Saturday:
Yesterday, when UG went to the front desk to ask for towels, he got them to allow us to change rooms. So this morning, we packed up our suitcases and handed in our keys before heading out. We stopped into a bakery, where I picked up a banana eclair. I ate it while waiting for a train out to the flower fields. UG asked for a bite, and I told him that if we weren't able to get more near the hotel, I wouldn't have let him have any. There was an actual banana within the cream in the middle. So good.
So we took the train to the airport, where we transferred to a shuttle to Keukenhoff, a flower park in the tulip growing region. The bus ride is about a half hour, so we were very happy not to be among the dozen people standing. At the park, instead of going in, we rented bikes outside the main gate and went exploring. UG was very happy to get an opportunity to ride a bike. He asked for a 2 to 3 hour route. The map we were given was terrible. We ended up completely off the route, but I realized it before we got too far. We also discovered that many groups have put up route markers, which makes it difficult to follow any of them. In the end, our route took over 4 hours. Most of the delay was caused by the wind. At times, I thought if I stopped pedaling I would move backwards. We were probably a week early for the tulips. Most of the tulip fields were just green, with only a few blooms here and there. But there was still a lot of colour from the daffodils and hyacinths. And the smell from the hyacinths was spectacular. That alone was worth the sore knees from the bike ride. The best tulip fields were actually right near the park, which would have saved a lot of riding. But the ride also good for UG to stretch out the muscles he's been using to limp due to his sore toe. After the ride, we went into the park, which has miles of gardens, a hedge maze and a windmill. I think we could have skipped the park itself, but we had purchased an entry ticket along with the shuttle ticket. I would also recommend finding a route mapped out by the local organizations rather than the bike rental company.
Back in town, we attempted to go back to H&M and a local department store next to it for some souvenirs, but it closed at 6pm. We then tried the sushi place again, but they were full, and the seemingly disorganized host claimed they were booked up for the evening. We went back to the hotel to check into our new room (5th floor, almost identical, but it's nice to be able to get natural light), and warm up before going looking for another place to eat. I took a bath because my legs were not enjoying the combination of a 4 hour bike ride and the cold. When I came out, UG had fallen asleep, so I went out for pizza on my own.
Yesterday, when UG went to the front desk to ask for towels, he got them to allow us to change rooms. So this morning, we packed up our suitcases and handed in our keys before heading out. We stopped into a bakery, where I picked up a banana eclair. I ate it while waiting for a train out to the flower fields. UG asked for a bite, and I told him that if we weren't able to get more near the hotel, I wouldn't have let him have any. There was an actual banana within the cream in the middle. So good.
So we took the train to the airport, where we transferred to a shuttle to Keukenhoff, a flower park in the tulip growing region. The bus ride is about a half hour, so we were very happy not to be among the dozen people standing. At the park, instead of going in, we rented bikes outside the main gate and went exploring. UG was very happy to get an opportunity to ride a bike. He asked for a 2 to 3 hour route. The map we were given was terrible. We ended up completely off the route, but I realized it before we got too far. We also discovered that many groups have put up route markers, which makes it difficult to follow any of them. In the end, our route took over 4 hours. Most of the delay was caused by the wind. At times, I thought if I stopped pedaling I would move backwards. We were probably a week early for the tulips. Most of the tulip fields were just green, with only a few blooms here and there. But there was still a lot of colour from the daffodils and hyacinths. And the smell from the hyacinths was spectacular. That alone was worth the sore knees from the bike ride. The best tulip fields were actually right near the park, which would have saved a lot of riding. But the ride also good for UG to stretch out the muscles he's been using to limp due to his sore toe. After the ride, we went into the park, which has miles of gardens, a hedge maze and a windmill. I think we could have skipped the park itself, but we had purchased an entry ticket along with the shuttle ticket. I would also recommend finding a route mapped out by the local organizations rather than the bike rental company.
Back in town, we attempted to go back to H&M and a local department store next to it for some souvenirs, but it closed at 6pm. We then tried the sushi place again, but they were full, and the seemingly disorganized host claimed they were booked up for the evening. We went back to the hotel to check into our new room (5th floor, almost identical, but it's nice to be able to get natural light), and warm up before going looking for another place to eat. I took a bath because my legs were not enjoying the combination of a 4 hour bike ride and the cold. When I came out, UG had fallen asleep, so I went out for pizza on my own.
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