Day 1 3/5/08 - Netherlands

London -> Schipol -> Keukenhof -> Amsterdam -> Schipol Amsterdam

Highlight

• The flight was very uneventful, we got there on time, but couldn’t check in yet. Never mind, we had some breakfast before joining th huge line to go to Keukenhof.
• Waited ½ hr for the bus, and had to stand the whole way.
• There were so many people, there were cars blocking the road from trying to get in the target and general traffic everywhere.
• Rented some bikes and went on one of the 5 bike trails you can do around Keukenhof. No 3 goes to the sand dunes, the beach and around the bulbfields, around 25km.
• Highlight of the trail included:
  • watching people doing karate by the river
  • looking at everyone tanning themselves in the not very good looking beach
  • the sand dunes with grass growing over it
  • the flower fields with most of the tulips already harvested except for a few strips of colour
  • parade of classic cars
• Ride over, time to enter the actual flower park. It was, as expected, very beautiful, with all kinds of tulips everywhere. I would’ve liked a bit of variety however, as you can only look at tulips for so long. We had to hang around though for 6pm, as we wanted to ride our bikes through the park, which is only allowed today as part of a special biking festival.
• With time to spare, we pushed through the crowd to walk through the maze, look at the sculptures and took lots and lots of photos.
• Had an afternoon nap by the lake.
• It was such a rip off, you have to pay €.40 to use the toilets, but I sneaked in when the guy wasn’t around.
• 6 o’clock came, and nothing happened. Eventual, the line of eager bikers were lead through the park by a brass band. It wasn’t as cool as we thought, as there were still a lot of people around, and we had to cycle at walking pace. Still, it was an experience.
• Back to hotel, shower, then off to our Michelin Star.
• The food was excellent, classic French fare cooked by a British chef. The sauces were a highlight and the wait staff were delightful.
• Slokky managed to step on dog poo every day of the holiday. This time he

Food

• Sheraton breakfast:
  • smoked salmon
  • pancake
  • pastries
  • croissant
  • cheese
  • cold cut
  • shrimp
  • pate
  • fruit
  • muesli
  • yoghurt
  • scrambled egg
  • bacon
  • baked beans
  • mushrooms
  • sausages
• pate with bread
• apple
• Vermeer dinner -Menu Compagnons (€70):
  • beetroot gazpacho with chopped almond
  • poached cod with olive oil
  • sourdough and brown bread
  • “Robert Blanc” Green Perthuis Asparagus, Onion tart – Jura wine sabayon – Comté cheese – crab sauce
  • Monkfish “meunière”, Spinach – celery – ricotta – mussel sauce
  • Poached Anjou Pigeon, Stuffed cabbage – duck liver – artichoke puree – kohlrabi
  • crème brulee of fennel
  • Chocolate, Sorbet – chiboust – meringue – mint sauce