Last night we had the mummy and daddy of all thunderstorms.
When we check out the owner tells us about the flower parade on 21st April and asks if we would like to reserve spaces for that weekend, which we do.
The cloud is still very low as we drive on the motorway past Schiphol Airport with our elevated position looking down on the runways. Scores of airliners stretch across a huge area and one takes off alongside us before disappearing into the grey gloom.
We see a few daffodil plantations and a few strips of crocus. The weather improves as we head further north into the polders, the reclaimed land 5 or 6 metres below sea level. Flat dry earth stretches for miles and here and there we see the drainage channels that keep the land workable.
We drive through the town of Slootdorp and take minor roads a few miles to the Munster Tulip farm where we enjoyed a tour of the greenhouses in 2016 and hope to show to N+G later today. One of the workers says to park up and wait for Sandra, the farmer’s wife, to find us. Just as we finish our lunch Nick and Grete arrive and tell us they thoroughly enjoyed their day ship-watching at Maassluis.
A tour coach goes into the farm so we assume Sandra will be playing host to them for their tour so we wait and wander around the area. The sun is warm but the wind feels cool.
Later we learn Sandra has gone out for the evening. Hopefully we will be able to see the growing houses tomorrow instead.
It’s a beautifully sunny evening and we just enjoy the peacefulness while Grete makes pork casserole for supper.
Ali reads internet reports that say the cold winter has meant that spring has come later than usual and all of the tulips are late coming to bloom.