Less than 10° this morning and
a light drizzle. Along the road to Aalsmeer GirlRob spotted a hare humping
its huge rear along the flower rows. We were so glad that Eskil insisted we
visit the Royal FloraHolland Flower Auction outside Amsterdam, where 30 million
flowers and plants are sold each day, in an area the size of 220 football
fields.
Once inside the cavernous main building we climbed the remaining steps to cross the bridge and follow the high walkways looking down on the amazing business of unloading, moving, auctioning, sorting, delivering, packing, emptying that started at 6am and was winding down as we departed around 11am. Systems were automated, mechanised and motorised.
We could not believe that so many fast-moving drivers, carts and flower trains could zip around each other so well with minimum hand signals and no brake lights! The place was a buzz of noise and colour, and every so often the scent of fresh precious flowers wafted up (roses, tulips, orchids and succulents are the top sellers). Seeing sunflowers, artichokes and olive trees took GirlRob by surprise. The buyers sat in a tiered theatre with laptops at each seat facing huge screens with auction clocks. It must have resembled Wall Street at the peak time of the morning.
Once inside the cavernous main building we climbed the remaining steps to cross the bridge and follow the high walkways looking down on the amazing business of unloading, moving, auctioning, sorting, delivering, packing, emptying that started at 6am and was winding down as we departed around 11am. Systems were automated, mechanised and motorised.
We could not believe that so many fast-moving drivers, carts and flower trains could zip around each other so well with minimum hand signals and no brake lights! The place was a buzz of noise and colour, and every so often the scent of fresh precious flowers wafted up (roses, tulips, orchids and succulents are the top sellers). Seeing sunflowers, artichokes and olive trees took GirlRob by surprise. The buyers sat in a tiered theatre with laptops at each seat facing huge screens with auction clocks. It must have resembled Wall Street at the peak time of the morning.
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| No - they don't deliver to Australia! |
BoyRob drove up to the charming town of Alkmaar, the last section along picturesque canals and villages with beautiful Renaissance, Dutch Baroque, Dutch Colonial Revival architecture. Old merchant houses were narrow, with ornamented facades and a variety of gabled roofs.
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| Locals use an ID card to open the trash bin |
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| Parking meter =1; People = 0 |
In Alkmaar, arrived to the ringing of the angelus - imposing Grote Kerk /“Big Church” Cathedral of St Lawrence, dating back to 1470, built in the shape of a cross from once-white natural stone. Following the Reformation and the ascent of the Protestants, it was gradually stripped of its treasures to maintain a town monument that no longer had a congregation. Julia was delighted to note one of the original triptychs was sold to Sweden, now on display in Linkoping. The new triptych features the Relief of Alkmaar (from the Spanish Siege). Graves/stones were set into the floor, some three layers deep. There were seats for the gentry, and a “good fortune” pillar with its deep grooves gouged by pilgrims. The hanging ship was to bless fishermen and sailors.
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| Floor was made of graves |
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| St Lawrence was tortured over a burning pit |
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| We "pilgrims" also rubbed for good fortune |
The symbol of the city is the castle tower. Walked the cobble-stoned streets, with inset icons, past a building with stepped gable (town hall?) with painted Christian statues on top. Red and dark orange colours dominate the architecture.
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| Eskil swore by automated food dispensers |
As it wasn't a Friday we missed seeing the traditional cheese trading market, but did look inside the Cheese Museum (sample tasted pretty good!). Bought china ornament for Xmas tree - clogs with blue Delft pattern of a windmill in front of a canal - every icon you could think of for the Netherlands! GirlRob was glad to have a scarf as day became colder. Lunch in lovely warm pub, brut cider delicious, yummy salmon flammekuchen (like a crusty hollow pizza). Bought 8 postcards and 8 stamps for €18.70 - communication with the loved ones at home not such a cheap exercise!
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| Postcard of the cheese trading market |
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| Front of the Cheese Museum |
On way “home” stopped briefly for GirlRob to take photo of windmill with thatched roof overlooking canal, really need to be aware of whizzing cyclists on their thoroughfares.
Took a bag of washing to laundry in light rain, thankfully no queue, all machines worked, clothes fit in one load, instructions were accurate, coin system worked, best dryer in camping life to date - huge but narrow barrel even had jeans dry in no time. Doesn’t take much to make a camper happy!! Had final drink with Romeo and Juliet over a Mediterranean deli dinner in our cabin, saying farewell to our dear friends - don’t know when we’ll next manage a face to face visit.
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