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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Holland - Tulips - Windmills - Trolleys - Canal Boat Ride - Red Light District - Marijuana - Sex Museum


Lulu loved the Seminole Tulips.


Lulu and I spent the afternoon at Keukenhof - the largest gardens in the world.

After a busy Friday night along the red light district - we got home way too late. This led to a rise and shine at 11 AM Saturday.

We had breakfast/lunch on the train to our first stop.

We went to Keukenhof - the world famous tulip gardens about 20 miles outside of town. The garden is only open two months a year and tomorrow is the last day. There were endless beds of tulips and other flowers. It was an overcast day and the usual crowd was not there. After two hours of flower watching - I am officially a gray head. It was nice - Lulu really loved it - but soon every tulip was looking the same to me. Keukenhof is the world's largest flower gardens - who would have thought. A terrible place for kids.


Next - we came into town and rode the canal boats. They offer an hour cruise through the canals in a glass topped boat - and good thing because 50 degrees with a breeze and a sunless sky can be chilly on these Floridians.

Next was another stroll through the red light district. The girls in the windows looked prettier than the last time we were here. Also - there seemed to be more "coffee houses" than the last time we visited. Simply - coffee houses serve coffee but the main attraction is marijuana. They have an endless variety of marihuana and hash. They even have brownies laced and ready to eat. From the outside - they look like an ordinary bar or pub - but inside they remind one what you would expect in an opium den. They were full of smoke - some people rolling their own - or purchasing pre-rolled reefers. All in all - we went to this area both evenings and we saw not one bit of trouble. For 3 euros - one could purchase a joint - and smoke away.

The Netherlands had passed a law stating that foreigners could not smoke grass. The law must have been repealed or is being ignored. They definitely serve everyone.

Many people suggest the Sex Museum - a gigantic five story collection of historic artifacts and pictures.

Finally - we had supper at an Argentinian steakhouse and found a shop that made ice cream waffles from scratch.

Tomorrow - we have a plane to catch to Athens around noon. I hope we don't sleep in - or it could cost a lot of money. Temperatures here averaged 50. In Athens the days will reach 90s.

Keukendof is only open 2 months from March to May. They close tomorrow.

This is an exact replica of the house we are building. It is another cedar chalet.

 50 degrees - cloudy - breezy. The overcast sky is great light for pictures.

 Your eyes start to glaze over after two hours.

Holland is not Holland without tulips.

 Even dieting - Lulu cannot pass up fresh cotton candy.

A windmill was used to pump water from one level up to another. Most of Holland was under the sea at one time. The Dutch make new land by putting a wall around the sea - then pumping the water out. The catch is - you can never stop pumping. The windmills used to turn a screw on an angle and the water would crawl up the screw. Today they use tall modern windmills that make electricity which powers the pumps to keep Holland dry.

 There were several pavilions with other flowers - lots of orchids at Keukenhof

The glass topped boats ply the canals - giving you an excellent look at the city. That is the train station in the background.

 The Sex Museum along the main strip from the Train Station to the Royal Palace - housed 5 floors of romantic history.
 This picture was taken at 9:30 PM - we are closer to the Arctic Circle thus the days are longer in the summer.
This is an Electric Smart Car. It is available for rent. You join the club then you can just insert your credit card - use the car - then park it. You pay for the time you use it. Parking in Amsterdam along the canals is the most expensive in the world. It costs $600 a month for a space along the canal. for that price I would sleep in my car.

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