Yesterday, I became vibrantly aware of something. I am officially in love with Holland, in every available hue.
I, with three friends and our littles, rode a bus from Den Haag to Lisse to cycle fifteen kilometers through tulip (and daffodil and hyacinth!) country. I'd seen the photos before, but color is only part of the story.
The ride began under a light rain (fine), which quickly morphed into a hail storm (painful but delightfully hilarious); we plastered the babies with anything remotely waterproof.
After hiding out and lunching in a country club for two hours (read = totally crashing the upscale atmosphere with our waterboarded mien, snot wiped on a linen-colored wall, baby biscuits crunched into the floor planks, and a pristine changing room left in a dire state), we emerged into brilliant sunshine and a classically Dutch cloudscape.
Although thousands and thousands of people flock to the NL every year to witness the bloemen bloom, we stayed far from the crowds swarming in Keukenhof proper, and our experience was authentic and satisfying, through and through (and through and through...).
And, on the tram ride home from Centraal Station, I met a new friend, fresh off the boat from Boston. Welcome to Den Haag, Clara!
xxx,
j
p.s. This is me proclaiming to the heavens a gigantic THANK YOU to the bike rental folks at Keukenhof, for being incredibly patient with our demands (This bike's too big! I want a windshield! This seatbelt is funny-fix it! I want a front baby seat! I want a back baby seat! I want her bike! I need a bag rack!) and allowing our babies to meddle with their stuff and run amuck. They all deserved a bonus and a week's holiday after dealing with us.
