Netherlands day2

After a substantial Dutch breakfast delivered to the kitchen on a tray we were set up for the day. We left the accommodation just after 9:30, so only had to pay 10 cents for the parking, and we at the Keukenhof gardens just before 10:00. Getting round the gardens would have been too much walking for Lyn so we prebooked a wheelchair which we collected from the entrance. When we last visited the gardens in 2007 and the boarders were a sea of colour. The colder weather and the fact were earlier in the season meant a lot of the outside tulips were only just starting to develop. The gardens had only been opened for a few days so pots of tulips had been placed alongside the boarders to supplement the display. The bulbs are planted in layers of different tulips bulbs so flowering can continue throughout the season once it starts. A full day was spend walking round the gardens and its various exhibition halls. In addition to looking at the flower exhibitions we learnt about tulip bulb production and the fact that the Netherlands produce 62% of all the flower bulbs produced in the world. The temperature was around 8 degrees but it felt warmer in the sun and we broke up visits to the outside gardens with the internal displays and stops for coffee , lunch etc. We left the gardens around 6:00 pm so had a full day. We decided in eat in in the apartment so on leaving the gardens got Kate to direct us to the nearest supermarket. We were going to Lidl but found Albert Heijn first. It’s the largest Dutch supermarket chain had a wide selection of produce on was more upmarket and with a wider selection than Lidl. We bought a fresh curry sauce , a selection of vegetables and chicken breasts. There were also lots of kits of pre-packaged ingredients to make a wide selection of dishes from fresh soups to curry’s for those that that wanted a more convenient shop. My currency card was refused at the till but fortunately we had sufficient euros. Tea was a success; the only problem was solving the puzzle of how to unlock the induction hob. The instructions were in Dutch and a combination of button presses eventually brought it to life.