Doc Strines Explores

An early drive to the airport. Met up with my fellow MAD WI ‘extreme day trippers’ inside terminal 1. A few of our group had a slight hiccup with boarding passes and security, but once sorted we congregated in Pret for a bit of pre-flight breakfast.

Once onboard the plane, the pilot mentioned delays due to fog. However we departed only slightly later than scheduled. Just over an hour later we landed at Schiphol.

Passport stamped and outside the terminal to find the bus to Keukenhof.

I had pre booked the bus transfer to Keukenhof, those who hadn’t just used the card tap machine at the bus stop. The. Buses run frequently from the airport.

Thirty minutes later we arrived at Keukenhof.

First stop a hot chocolate and Dutch apple cake for elevenses! Then off to explore the gardens.

Outside the pavilions, the garden is stunningly tranquil. We were probably a tad too early to enjoy the full glory of the flowers but even so I thought it was fabulous.

After a busy morning, time for lunch at the Wilhelmina cafe on the north west edge of the gardens.

After a fabulous time we headed back to the bus stop. But first we climbed the windmill and posed for a photo on the boat.

We left the Keukenhof and headed into Amsterdam, taking the bus and metro to the Central Station.

Once in the city, a few photos of canals and bicycles then the group dispersed, some finding a cafe, others including myself pottering around central Amsterdam doing a bit of touristy shopping.

We rendezvoused at a cafe, enjoyed a quick drink then decided to find somewhere to eat. We found a lovely bistro ‘De Haven van Texel’ serving ‘traditional Dutch food’. I enjoyed a traditional Flammkuchen.

The bistro was a short walk from the station, from where we took the train back to the airport and home.

Another fantastic day out, made all the more enjoyable by excellent company.