It was the Netherland’s King’s birthday the other day, an event the Dutch apparently celebrate with gusto. Many take to the water in their boats to party and despite the cold and wintery conditions, they partied like it was 1999 with drinks freely flowing and music blasting away.
We visited Kinderdijk to view the windmills. One windmill is still in operation and the owner gave us a brief description and demonstration of the workings of a windmill. Unfortunately the weather was not very appealing and we were greeted with cold, windy and at times hailing conditions. Overall it is an interesting place to visit.
We visited the small village of Williamstadt and took a guided tour of the village. Prized for its strategic position in WWII, there are still evidence of bunkers used to defend the village. We were also treated to an organ recital during the tour at the local church.
Today we spent a few hours at the Netherlands premier flower exhibition, Keukenhof. I’m no gardener but you could not be impressed and blown away with the display of tulips, daffodils and other flowers and the arrangements and colour combinations. It was truly breathtaking (and cold)!
We visited the Belgium City of Ghent to view the Floralies display which was held in a number of venues including an old church and a military barracks. We got there early however large crowds soon grew which led to long waiting times. And in the rain and cold, it wasn’t something we wanted to endure so we ended up wandering around until it was time to meet up with our bus.
The Het Loo Palace in the Netherlands provides an insight into life and wealth in times past. The gardens are magnificent in formality and symmetry. While the Palace gives the visitor a glimpse into the lifestyle of the rich.
The towns of Edam and Volendam in the Netherlands provides ample opportunities for photography.
We took the opportunity to view the vast range of plants at the University of Utrecht.
We based ourselves at Rostrevor for 2 days and could have quite easily stayed longer.
We spent a bit of time roaming around Carrickfergus taking in their wonderful museum and famous Castle. Well worth the visit!
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