TULIPS from Amsterdam. A glorious array of flowers and a unique city renowned for its toleration, inseparably connected. Both attract a multitude of visitors every year.
This year Scandinavian Seaways has added a trip to the bulbfields to its facilities, after having last year introduced its route from Newcastle to IJmuiden, the port of Amsterdam.
The first stop after a comfortable trip across the channel on the holiday liner, the King of Scandinavia, was the Franz Roozen bulb growing nursery where the varieties on offer seemed to reflect the exotic culture of Amsterdam. They included China Lady, Amethyst, Fancy Frills, Fringed Beauty, Golden Artist, Blushing Lady, Blue Magic, and Dreaming Maid.
Visitors were swarming into Keukenhof, the most famous of Dutch gardens. It covers 70 acres, and millions of flowers - tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils - were seen in full bloom, a splendid sight.
Driving to Amsterdam, the flat country comes as a surprise after the hills of Scotland. One marvels at the ingenuity of the Dutch in reclaiming land from the sea. About one-third of the whole country has been recovered, and many places are below sea-level, including, amazingly, Schiphol Airport.
Holland is a cyclist's paradise. Special tracks for bikes traverse the countryside, running alongside roads. Amsterdam itself swarms with cyclists, requiring pedestrians in the narrow streets to be on constant alert.
In the city, you find the maze of canals populated by houseboats and barges, with movement on the surface from tour boats and paddling canoeists. The web of waterways creates 90 islands linked by 1300 bridges. Water has been connected with Amsterdam throughout its history.
One deal available for visitors on our trip is to stay two nights and get a third night free at a five-star hotel. We stayed at the luxurious Grand, a sixteenth-century building which began its life as an inn for royalty and was later home to the Dutch Admiralty and then Amsterdam's City Hall. Situated a few minutes' walk from Dam Square, it has an air of peace assisted by having its own courtyard.
During a coach tour we left the city to visit a cheese-making factory and saw wooden shoes being made in the same premises, then on return to the busy centre were shown how diamonds were cut at the Stoeltie factory.
No visit to Amsterdam would be complete without a canal cruise. Our hour's voyage through the network of waterways and under bridges was memorable. From the waterways, one sees the elegant homes and stout warehouses built by wealthy merchants during Holland's golden age in the seventeenth century. Sometimes as you pass a junction and look straight down a canal, you gaze under the arches of several bridges, stretching into the distance.
A visit to the red-light district was not ventured until the last night, and was undertaken in the company of friends. This area (``De Walletjes'') lying between two canals in the oldest part of the city, is a major tourist attraction, much trodden at night - and distinctly downtrodden in daytime. It proved to be more fun than frightening.
The next day, a memorable visit ended when we were whisked back to Britain by Air UK, which flies between Amsterdam and 10 UK airports.
Amsterdam is a fantastic place. In two-and- a-half days, we scraped the surface, leaving much unseen but we sampled enough to whet our appetite and can promise with General MacArthur: ``We shall return''.
CHRISTOPHER REEKIE
n Christopher Reekie and his wife travelled with Scandinavian Seaways on a three-night sail/fly citybreak, staying at the five-star Grand Hotel. For the Grand, prices start at #333 per person including overnight sailing from Newcastle to Amsterdam (IJmuiden), two nights hotel accommodation with breakfast and return flight from Amsterdam to Edinburgh with Air UK. A sail/fly citybreak staying in a one-star hotel costs from #189 per person.
Further information and reservations from ABTA travel agents or Scandinavian Seaways on 0990 333111.
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