Yours in Amsterdam: A Novel by Reyna Starlette

Author:Reyna Starlette [Starlette, Reyna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

The town of Lisse sits close to fifty kilometers southwest of Amsterdam. That’s where Sophie’s florist is based. The town is known for its beautiful tulip flower gardens that attract millions of tourists in spring. The famous Keukenhof Garden alone hosts over a million tourists for the few weeks it’s open to the public.

Daan tells me that he has booked tickets for us to visit Keukenhof Garden before we have to meet with the florist. We leave Amsterdam early to beat the crowd and be there as soon as the door opens. The drive to Lisse is quiet. We sit in the car listening to music in comfortable silence for the most part. I don’t feel the need to fill the silence as I usually do. The silence doesn’t feel awkward either.

I stare out of the passenger side window at the beautiful countryside. It’s amazing how you can just drive for a few minutes out of the bustling city center and see large farms and cows. Everything is in close proximity, which never ceases to amaze me as someone from the US.

We arrive at the Keukenhof Garden right when the doors open at eight in the morning. We’re among the first people to enter the garden. Daan has thought this out quite well. He gives me what he calls “fun facts” about the garden as we walk around side by side, although I don’t quite see the ‘fun’ part. He tells me that the garden extends over 35 hectares and has around seven million bulbs.

I’m blown away when I see the sea of flowers stretching as far as the eye can see. The flower arrangements and the greenery of the park are impeccably designed. I can honestly say that this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. A full sensory explosion in the best way possible: endless colors, patterns, and aroma.

Who knew there are this many types of tulips? There are hundreds of varieties of tulips in this garden alone. I now understand why Sophie has chosen to use them for her wedding; the possibilities are endless. In addition to tulips, the garden houses roses, lilies, and many others.

Daan takes a candid picture of me in the middle of the flower field, smiling from ear to ear in amazement.

“Look how pretty you look,” he says, holding his phone toward me. With my colorful floral dress and my curly hair being swept by the wind, the picture looks magical.

We walk around the garden for a couple of hours. The place is getting crowded now. Exhausted, we take a break by the small pond surrounded by colorful flower arrangements.

“Wait here, I’ll be back,” Daan says, rushing to the gate before I have a chance to ask where he’s going.

After fifteen minutes, he comes back, holding a picnic basket and a blanket. I can’t believe he packed a picnic. How thoughtful. I look at him in amazement as he lays the picnic blanket and takes the sandwiches and drinks he brought out of the basket.

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