Europe Euphoria

Take thousands of gallons of the brightest red, yellow, pink, and purple paint imaginable; drench acre after acre of perfectly flat farmland with each color, forming ruler straight rows stretching out to the horizon and you still wouldn’t get close to approximating the incredible vibrancy and brilliance of the Dutch bulb fields in bloom. From late March through mid-May these fields practically glow, bursting with color so intense it’s hard to believe it’s natural. Nestled in the heart of region is Keukenhof Gardens, acres of exquisitely landscaped display gardens containing every color and variety of bulb. Keukenhof is open for only nine weeks each spring but draws large number of tourists from around the world. Mania is in the air at the Keukenhof (open until May 20 this year; admission 13 euros.(www.keukenhof.nl). There are many places where you can watch the stunning scale of tulips: (1) FloraHolland in Naaldwijk(www.floraholland.nl): The tour starts at 8 a.m. and cost you 2 euros. (2) Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer in Aalsmeer (www.vba.nl): The tour start at 7 a.m. and admission is 5 euros. (3) Rijksmuseum (www.rijksmuseum.nl): Admission 10 euros. (4) Just shell 50 euros and you can buy one of the freshest and best considered bouquets in the world, at the highly regarded florist Menno Kroon, Cornelis Schuytstraat 11 (www.mennokroon.nl). (5) To know how tulips are grown, you can go to the small Amsterdam Tulip Museum (www.amsterdamtulipmuseum.com).Admission 2 euros. If you are in Netherlands, you just can’t afford to miss the bright fields of tulips.