January 21, 2012
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
'You'll have to go to Dam Square on Saturday afternoon," Günter had told me on Wednesday, "because it's National Tulip Day and they'll be handing out free tulips."
National Tulip Day, hey? I had never heard of that. A marketing trick for sure, but hey, if free tulips are to be had then it would probably be worthwhile checking it out. Or so I had decided on Wednesday. Today, however, I had forgotten all about it again. I was reminded when I walked to the supermarket in the morning. There, on Dam Square, was quite a big, heart shaped field of tulips. Behind it was a lorry with the text With Tulips You Always Score written on it, and in the middle of the field was a group of people dressed in orange singing (oh yes) Tulips From Amsterdam.
I continued my way to the supermarket (after taking the above picture) and returned home to read more about the tulips on Dam Square on the internet. Apparently the Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, would make a speech at 1:30 and pick the first bouquet of flowers, and after him everyone was allowed to pick a bouquet for themselves. Free of charge! Sean was here briefly in the afternoon to pick up some stuff he had bought in Bijenkorf on Thursday and left here, and when we both walked towards Dam Square I saw that many indeed were picking tulips. I couldn't resist my Dutchness any longer. I love tulips and buy them regularly but if they are free then they become irresistible. I picked about twenty flowers of varied colours and, while Sean went back to Bijenkorf, I returned home, happy with my tulips. May National Tulip Day become a tradition for many years to come!
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