Dutch tulips (and flowers) fields 2015...

This year, as of mid April the Dutch flower fields around Haarlem,Noordwijkerhout and Sassenheim became an amazingly colourful mosaic again! Happily for us, photographers, most of the bulb flowers (daffodils, hyacinths and all sorts of tulips) decided to come out and bloom at the same time. From white to dark purple, from light lavender through yellow and orange till flashy red and romantic blue, the Bollenstreek-area and parts of Flevoland are currently magical places to visit! Have a look for yourself...A lot of my visitors have difficulties to believe that most of the flowers are simply cut as the reason why they are planted is to get the bulb, not to sell the flower themselves.Once you are in the flower field the question comes: how to take the best pictures. Some love to take the lines, otherwise go for close-up/ carpets of colours. This year I tried more exotic positions, such as going down on the ground for a full portrait of flower+blue sky and for some macro fun with my toy (35mm, f 2.8)...

Flower-Power: Bloemencorso 2014, colours, sun and wind!

This year the famous flower parade was a bit later than usual, on the first weekend of May. As often before we went to Noordwijkerhout on Friday eve and enjoyed the sea of flowers, colours+perfumes! Dive in, can you smell them ? :-)

Bloemenvlucht/ flower fields flight in april 2014 with LionAir

After seeing the flower fields from close and inside we were curious to see them again from up in the air. As last year we contacted the friendly and professional LionAir and book one hour "bloemenvlucht". With Michel as pilot we flew over Leiden, Keukenhof, Lisse, Noordwijkerhout and then along the coast: Wassenar, Scheveningen, Monster and Rotterdam...Again an amazing experience and perfect weather with fantastic colours!

Tulips in Flevoland 2014, Noordoostpolder is a colourful corner to see!

 

Second half of April tons of tourists come over to the Netherlands to see the spring park Keukenhof and also the flower fields. Most of them however only travel around in Bollenstreek, the flower-bulb-area between Leiden and Haarlem. HOWEVER there are some amazing tulip fields a bit more north in Flevoland. The wide and long fields in this flat and new Dutch province are perfect for growing of potatoes and .... flowers! There is space, abundance of colours and guess what: no other tourists. So if you are curious to spot and photograph some amazing tulips fields just drive to Noordoostpolder and enjoy the view. There are also sign for a bike tulipfestival-route, so you cant get lost:-)

Lauwersmeer hike-tour after tea-time at the Theefabriek

 

While most people were busy searching chocolate eggs or eating real ones this weekend, we went for a short nature tour in the north of the Netherlands. The provinces north of Amsterdam: Friesland and Groningen are lovely places to get in touch with nature, bike, hike, meet some happy sheep and other wildlife. Lauwersmeer, a national park, builds a partial border between the two provinces.

 

The Easter Sunday started with brunch at the beautiful Theefabriek, the only teamuseum (and tearoom) located in the old church-building of the cozy village Houwerzijl. I have reported about this great place 3 years ago here. After being spoiled there with delicious teas and food, the adventurous visitors (as us) went to Kollumerwaard and met the nature guide Klaas. He took us for a 7-km-walk in the National Park area and explained us patienly and lovingly about the birds, plants, trees, toads and other living beings we encountered on our way. Herewith a  big Bedankt (thanks) to the singing birds, colourful butterflies and Klaas for the knowledge!

Spring 2014 in the Netherlands: flower fields with daffodils, hyacinths and tulips

The Netherlands never seize to amaze me! Here we have the online "buienradar" (literally "storm radar") telling us in how many minutes next rain or storm is coming, very practical when you are by bike...When you have a drink with friends you may spot the funny "zonnenradar" (sunshine radar) on some beer bottles (most probably to remind the Dutch that they get sunburnt quiet easily)... and in the spring we have the "bloemenradar"-page (flower radar), showing people in pictures how many flowers are already out! So after learning and checking the flower radar on Friday I made my weekends plan:-)

 

Spring has been very nice, gentle and warm with us this year, here in the low lands! The great and sunny March invited all spring bulb flowers to come outside the ground earlier than usual (and aslo much earlier than last year)! Already for two weeks colourful flower carpets decorate the famous Bollenstreek between Leiden and Amsterdam. Here are the visual proofs of the flower-photo-tour! Enjoy the colours!

Sunny Amsterdam and the beautiful Haarlemmer(dijk)straat

 

There is something magic in Amsterdam. This city has soooo much charme: once you start strolling though its narrow streets,  while watching out not to be hit by a bike and making sure you dont fall in a "gracht" (canal) while you take a picture! Adding some November sun and amazingly blue sky and you have a perfect combination for beautiful view and fun pictures! So last Saturday we headed to Amsterdam and enjoyed the breathtaking buildings& their colourful details in the Haarlemmerstraat (which is said to be one of the non-tourist shopping street with tons of cosy cafes, designer shops and restaurants). Close to the street there is also the organic market of Amsterdam, which takes place every Saturday, on the square around Noorderkerk... Fresh produce, majestic architecture und reflections in the canal made this walk and visit simply great experience!

Colourful Dutch tulip fields 2012 edition, around Noordwijkerhout

 

One of the most colouful and fantastic ways to enjoy tulipland Holland in the second part of April is a walk/bike through the flower-bulb area...My favourite/secret place is Noordwijkerhout. Around this village every year the tulip and other flower bulbs paint the fields in amazing colour combination and nature masterpieces!

We even flew over the fields into picture above, have a look here:

Bloemencorso 2012, the fantastic flower-parade in Haarlem...

 

For the 65th time the most colourful flower-power event, the Bloemencorso, took place in the Bollenstreek, the flower-bulb-area between Leiden and Amsterdam...This one-weekend-lasting display of fresh flowers respresenting different subjects is always an impressive and charming show to visit and photograph. Despite the chilly and windy weather, the sky was fantastically blue and all participants were parked in the centre of the cute and cozy Dutch town Haarlem the whole last Sunday!

 

The topic this year was communication! the winner was a platform representing colourful parrots:-) My personal favourite was a guy reading newspaper, looking very lazy with one foot in the air...I also loved the mix of creative flower-presentations with beautiful Dutch architecture...and of course this awesome blue sky and warm sunshine!