Oh, Stop It Holland! Just stop being so very gorgeous all the time.

We drove to Keukenhof on a rainy morning. The pitter patter of drops and a chilly wind gathering speed. Having been to the famous garden ten years ago, and then repeatedly with various visitors, I wondered if it would hold its irrepressible appeal in this dismal overcast weather of April 2018.

Flowers in vivid hues look good in sunshine. Sunlight bouncing off their myriad colors, happy bees and bouncy butterflies, hovering overhead. But, the real joy is watching the relish emanating from freshly washed blooms. The purity of their petals. The flowers rich, their wealth evident. The grey gloom offered a foil to vibrancy of the flowers. The result was a deluge not merely of water but of unadulterated joy.

I noticed how the tulips had whimsical even weird names: tender kiss, marriage, royal blood etc., great fun to observe. Apart from the glorious tulips, we saw beautiful daffodils, narcissus in particular, hyacinths, cherry blossoms, muscari, fritillaria (in the pictures they are the ornamental trumpet-shaped upside down flowers, they look very exotic), amaryllis, geraniums, and even gerberas.

If you are visiting The Netherlands during the weeks when Keukenhof is open I would highly advise you to pay a visit, in fact I would suggest you plan your trip around the opening of this incredible garden. It is breathtaking!

Read this for more information on Keukenhof: click here