Spring at its most beautiful
Before you even realise it, the landscape begins to change. The grey of winter gives way to colour, and lots of it. Just beyond Keukenhof, you pedal the last stretch into the wind, and then... there they are. Endless tulip fields passing by like a living painting. Rows of red, yellow, purple and every shade in between, neatly lined up yet playfully swaying in the spring breeze.
Colours that stay with you
Around the flower fields near Lisse, it feels as though someone has turned up the saturation of the world. You can smell spring in the air, hear the gentle buzzing of bees and the sound of your tyres on the road. Every now and then, you get off your bike, not because you have to, but because you simply can't resist. You stop for a moment, take it all in, and an "oh" or "wow" escapes before you know it, as if you were seeing it all for the very first time.
A postcard in motion
Windmills appear between the fields, canals reflect the sky, and somewhere in the distance a tractor quietly makes its rounds. You cycle past roadside stalls selling fresh flowers, where a bunch of tulips almost seems to find its own way into your bag. A little further, another bend, another view across this colourful landscape, and you realise: this is the Netherlands at its very best.
