Travel is . . .

Remembering . . .

I haven't blogged for a while, the end result of a couple of family medical challenges, thankfully resolved successfully. And while I haven't traveled since sailing on the two-day instroduction of Disney Dream in January, and am having some withdrawal symptoms, I will be hitting the road soon.

There are some places that are seasonal, in other words more pleasant to visit at one time of year than another. Keukenhof Gardens, in Holland is a case in point. The Gardens are only open to the public from March 24 to May 20. First visitors are admitted at 8am and the Gardens close at 7:30pm.

Keukenhof was originally the herb garden of the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beyeren (1401-1436). "Keuken" means kitchen in Dutch.

I guess I visited the Gardens some dozen or so years ago. The absolutely exquisite riot of colors, the rich reds, oranges, blues and lilacs, the vibrancy of the greens and the total beauty of the area were magnificent and memorable. And when I think of spring journeys, that's one I treasure most.

I don't pretend to know the names of all the flowers and plants, but - as with so many things in life, I know what I like - I loved the Gardens and wandered for hours. Tulips of course, in every imagineable hue, were the most dramatic.

The theme of this year's exhibit is "Germany: Land of Poets and Philosphers," and many of the Gardens will feature inspirationsal German twists. The flowering bulb mosaic of the Brandenburg Gate will require more than 100,000 bulbs.

Past exhibits have honored New York City and Amsterdam.