Spring in the Netherlands = Tulips of Course!

Our last day in the Netherlands we spent out in the countryside. That made me fall in love with this country even more! The flowers are in the bloom and there are huge patches of all different colors of flowers that we drove by. It was like a rainbow had fallen out of the sky. Of course the windmills and canals made it even more picturesque and magical.

We visited Kukenhof Gardens which is the largest bulb park in the world. We could not have picked a better weekend to visit. The tulip season opened up just the week the before which might seem like we went early, but there were tons of tulips in bloom! And daffodils, and amaryllis, and hydrangea, and the list goes on and on. It was quite spectacular. There was a windmill that you could climb up and a stunning view of the flowers awaited you. Talk about beautiful! 60% of the world's bulbs come from Holland. Before they are transported elsewhere, the bulbs grow in Holland for five years until they first bloom. Then they are ready to be sent across the world. The Dutch know how to put on a good event. There were old timey music players around the park with large versions of the wooden shoes you could stand in. I could not resist taking a photos of the kiddos in them. A marching band was making its way through the gardens stopping at different points to perform. As luck would have it they performed what is now our family's theme song, "Happy Together". That made our time at the garden just a bit more special. 

Of course a "wishing well" adds a bit more magic to the atmosphere. 

Tulips everywhere! There was just about every color you could think of. Some had a combination of colors. It was beautiful. 

Coolest or most treacherous playground ever. Thank goodness Daddy was there so no one fell in.

The classic Dutch windmill. 

The flower fields went on for miles and miles. It was incredible! I have never seen anything like it. 

Could not help but play in the giant shoe.

Swinging! There are no swings on any Paris playgrounds so this was an extra treat. 

I could not resist taking a picture with the kiddos in the shoes. It set up so perfectly. I love them!

The next stop was the charming town of Delft. It was recommended to us by a friend and we are going to pass that recommendation on to everyone. Delft is charming! It is famous for the Dutch porcelain with the blue paint. Like Amsterdam, canals run through the city. We walked along them to the city center. There are several churches. The Green market was where we spent most of our time. It is a beautiful square with Nieuwe kerk and the city hall on opposite ends of each other. The royal crypt of the Danish Kings is located there.  

The canals were desolate compared to Amsterdam. There was no one on them except a couple of dudes in a blow up raft paddling around.  

This church was to large to get in one shot. Beautiful cathedral.

Cheese and More this place was called. There were samples of just about every type of Gouda you could imagine. My favorite was the truffle gouda. So tasty! We did get some stroop waffles with honey filling to take home.

I had to include a picture of Henry. I feel like he does not get documented as much because he is in the stroller, or the carrier, or asleep in the stroller or carrier. But he is here and we love him so much. 

The beautiful gate that leads into the Delft city center. 

And our fantastic family photo. Sometimes this is as good as it is going to get.

We made it back to Paris early for us. I think Lyndon got home from returning the rental car at 11pm. Normally we are getting around that time and he does not get home till early in the morning. I am so happy we are improving on that. It did not take as long to recover from that trip as it normally does because we got in earlier. We are living and learning.

We did not get to do all that we had wanted to see, but I am so grateful to have traveled to this beautiful country. We got a small taste for it and I cannot wait to go back because we are going back. Next time a full tour of the country I think is necessary. This weekend trip was not long enough. Till next time Netherlands!