Lowland high spots

Early morning programmes after a gruelling overnight flight that was over 8 hours long aren’t the best way to start a tour of any country, but when the place is as picture perfect as the Netherlands, the prospect becomes infinitely more exciting! Oh to be in the land of tulips, when spring is in the air, to paraphrase the poet...

Indeed, spring is the ideal time to be in the Netherlands, as the tulips are in their full glory, not in one or two, but over 350 different colours and varieties. Acres and acres of flatlands are carpeted with these delicate blooms, like Silsila’s famous song scene in 3-D technicolor!

The spread is so vast — tulip miles could almost be a measure for distance in the Netherlands! — that a carpet of colours could be seen from the aircraft itself as we came in to land. There couldn’t have been a better introduction to the country’s most famous icon.

Yet, I learnt that tulips aren’t actually native to the Netherlands. It was brought into the country by botanists a few centuries ago from the central Asian region. Happily, the sandy-clay soil and the temperate climate of the Lowlands suited the pretty emigres and since then they have become the country’s most evocative ambassadors.

If in the Netherlands during spring, no one can miss the Keukenhof Gardens, considered the most beautiful spring garden in the world. Started in 1857 by architect Zocher, the garden each year draws millions of visitors. But the gardens are at their rainbow-best from mid-March to mid-May. So I was lucky to see it right in the middle of the flowering season, under gloriously clear skies.

While the garden reminded me of our own in Kashmir and the vista also willy-nilly transported me back to the 1980s and Silsila, I found there’s another angle to the tulip tale. The Netherlands apparently uses tulips and other blooms being grown in abundance there to tighten its control over the world flower market.

Several companies near Amsterdam have build huge glasshouses equipped with modern auction facilities where flowers worth millions of dollars are sold daily and sent to all across the globe. In fact, the Netherlands controls over 65% of the world trade in flowers and business is only growing.

The country that has created large tracts of land by reclaiming it from the sea isn’t just about flowers though. It has a beautiful capital city in Amsterdam that presents a mixture of old world charm and modernity. And that’s what we explored after our tryst with tulips.

To me, the city looked rather like Venice, given its watery charm. Little wonder then that it’s called the Venice of the North (Europe), thanks to its elaborate network of canals. While it is quite possible to while away one’s time floating down the beautiful canalways, there’s plenty more to do.

Amsterdam has all that a traveller would look for, from rows of restaurants, museums, gardens and theatres to dazzling diamond centres and casinos. So whether you want to spend a fortune or seek one, there’s opportunity there.

It’s said that Amsterdam is beautiful in daylight but I thought it looks even more beautiful and radiant at night with the canals reflecting city lights and streets sides turning into al fresco restaurants and coffee shops.

One unique and piquant facet of this city, as opposed to many other equally picturesque cities in Europe is its bustling red light area. In fact this precinct even finds place on the typical Netherlands tourist circuit. The place called ‘The Wallen’ is a must-see (if not a must-do!) located conveniently right in the heart of Amsterdam.

The locality dates back to the 13th century, but it was in the 18th century that the window ladies appeared. And that continues till date. Though much has changed in the red light district now, the place still retains a very distinct and peculiar charm that is far from sleazy and (most surprisingly) is declared to be `very safe’ too.

A series of canals bisect the main thoroughfares of the district, which are linked to several narrow alleyways. Unlike what people may think, the area remains busy even in broad daylight’ when darkness falls, though, it obviously becomes even more vibrant. Live shows, peep shows, theme bars, shops, video booths, fetish parlours, lap dancing clubs, a museum and of course the notorious infamous girls behind the windows, all push the same three letter word!Despite its pre-eminence as a centre of culture and commerce, Amsterdam is not the centre of power. The seat of government is in The Hague, just a half hour’s drive from the city. Naturally being from a capital city, I simply had to check it out — but we waited for the next day to begin.

Unlike the frenetic pace of Amsterdam — exacerbated by the rigours of our flight and immediate plunge into sightseeing — The Hague outing was relaxing. More so because of the atmosphere of the city. Even though it is the capital of the country, many people insist it is not really a city — some call it the largest village in Europe. However, it is the seat of all major government offices and embassies, and other “official” paraphernalia.

The charm of The Hague lies in its varied scapes, that incorporate beautiful buildings and gardens with the waterfront and beach areas overlooking the North Sea. It is also the seat of royal family, formally called The House of Orange.

We were lucky to be in The Hague for a very happy occasion: Queen Beatrix’s son, Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima celebrated the birth of their third daughter. In accordance with tradition, all the streets in The Hague were festooned with fluttering Dutch flags and the royal standard of the popular ruling family.

Close to The Hague is the world-famous miniature city Madurodam, which squeezes in the whole of the Netherlands in one easy-to-see place. This is also a place that is favoured by Bollywood units I learnt, and can be seen in several song sequences.

On the art front, The Hague has several museums dedicated to the golden period of the 16th and 17th century. Mauritshuis is the most popular with displays of masterpieces by world-famous Dutch artists like Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Paul Rubens, Hans Holbein and others.

For someone interested in Dutch art, a visit to the Royal Delft works is a must. The place is famous for its eponymous Delftware, that distinctive blue-and-white porcelain. Though it may be in some ways vaguely similar to what comes from our own Khurja and “Jaipur Blue” ateliers, Delftware is another league all together.

And naturally that is reflected not only in the quality of the products but also their prices. The bigger Delft pieces are definitely not for the faint of heart or the light of wallet! But there were plenty of smaller Delft pieces that could be picked up as mementos back home.

The cities, as I mentioned, are indeed beautiful, but the Dutch countryside is even more so — if that’s possible. Rolling pastures, peppered with small towns and those typical lazily-turning windmills beguile the eye as we speed past. And there’s plenty of quiet places with lots of greenery and history attached to it.

It is these towns that another Dutch trademark flourishes — cheese! Gouda, anyone? Or what about those wooden shoes that were once the rather uncomfortable preferred footwear of the area and are now popular tourist takeways?

On a very heartfelt note, these smaller towns and villages are practically the only places that favour a typical Indian traveller on a tight budget! Buying chocolates, cheeses and souvenirs are much cheaper here and I stocked up gratefully.

The ride on the early 20th century steam engine that starts from the Hoorn also shouldn’t be missed. Though we have much older steam engines in India like the Fairy Queen, the Netherlands steam engine is cherished by locals who still use this to chug between two towns.

Even though we had managed to cover quite a lot of the sights of The Netherlands on our whistlestop trip, I felt I had missed out on many other attractions. That’s a good feeling really, as it gives tourists an incentive to return to the country again and explore something more. Or just see those windmills, gardens, canals and buildings all over again with a more practised eye — and interacting with those English-speaking and very friendly local people — no double-Dutch there!

A word in the end about our point of departure: Amsterdam’s famed Schipol International Airport. It’s been developed as an “airport-city” so it has not only lots of duty free shopping but massage centres, a hotel, casinos and lounges galore. Spending time at that airport can’t be a bore...