Hooked by
HOLLAND
Mark Bigault and Alyson Warnock head across the North Sea in search of windmills, and, of course, tulips

The first thing that came to my mind when we talked about going to Holland for a spring break was the tulips. I'm not sure it was Mark's first thought, but he was soon just as excited as me at the prospect of seeing the brightly striped fields of flowers that the country is famous for. We planned to travel in mid-April when the tulips are in bloom. And if you are going to Holland to see tulips, you have to visit Keukenhof near Lisse. These gardens were established almost 60 years ago as a showcase for the bulb trade. They are open to the public for only two months each year when the seven million tulip, daffodil and hyacinth bulbs are in flower, creating a carpet of colour. The gardens are one of Holland's most popular tourist attractions and the perfect place to indulge in a little tulipmania. Neither of us had taken a caravan abroad before, so we needed to do some research on what to expect. In the end, getting the six-berth Abbey Expression to Holland was easier than we had thought. Organising the ferry was the first task: we settled on the Stena Line route from Harwich in Essex to the Hook of Holland, which is close to Rotterdam. There are two daily crossings, at 9am and 11.45pm. We opted for the late departure, so that we would be fresh on arrival. We booked the ferry through the Camping and Caravanning Club, which recommended we get a cabin for the seven-hour, overnight crossing. Very sensible!

(Extract from the full article in the July 08 issue)

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AbbeyExpression

ALSO IN THE MAG: West Dorset, Aberdeenshire, Holland, Brittany

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