Just paddling through a field of daffodils.
Between mid-April and early-May, the rectangular fields of North and South Holland transform into a striped carpet of yellows, reds, purples, and pinks. Narrow canals, seemingly drawn with a ruler, meticulously separate the stripes. Tourists fly in from all over the world to view this annual spectacle between Haarlem in the north and Leiden in the south, where the flowers are most concentrated. Keukenhof is a world-renowned garden where hordes of visitors walk the narrow pathways, visit the windmill, and smell the flowers, especially this time of year.
On Sunday, a group of Windhappers (Alfons - trip organizer, Marianne, Willie, Elly, Twan, and I) set out to view the tulips from a less crowded place: our kayaks. Click Read More to see endless flower photos and hear about a minor mishap that almost resulted in carrying 6 kayaks over a busy railroad track...
On Sunday, a group of Windhappers (Alfons - trip organizer, Marianne, Willie, Elly, Twan, and I) set out to view the tulips from a less crowded place: our kayaks. Click Read More to see endless flower photos and hear about a minor mishap that almost resulted in carrying 6 kayaks over a busy railroad track...
After an early meet-up at the clubhouse, we drove to the launch site just northwest of Keukenhof. The banks were steep (a common theme on this trip), and there was no dock, but we managed to scramble into our boats by grasping onto tree trunks and stumps. The weather forecast, while better than the thunderstorms originally expected, was gloomy, with winds picking up in the afternoon. We chose a route that would keep the wind at our backs for most of the day. The plan was to do a ~10km route around the tulip fields north of Keukenhof.
In Keukenhof, we turned right into a canal that enters the park (yay no entrance fee!). We were greeted by masses of tourists, shuffling along in the queue to and from the park's windmill. When we entered the canal, we immediately became the main attraction. I expect we'll be featured in many tourists Facebook albums in the coming days.
From there, we paddled through a series of channels through the vast flowery fields north of Keukenhof. See photos below! We stopped for lunch at the grassy Beltpark in Hillegom, about half way through the route. Lunch was the only time that we experienced a bit of drizzle (mmm wet sandwiches). As usual, I wondered to myself why I always think a thermos of hot tea is unnecessary. At least I brought my wool hat...
In Keukenhof, we turned right into a canal that enters the park (yay no entrance fee!). We were greeted by masses of tourists, shuffling along in the queue to and from the park's windmill. When we entered the canal, we immediately became the main attraction. I expect we'll be featured in many tourists Facebook albums in the coming days.
From there, we paddled through a series of channels through the vast flowery fields north of Keukenhof. See photos below! We stopped for lunch at the grassy Beltpark in Hillegom, about half way through the route. Lunch was the only time that we experienced a bit of drizzle (mmm wet sandwiches). As usual, I wondered to myself why I always think a thermos of hot tea is unnecessary. At least I brought my wool hat...
The windmill in Keukenhof. A view from a kayak.
A little while into the post-lunch paddle, a man warned us from his dock that the canal ahead was impassable. With full faith in our fearless leader, we paddled on. A kilometer further we met the blockade. The canal was under construction, with multiple sheet pile walls blocking the canal that normally flows under the railroad bridge. We inspected the map for other alternatives, but none looked promising. In the mean time, we ate some snacks and took photos in the yellow daffodil fields surrounding us. We decided to continue along the canal to the left, which required portaging our kayaks over the passable part of the blockade. Here we found even more vibrant tulip fields, with every combination of orange, yellow, red, and pink that you can imagine. But sadly, it dead-ended, and we were forced to turn around.
We briefly considered the option of climbing up the steep banks and over the busy railroad tracks with our 6 kayaks, but after Alfons did some scouting, it was clear this would only result in extensive nettle burns and the possibility of getting hit by a train. We finally ceded to the option of retracing our steps (more or less). As you can see from the map below, this nearly doubled the trip. But we saw lots of tulips, got some good exercise, and enjoyed the decent weather.
We wrapped up the trip with a visit to the nearby tulip stand, where we left with our arms full of 1 euro tulip bouquets! Though you have to exit your kayak to see anything but tulip bottoms (will bring a selfie stick next time - better angle for tulip photos), I highly recommend this approach to seeing the tulips every April!
We briefly considered the option of climbing up the steep banks and over the busy railroad tracks with our 6 kayaks, but after Alfons did some scouting, it was clear this would only result in extensive nettle burns and the possibility of getting hit by a train. We finally ceded to the option of retracing our steps (more or less). As you can see from the map below, this nearly doubled the trip. But we saw lots of tulips, got some good exercise, and enjoyed the decent weather.
We wrapped up the trip with a visit to the nearby tulip stand, where we left with our arms full of 1 euro tulip bouquets! Though you have to exit your kayak to see anything but tulip bottoms (will bring a selfie stick next time - better angle for tulip photos), I highly recommend this approach to seeing the tulips every April!
Click on a photo to enlarge!
Date: Sunday, April 26, 2015
Distance: 21 km (12.8 miles)
Duration: ~6 hours, with lots of stops
Weather: Better than expected. Cloudy, cool, drizzly once in a while, but low wind.
Distance: 21 km (12.8 miles)
Duration: ~6 hours, with lots of stops
Weather: Better than expected. Cloudy, cool, drizzly once in a while, but low wind.
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