Tulips

As you may know, we spent a couple of days in Amsterdam, the Netherlands this spring. 

Unfortunately, out of the three full days we had, only one was really nice weather-wise, so we wanted to spend this one day exploring the city from the boat. Canal cruises are part of the otherwise bus-operated Hop On Hop Off concept. 

Meaning we didn't get to go to Keukenhof Gardens, which is one hour southwest by train and is the ultimate attraction for tulip loving tourists.

I had a plan B though. I had heard of the flower market, and that's where I wanted to go. The "Drijvende bloemenmarkt", as the flower market is called in Dutch, is located in the Singelgracht in the city center of Amsterdam. 

I didn't have to wait long for a little tulip preview. Turns out there's huge flower pots right on the regular sidewalks, how delightful!

The flower market wasn't exactly as I had imagined it would be. I thought there would be tulip bouquets over and over, and that they would be displayed fully outdoors. 

Instead the flower market is a a row of flower vendors selling bulbs and flowers along a length of about 200 meters along the banks of the canal, the market stalls are located on floating platforms, the so-called pontoons.

The way we had experienced the weather on the other two days - cool, windy and with precipitation - it made perfect sense not to expose the goods on offer to the elements. The goods being plant seeds, bulbs and touristy items.

Bouquets? Not so much.

Except here, it was literally the last stand at the end of the market. Maybe we should have approached from the other side, then it would have been the first stand ;-)

Beautiful, so cheerful!

Growing up in Europe I had always assumed that tulips were the ultimate Dutch flower. Turns out  tulips are native to Central Asia, particularly regions that are now part of Turkey.

In the 16th century, tulips were introduced to Europe by traders who brought them to the Netherlands. At that time, the Dutch Republic was experiencing a period of economic prosperity, and tulips quickly caught the attention of affluent Dutch citizens due to their vibrant colors and unique shapes.

The Dutch climate and soil were particularly suitable for tulip cultivation, leading to the establishment of commercial tulip gardens and nurseries.

The demand for tulips grew rapidly, and they became a status symbol among the wealthy elite. Tulip bulbs were traded on stock exchanges, and their prices soared to unprecedented levels during the early 17th century, culminating in the infamous Tulip Mania period.

During Tulip Mania, speculative trading in tulip bulbs reached fever pitch, with bulbs being traded for exorbitant sums of money, sometimes even exceeding the value of houses or entire estates. However, the bubble eventually burst in 1637, leading to a dramatic collapse in tulip bulb prices and causing financial ruin for many investors.

Despite the crash, tulips remained popular in the Netherlands, and the Dutch continued to cultivate and breed them. Today, the Netherlands is still one of the largest producers and exporters of tulips in the world, and tulip cultivation remains an important part of Dutch culture and heritage.

Before you leave, here's a fun fact about tulips:

Just like sunflowers or tomatoes, tulips exhibit phototropism, meaning they bend toward the light. This behavior allows them to maximize their exposure to sunlight for optimal photosynthesis.

Smart plants, eh?

Before you really leave, have fun watching this clip. It's from one of my all-time favorite movies, "The whole nine Yards". Bruce Wilis plays Jimmy Tudeski, aka Jimmy the Tulip, a contract killer. He moves next door to the gentle dentist Nicolas Oseransky (Matthew Perry) who is married to the ultimate lazy bitch Sophie (Rosanna Arquette).