Keukenhof, Spring Flowers Paradise

Holland is a tulips paradise, but there is a time and place when seeing them becomes an authentic symphony for the senses of color, scent and touch. The Keukenhof gardens, about 40 kms. from Amsterdam, is situated between Leiden and Haarlem.

There are about seven million different bulbs planted each year, including a wide variety of tulips, hyacinths, orchids, daffodils, lilies and crocuses. The tulip display is breath taking, with more than 700 different varieties of tulips.

There is also a large collection of sculptures and art scattered throughout the Keukenhof garden.

Lilypad Sculpture

The Keukenhof garden started as a kitchen garden of countess Jacoba Van Beieren in the 15th century on the grounds of the nearby castle Teylingen. Today the garden spans to 80 acres of flowers. (Source:  Netherlands Tour Guide)

You can breathe deeply, place one foot after another and enjoy the paths of these beautiful gardens. Bring your camera because in every turn of the way, you will find a picture to take a shot and remember.

It is highly recommended to visit, which is one of the unique corners of the world, but unfortunately, it can only be visited certain months of the year.  This year, the Kuekenhof gardens are open to the public 22 march to 20 may, 2012 from  8.00 a.m. to 19.30 p.m. daily (ticket office closes at 18.00 p.m.).Including all Sundays and public holidays.

Bus services from Station Schiphol leaves 12 times an hour. The Combiticket (busservices + entrance) is the most convenient way to begin your daytrip to Keukenhof. Bus services(busline 58 from Schiphol) to Keukenhof run 12 times an hour and stop directly at the park entrance. Plus you can avoid the queue, with immediate access to the park via a reserved entrance.
(Source: Kuekenhof Holland).

The entrance fee to Keukenhof is 14,5 € for adults and 7€ for children, but the money will surely be worth investing, because you will come out invigorated with life. Your life will absorb the colors of the park and will be impregnated with the scents of the tulips, so they say.

The gardens of Keukenhof, a flowers paradise, probably the most beautiful spring garden in the world.  Surely a place not to be missed in a lifetime.  Maybe to visit next spring?

The arrival of spring, a Poem

My Artwork

The Arrival of Spring (cathe waller) by Rg Gregorythe


on the last day of winter i went to bed
harsh winds rainstorms beating my head
houses trees with a sucked-out look
new year flaked from the old one's hook

then overnight such a change of heart
spring come home with her confectionery cart
hundreds-and-thousands strewn in the breeze
houses sampling them as well as the trees

people savouring them in punts on the river
earth knee-deep in them praising the giver
so (blankets off) i'm out in the streets
glutton for spring and her burst bag of sweets

Lichens in Hiruela, Madrid

Map of Madrid

Early this month, I went with Ron, Beatriz and Mel to visit a nearby town, north of Madrid,  called Hiruela,   where we saw different kinds of lichens, which are fungi in artforms of nature. The lichens were all over not only on trees but also on the ground. I got some of them attached in small twigs and branches for my decorative purposes.

See samples below.

This town is a tourist spot with some recommended paths to follow within rows of trees.  The whole town was almost at our own private tour.  We chose a route that indicated walking for three hours, but we did not finish the route as it became complicated for me along the way with difficulty of crossing from one end to the other.  I had to cross a stream to be able to go to the other side.

Another older group that were behind us opted not to cross the stream but I think that the cold water did me well since it removed the tiredness in my legs and feet. It was like a cold massage and I did like it after all although the water was really very cold and I had to be careful less I slip over the pebbles.   Luckily, it was a clear,  sunny day and even if the temperature was cold,  as we walked,  the weather mellowed down.  Here is a glimpse of the town and its river.

Hands Shadows

Such a simple way of entertaining!

Cinemagraphs Photos in Movement

Cinemagraphs are still images that contain within themselves living elements allowing a glimpse of time to be experienced and preserved. Cinemagraph is a technique of blending the effects of images and videos. It was introduced by a New York fashion photographer Jamie Beck, in collaboration with motion graphics designer Kevin Burg. Since then, many other designers have created similar forms of cinemagraphs. Cinemagraphs are typically simply created as animated .gif files making them easy to use on a web page. In this article, I feature stunning examples of cinemagraphs for your inspiration. Don’t scroll too fast if you want to experience the Cinemagraphs and look carefully – elements you don’t expect to move may do it…!  Source of text:  Tripwire Magazine.  Article by Justin Betonio

In order to make a cinemagraph, first of all, we must focus on one element so that we can create a coherent movement  once or several times.  Likewise, it is essential that the color schemes of the image that we record on video are not too many otherwise we will obtain results that will look like drawings instead of photographs.  

Two simple ways of making a cinemagraph

1.  With the use of the iPhone Cinemagram. In the App Store, we have found Cinemagram, a program that allows to create a cinemagraph in less than a minute with  an iPhone. We only have to record a secuence on video, or choose any saved previously in the phone, select the repeat time of the final image, indicate the area that we want to maintain as animated, apply a filter to the animation like those of the Instagram and we will obtain a cinemagraph similar to the above.  It cannot be any simpler.

 2. With the Use of Cliplets in  Windows.  This second option recommends the use of a free program called Microsoft Cliplets. Although we have not tried this, we have seen the help videos that are published in their web page and it does not seem complicated to use.  The only problem is that the result is not a gif file, but a video.  It seems that to maintain a link in movement in a web is not too easy.
Source of Previous images and text:  El País.com

Source of last two images:  Trip Magazine