Tulips were introduced to Holland in 1593 from Turkey. These flowers became very popular, so much so that "tulipmania" occurred. In the mid-1600s, tulip bulbs were so coveted that the Dutch invested in them. There was a tulip market, and bulbs would be auctioned, and people paid for the bulbs. But then speculation of how much money one could make from the bulbs came in and the bidding soared. At the height of the bubble market, tulips sold for 10,000 guilders, which was equivalent to the value of a mansion in Amsterdam. The bubble occurred around 1634 to 1637, but then the bubble burst.
I am old enough to remember when there was a real estate bubble in the US, peaking in 2006. Banks had made it easy to take out a mortgage and people started buying and flipping houses, making money from them. But later on, property prices were really high, but people continued buying them. When the bubble burst, property values dropped but these people were still holding huge mortgage payments. Many had to let the properties go.
I imagine that is what happened to the tulips in Holland.
We visited the Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, Netherlands, not too far from Amsterdam. I have to say the tulips and other flowers were breathtakingly beautiful, I could almost understand "tulipmania."
The Keukenhof, known as the Garden of Europe, is open only from late March to early May because bulbs have limited lifetime. They bud, flower, then die in a matter of weeks. The Keukenhof covers an area of 79 acres with 7 million flowers. The gardens include tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, carnations, and irises. After looking at the amazing flowers, I decided to have a pot of bulbs or irises in my own garden.
Take a look at some of the photos we took. Note the one picture with the out-of-place bulb; it was a hit over there and many were taking pictures of it.
Read also:
River Cruise of the Netherlands and Belgium - Bruge or Brugge
River Cruise of the Netherlands and Belgium - Antwerp
River Cruise of the Netherlands and Belgium - Hoorn and Arnhem
River Cruise of the Netherlands and Belgium - Amsterdam Canals
Cecilia Brainard's Selected Short Stories Wins 40th National Book Awards in Short Fiction, English
The Kindness of the French (Trip to Paris)
Tags: #rivercruise #europeanrivercruise #Amsterdamcanal #Europeantravel #Europeanholiday
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