Page 58 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020 SPRING EDITION INTERACTIVE

y wife Mary is a veteran garden writer, so when she As usual she was right, it was, and wonderful doesn’t do it
learned that we would be in Amsterdam in prime tulip justice.
Mseason she told me, “We’re going to Keukenhof!”
So six newly minted friends, fresh off the boat from a transatlan-
Sure I said sensing that the going part was not up for discussion. tic cruise jumped into an Uber Van from our hotel in Amsterdam
“What’s Keukenhof?” and dropped us off right in front of the Keukenhof ticket office.
We were there on a week day so it wasn’t too crowded and it
“Remember the last time we were in Amsterdam and our friends only took a few minutes buy tickets. We heard from some of our
went to Keukenhof?” she reminded me, “It’s the world famous friends that the weekend and holiday crowds were brutal. As
garden made up of millions of bulbs, mostly tulips. It lasts only a with all tourist venues in Amsterdam it’s probably a good idea to
couple of months each year!” buy your tickets online.

It all came back to me. “Yes, now I remember, they were super As we walked through the imposing modern entrance building
excited – I remember also they we extremely disappointed with we caught first glimpse of the dazzling colored gardens stretch-
it.” ing as far as we could see – we all just stood there taking it all
in, jaws fully dropped. For some inexplicable reason I felt like I
“That’s right, the bulbs were mostly spent when they were there, was in Oz – as in Wizard of. In my mind’s eye I saw Dorothy, The
but it will be perfect when we go. It should be wonderful.” Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion skipping merrily down a

58 WDT MAGAZINE SPRING 2017