.
It was Flower Power to the nth degree.
When I planned this family excursion to the park,
I was more than a little concerned that Junior Goo Shoes
would be bored out of his 11-year old mind;
would be bored out of his 11-year old mind;
and frankly, I wasn't so sure about
Mr. Goo Shoes' interest level, either.
I'd have bet the farm that after half an hour
of tiptoeing through the tulips,
I'd be hearing, "Are we done yet?" in stereo.
I'd be hearing, "Are we done yet?" in stereo.
But, to my surprise.......and delight.......my boys were enthralled!
After miles of walking through the park,
we worked up an appetite,
and stuffed our faces with Dutch treats,
like stroopwafels and poffertjes,
readily available at the park's kiosks.
readily available at the park's kiosks.
If you know me, joy of travel
is equal parts sightseeing and eating.
Okay, 60/40, with food getting a slight edge.
Hey, if the wooden shoe fits.......
Or not.
Surely, I jest.
Seriously, the essence of why one travels is
to see things we can't see at home,
like medieval architecture, or other-worldly natural landscapes.
In this case, it was a floral razzle-dazzler of epic proportions.
Sometimes, we need pictures to remind us of what we've seen,
and then, there are those gems
that are etched into our memories forever.
Keukenhof Gardens in tulip season is such a place.
"There are places I'll remember...........
In my life, I've loved them all."
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