Today, we rent a car and drive an a half hour to the Kuekenhof Gardens near Lisse. This garden is only open 8 weeks a year and we are here for the last week. The fields with rows of tulips are fading now but the gardens are still vibrant and gorgeous and the weather is sunny and in the high 60s. There are five main parts to the garden and several pavilions. One is devoted to orchids, others are centered on themed flower shows. Fine floral artistry is on display here.

Next we drive about an hour and a half to visit the Kroller-Muller art museum and sculpture garden situated on 25 hectares near Otterlo, Netherlands. Opened in 1938, it has the second largest collection of works by Vincent Van Gogh. It also has top works by other modern masters such as Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Picasso and Modrian. The outdoor garden displays over 160 sculpchurs that blend into the tranquil natural setting.

After spending several hours viewing more Van Gogh’s and other notable late 19th century artists…e.g. Mondrian!…we head back to Amsterdam and search for a place to park the rental car near our apartment in the Jordan area. It is a challenge. We only need to park for one night because we leave for Bruges tomorrow morning and so we end up renting space in a garage for forty euros.  Another reminder that the convenience of having a car to use is offset by the issues of where, how and how much it will cost to park in the city.

Tomorrow, we leave for Bruges!

Greg, Shelley, Margaret, Margee and Terry