Destination Amsterdam: Flower Power

On a recent trip to Amsterdam, I ventured outside the city to explore two places that showcase the beauty the Netherlands is known for worldwide: flowers. 

I toured Royal FloraHolland, in Aalsmeer, the largest marketplace for flowers in the world, and spent several hours at Keukenhof Gardens, in Lisse, known as the "Garden of Europe."

Royal FloraHolland

Keukenhof Gardens

Flowers are ready to transport

Royal FloraHolland handles 10.3 billion flowers annually, operating 24/7 to meet the international demand. It's almost dizzying to watch carts of flowers being moved across the warehouse floor and sorted in various places to eventually be transported to numerous countries. You wonder how they keep track of everything.

The plant, which is the size of 243 soccer fields, handles about 100,000 transactions daily and has 3,500 employees to keep things moving smoothly, according to the company. Check out this video from Royal FloraHolland to see what transpires on the floor each day.

Here are a few facts and figures provided by the Royal FloraHolland:

• 23,200 different species of flowers and plants.

• 

  Legos flower pot

  Roses rank as the No. 1 flower with 2.9 billion annually, followed by the tulip with 1.5 billion and the chrysanthemum at 1.2 billion. The top three plants are phalaenopsis/orchids (106 million), kalanchoe (83 million), and potted rose (49 million). 
• The top export countries are Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Poland; the top import countries are Kenya, Ethiopia, Israel, Belgium, and Germany.
• Royal FloraHolland is an association and cooperative with about 2,300 buyers, 3,000 members from Africa, Asia, and Europe, and 4,800 suppliers. 

It's probably a surprise to many people—and it was to me—but the tulip is not the national flower of the Netherlands. That honor goes to the daisy, which was selected in a public vote in 2023. The reason is that the tulip isn't a native plant; that distinction goes to Turkey. It's also the national flower of Hungary.

In my home state of Kentucky, tulips are in bloom on the state capitol grounds until early May. And they come from the Netherlands!

More than 7 million tulips, daffodils, and other bulb flowers display their glorious spring colors at Keukenhof Gardens. The grounds cover 79 acres of beautiful blooms that you can view by walking in the gardens, three pavilions, and exhibits; on a 45-minute boat ride through the fields surrounding Keukenhof; or by bicycle (the Dutch love their bikes). Guided tours are also provided.

The gardens also include a petting zoo and playground for children, a windmill, shops, and a food court. The facility is open through May 11.

This year is special as it marks the 75th anniversary of Keukenhof Gardens. Click here for more information about the history of the gardens.

Until the next time . . .

Destination Portugal: Évora

 Évora is a charming and historic city in central Portugal with relics from Roman and Moorish influence before and during the Medieval period, including protective walls, a temple, several cathedrals, and remains of a royal palace.

Group following the guide

Our tour of the UNESCO Heritage Site began with a walk through a quiet park bordering an ancient wall as a local guide provided information about the city's rich history when it was one of Portugal's cultural and educational centers. 

Church of St. Francis

And then on toward the Old Town center, stopping first at the eerie Chapel of Bones at the Gothic-style Church of St. Francis, its walls "decorated" by Franciscan monks with the remains of 5,000 corpses. 

Bones in the Chapel of Bones

Walking on the cobblestone street, we headed to the Old Town square of Évora, where there are shops and restaurants. People congregated to eat at tables next to a fountain, while others sat on benches along the perimeter to chat or take in the sunshine. For me, this was one of the most relaxing places on the tour. 

Church of Santo Antao in Old Town square

Now on to some other sites in this enchanting place.

Sentry post along wall

Side street 

Temple of Diana, built in the first century

Church of Grace 

Remains of the Royal Palace

Bust of Dr. Francisco Eduardo de Barahona,
 a benefactor of the city, in the Garden of Diana 

Évora Cathedral 

After our visit to Évora, we made a stop at a cork-making factory. Wine is an important Portuguese product, so it makes sense that cork would be prominent as well. 

Bark stripped from cork oak trees 

Now on to the Algarve region in the southern part of Portugal. I hope you stay along for the ride.

Until the next time . . .

Destination Portugal: Porto

 I suppose one adventure of travel is making connecting flights at various airports. The ideal is to board a plane at your home airport and fly nonstop to your destination. That's highly unlikely if you're flying overseas in economy class. I like to think it adds to the adventure of seeing fresh places, even if it is an airport.

For my wife and I on our journey to Portugal, we flew out of Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., to O'Hare International in Chicago, then a long flight to Zurich Airport in Switzerland (we can now say we've been to Switzerland), and then on to Porto Airport in Portugal. Enough about airports. 

As I've probably mentioned in previous posts, we take guided tours on our trips to Europe because we like someone holding our hands and leading us to various sundry places. Well, it's not quite that bad because we do like the free time to explore on our own, but a director gives us ideas and can point us in the right direction. And she is someone we can contact if we get totally lost! 

The Douro River at twilight

Porto, or Oporto to the Portuguese and probably a few others, is a picturesque city on the northwest coast. It's the second-largest city in Portugal, with a metro population of 1.7 million people. 

Porto is a historic city, much like most European places visited by Americans. We began with a walking tour of the Ribeira District, which borders the Douro riverfront. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Porto Cathedral 

Our first stop was the Porto Cathedral, overlooking the Douro River. Construction on the Romanesque structure began in 1110 and was completed in 1737, a mere 627 years. An impressive pillory stands on the grounds. A statue of Vimara Peres, a ninth-century nobleman, stands near the entrance.  

Vimara Peres

We took a short walk from the cathedral to the Sao Bento Railway Station, which is noted for its tiled mosaics depicting the history of Portugal in the main hall. The predominately blue-and-white tiles are an important part of the nation's history and culture that you'll see in other parts of the country. The display on the station's walls is captivating by the artistry and detail.

Without going on and on, here are a few other highlights from our tour of Porto that including bus stops along the Atlantic coastline and a leisurely boat ride on the Douro River.

Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator

A church with a blue-and-white tile facade

Restaurants in the historic Ribeira District 

Boats on the Douro River 

Barrel in a warehouse containing Porto wine 

We also visited the Stock Exchange or Bolsa Palace, viewed marvelous wood carvings in the Church of the Convent of St. Francis, and toured Ferreira wine cellars and took part in a tasting of its delightful product. 

There was so much to see and do in Porto but so little time as we had to move on to our next stops in Coimbra and Evora. If ever I return to Portugal, Porto is a city where I want to spend a lot of time.

Until the next time . . .

 

Reflections on Greece — Part Three

Sightseeing is probably the main reason for traveling to far and distant lands. You read and study about different places and you want to see it firsthand. 

The Parthenon

And that's a reason my wife and I journeyed to Greece, to see places such as the Acropolis in Athens, the legendary city of Olympia where the first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C., and Delphi, believed by ancient Greeks to be the center of the world.

While it's interesting and educational to visit these and other places (I must admit that after seeing several temples, they begin to look the same), it's going off the beaten path and experiencing another culture that enhances the adventure and truly makes it memorable.

Melina Mercouri

It's nice to have free time to do some exploring on your own. In Athens, my wife and I saw quite a few gypsies selling various items. We ventured to see the statue of internationally acclaimed actress Melina Mercouri, and across the road, Hadrian's Wall. 

Greek dancers

At a dinner at the quaint Tripa (or Trypa) restaurant in Corfu, our group was entertained by two traditional Greek dancers who had all of us shouting  "Opa!" to their rhythmic moves. They even had several of us out of the floor celebrating this colorful heritage. Opa is one Greek word that I'll never forget. 

Easter eve procession

Also in Corfu, we had time to discover Old Town, exploring the streets during festive pre-Easter celebrations that included tossing pottery out of windows. And in the evening, we watched a solemn religious procession near midnight. Religion is important to Greek lives as you may notice their flag has a cross, which symbolizes the Eastern Orthodox church.

Greek wines

Our group stopped at a vineyard in Nemea, where we learned about their wine-making process and sat down for a wine-tasting. And there was another stop at a business that makes top-of-the-line pottery and watched a craftsman at a wheel mold clay into shape. 

Our canine friend in Nafplio

We were amazed to see so many dogs and cats at the various sites. I was told that people often drop off the animals because they know they'll be cared of by the site personnel and tourists. While at Nafplio, we had a canine mingle with our group as we walked to several sites.

A cat taking it easy in Delphi

We had about 30 people in our group including 10 from Canada, seven from the Carolinas, four from Pennsylvania, three from California, two from Texas, one from Ohio, one from Tennessee, and my wife and I from Kentucky. It was a delightful and enthusiastic group, one that shared laughs and stories on a shared journey. One of the plusses of group travel is the friendships you develop along the way.

Group photo in Nafplio

Our guide, Enrico, was exceptional — intelligent, multi-lingual, informative, friendly, helpful, humorous, and as the gals would agree, handsome. 

Our dedicated bus driver got us to every venue safe and sound and on time, and the local guides provided us with information that enhanced each stop.

If you read one of my earlier posts, you know that my wife and I were accosted by pickpockets on the Metro in Athens. They managed to steal my cell phone but that was it as I was able to fend them off.  

My wife and I were determined not to let it spoil our trip, and while we still talk about the assault, it didn't overshadow the wonderful times we had in this marvelous country. I encourage you to visit Greece.

Mary and Michael, with Acropolis in the distance

Until the next time . . .  

Unpleasant Memory of Greece

My wife and I spent nearly two weeks on a guided tour in Greece, viewing some wondrous sites across this beautiful country.

Despite seeing impressive places such as the ancient Acropolis, the Oracle of Delphi,  the majestic Meteora monasteries, the ruins at the Temple of Zeus, the enchanting island of Corfu, and the picturesque seaside port of Nafplio, the experience was marred by a handful of lowlifes we encountered on the Metro in Athens.


Pickpockets.

We were assaulted twice by a group of losers. Fortunately, for us, they only managed to steal my old cellphone. But it could have been worse.

I managed to prevent one of the thieves from taking the wallet from my zippered front pocket. They did unzip my wife's handbag but only managed a passport holder (without my passport) that they tossed aside. 

My wife was physically assaulted when one of the thugs pressed his body against her, whom she promptly pushed him back. 

I didn't take their crap, shoving them off and giving them a tongue-lashing that could probably be heard throughout the car.  They ran off when the door opened. Yeah, they're cowards as well.

We did manage to find security and they were helpful in directing us to the stop where our hotel was located.

I'm writing this because I believe Athens needs to clean up its act or it'll start losing much-needed tourism dollars. I can tell you now that I'd never travel to Barcelona because of its pickpocket problem. 

I caution travelers to be on the lookout for pickpockets. They blend in. They're not always easy to spot except that they generally work in pairs or group, trying to distract you and then stealing your wallet, purse, passports, and other items. 

This was our fourth trip to Europe so we weren't naive about the possibility of it happening to us. I do believe we were spared a worse outcome because we had educated ourselves to be on the lookout for these subhumans.  

So beware of greasy hands in Greece. It's a shame that people can make the effort to travel across the world to this nation but leave with the memory of being attacked by common criminals. It can happen to you. 

Check this post from The Savvy Backpacker for tips to avoid pickpockets as well as European cities where pickpockets are a big problem. 

One more thing. We intend to return to Europe. We're not going to let the petty pickpockets win. I just hope that police crackdown even more on these creeps.

Until the next time . . .

"Explore. Dream. Discover."

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page" -- St. Augustine

I'll be taking another trip to Europe this spring, making stops in Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. 

For those who follow my blog (and if you don't you can sign up on the right column), you know my wife and I traveled to London, Paris, and Roma last May. It was an unforgettable experience so we decided to return to Europe, this time taking in some other cities that we've read about in publications, seen in movies, or raved about from other travelers. 

"I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything." -- Bill Bryson

Austria

We're looking forward to seeing places such as the Hungarian Parliament, Buda Castle, Hungarian State Opera House, and perhaps Memento Park in Budapest; Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square and the Jewish Quarter in Prague; and St. Stephen's Cathedral, Schonbrunn Palace, and Hofburg in Vienna.

"Travel like Ghandi, with simple clothes, open eyes and an uncluttered mind." -- Rick Steves

Czech Republic

We're urban hikers so we'll be taking in a lot of sites and sounds from this new adventure to the Old World. We often find the most interesting things off the beaten path.


And we can't wait to taste some of the cuisine from those countries. I've read that Czech beer is great; Austrian pastries are divine; and Hungarian dishes are spicy and delicious. 

"One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are." -- Edith Wharton

Hungary

I'll be taking tons of photos and writing posts to this blog. (If any media outlets are interested in features and photos, you can email me at michael.embry@gmail.com. I may also be available to visit or speak to groups, there or here.) 

Any suggestions of places to visit?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

Until the next time....


(Travel quotes from www.autoeurope.com)

European Experience: Observations and Reflections

It's been nearly three weeks since my wife Mary and I returned from our European vacation to London, Paris and Roma. 

Here are some reflections from our unforgettable journey:

Big Ben in London

• Which city did we enjoy the most? We liked them all equally. I know it sounds like a cop out but they are so different and distinct from each other. London has its regal atmosphere, Paris has its opulence, and Roma has its glorious history. 
• We had read and heard  so much about the rudeness among some Europeans, especially the French. We didn't encounter any of that in these cities. We found most of them to be friendly, and if not that, polite. I hope that means something coming from a person  who comes from a place known for its hospitality -- Kentucky.
• We read about pickpockets being so prevalent, especially around the historic sites in Roma. I'm sure they were there, but hey, pickpockets are everywhere large crowds with money congregate, and that includes the United States and anywhere else in the world. Just use commonsense. 

  

  The Eiffel Tower in Paris

• The traffic wasn't nearly as bad as we had read except maybe going from Heathrow in London to our hotel on the narrow roads with narrow lanes. And since traffic moves in opposite lanes in England, you see pedestrian warnings throughout the city to look both ways before crossing a street (look right first).  I almost got hit by a motor scooter in Roma (the driver came out of nowhere near a historic plaza and he probably thought I did as well). I will say I have no desire to drive in those cities and that's fine since they have excellent public transportation.
• While in Roma, we encountered a young man who said he was from Kenya (he was wearing a turban and brightly colored shirt) near the Castel Sant'Angelo. He gave us three small hand-carved trinkets -- two turtles and an elephant -- and said he didn't want anything in return. It was simply out of friendship. When I gave him a euro, and then Mary handed him one, he told us he was hungry and wanted more (he didn't appear hungry/starving). We then offered to give him back the wooden trinkets, but he refused, again  saying it was out of friendship. We then had a friendly parting of the ways, at least from our viewpoint. 

  

  The Colosseum in Roma

• We didn't see a lot of homeless people. That could be because we didn't travel to the underbelly of the cities (most guided tours take you to the places the cities want to showcase). Of course, there were vendors hawking items, especially in Roma. 
• Probably the most disappointing views we had were of

  

  Graffiti from the Seine

   graffiti, most notably in Paris and Roma. It's a shame to have these eyesores distract from the overall beauty and grandeur of these great and wonderful cities.  
• We felt safe and secure in each of the cities. The security areas at the airports were efficient, orderly and respectful. TSA in the United States could learn a few things from their European counterparts about moving people through security, especially in how to address and treat people. After returning to the U.S. at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, I thought about what our European visitors must think since we were all herded through like cattle. It certainly isn't a "Welcome to America"  message that TSA is conveying. 

We plan to visit Europe again, probably taking in other cities the next time (you only go around once in life). We're also thinking about going to Asian, African and South American countries if time and finances permit.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Until the next time...

European Experience -- A Roman Holiday

The third and final leg of our European adventure took us to beautiful, historic and majestic Roma -- the eternal city.

Roma (often referred to as Rome) is nearly 3,000-years old. The Roman Empire ruled western civilization from 31 B.C. until 476 A.D. , and its influence continues today on many levels. 

Ancient ruins in the heart of the city

When visiting this city, you can see the glory that was (and is) Roma in architectural ruins, cathedrals, sculptures, obelisks, lavish fountains and other points of interest. Another observation is that I have never seen so many motor scooters zipping in and out of traffic (I just had to share that).

One of the first places our tour group visited was the Pantheon, which dates back to the second century. Originally a pagan shrine, it was consecrated a Christian church about 500 years later. Raphael, a renowned Renaissance painter and architect, is entombed there.

The Pantheon

Raphael's tomb

Inside the Pantheon

We also walked through the Piazza Navona, a large courtyard with lush fountains and Baroque mansions that attracts artists, musicians, peddlars, and of course, tourists. 

The Piazza Navona

Nearby is the world-famous Trevi Fountain (remember the movies "Three Coins in a Fountain" and "La Dolce Vita"?). It's undergoing a restoration that is expected to be completed this fall. Our guide told us that an estimated 1,500 or more euros are tossed daily into the fountain, which are used to help the city's needy population. 

Roma's top-rated gelato parlor

We finished our first day by stopping at Giolitti, ranked as the best gelato (Italian ice cream) parlor in Roma. An interesting aspect is that you pay first, then take your receipt to the counter and tell the server what flavor you want (banana for me, chocolate for Mary). I know it's not historic, but when in Roma, do as the Romans do. Si?

I suppose the highlights of Roma were visiting the Colosseum and the Vatican City. We were amazed at the massive size of the Colosseum -- photos really don't do it justice until you view it from the inside. Next to the Colosseum is Imperial Roma. 

At the Colosseum

Inside the Colosseum

Imperial Roma

The Vatican because of its architecture, museums and historical significance and influence in Christianity that is worldwide. There was a long line leading into St. Peter's Basilica, where you could see the ornate and timeless art of Michelangelo and others. 

St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican

St. Peter's Square at the Vatican

Other places we visited included St. Paul's Basilica and the Catacombs of Roma. You also see the Appian Way and Aurelian walls in various parts of the city.

Inside St. Paul's Basilica

Here are a few other sights from our three days in Roma:

Isola Tiberina

Bridge over Tiber River

Castel Sant'Angelo

Vendors near Castel Sant'Angelo

Piazza Venezia

 Until the next time...