Tulips and Rainbows Clad in Orange -27 April

Today (April 27th) I found our bill under the door had a charge for alcohol on it. I was also agitated because Bob was not getting ready to have breakfast at 7 and I couldn't find my sweater (which turned out to be on the bottom of the closet). We were going to see the tulips today and I wanted to be on time. The alcohol charge turned out to be a mis-typed room number.

View of the bow camera

Today is Kings Day and everyone wears orange. I didn't think I had anything orange until I realized that the lining of my coat was orange. So I put on my sweaters, and over that I put on my raincoat, and then I turned my coat inside out and wore it that way. When Bob got our color for our bus (yellow), he thought he saw the bus outside but it turned out to be a Viking cruise ship bus. Raul the cruise manager said for me to get on the first bus, and the first bus we found was orange. So we got on. This turned out to be the bus of the big group of a travel agent from California. But we just stayed there.

Large Dutch house

Fields of Flowers in the rain

Rain and rainbow on the way to the gardens

The guide was pretty good (I think the travel agent for this group poaches all the good guides) and we lucked out in that it rained fairly hard, but we were on the bus then (both going and coming) and was mostly sunny while we were in the gardens.

Ticket

Bob's photo of me with my orange coat (inside out)

The guide took us through the gardens (although one place had stepping stones

Stepping Stones among the Tulips

and she wanted me to go on the grass which I didn't want to do with the ground as wet as it was - so I just went around on the road to the other side.

Flagstone pathway

Winding paths

Dolphin fountain

Paths in the garden

After we left the guide, I went and ordered tulips for everyone who could grow them. I was disappointed in the bulbs when they came - some of them were rotted.

White tulips

Pink and white multiple petaled tulips

World Peace tulips

Large cupped daffodil

Tulip double early

Single Early Tulips

Red. pink and white tulips

Pink tulips

Mixed border

Tulips

Reflections

Statue

Fountains

Grape hyacinths

Yellow flowers among the trees

Red Darwin tulip

Pagoda at the end of a path

Fritillaria Imp - Rubra

Narcissus and tulips

Stop and play a game of chess

Bands of flowers

Grape hyacinths

Historic garden map

Flowers against the wall

Fountain

Botanical tulips

It did rain one more time a little bit while we were in the gardens and we just went into one of the pavilions. (Bob used the bathroom)

Orange hair for King's Day

vases of flowers

Amaryllis

Amaryllis

Windmill in the exhibit hall

Flower cart in the exhibit hall

After we left that pavilion, I tried very hard to find the other pavilions to see what they had in them, but I just couldn't figure out which way to go

Drawbridge

Flowering tree

Floral picture (should be seen from the bleachers, but I couldn't get up there)

Pink and white

So we went back to the bus early because Bob was cold. We passed some kiosks and a calliope wagon on the way.

Calliope

Calliope wagon

Strawberry cart

Cheese bearing Cow

Cheese for sale

Wooden tulips (they never fade)

Most of our group came back to the bus early and did not wait for the guide at the designated location

Going back to the bus parking lot

I took photos on the way back. Some of them I have no idea what their significance was.

Yellow lady statue

Green flags

Flower cars

Purple nose

Silka factory

Green light

Tunnel back to Amsterdam

Dolly Parton Bridge (actually the Enneüs Heerma Bridge)

Following another bus back to town

People celebrating Kings Day from the bus

We got back after lunch started and went right on down and ate. I had a John Dory sandwich,

Chicken curry soup

and duck.

We went this afternoon for tea

Tea cookies

tea sandwiches

Lobby of the ship decorated for Kings Day

and afterward talked to a guy named Richard who was on the Intrepid before Bob was on there.

Bob has packed - I have to pack sometime tonight.

Kissing Swans

We disembark tomorrow and go to Alkmaar