Dutch Postcard

De Brouwersgracht, Amsterdam

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Tulip Fields of Holland

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amsterdam, Europe, European travel, Netherlands, Netherlands. Holland European travel, Tulip Fields, zoe travel

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” -From Matthew 6:28.

This passage is also quoted as inspiration in the movie “lilies of the Field.” One of my favorite Sidney Poitier classics from the 60’s.

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These two thoughts flashed through my mind as I strolled the tulip fields of Central Holland.  The fields are drenched in bright yellow, fuchsia, gold, crimson and purple. Some pigment so brilliant they defy description. So rich and colorful they inspired Van Gogh to capture their luminance with his thrashing brush and vibrant palate.

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In the Golden age of Holland, tulips were so valued they were even used as currency.  Many Dutch measured their wealth by the amount of financial interest they had in the tulip trade. Until the market crashed in 1637.

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Just beyond the outer rim of the North Sea dunes, slightly west of Amsterdam, the bountiful pastel fields spread as far as the eye can see. Strewn aghast, sprawled, multicolored layers of pigment spilling across the lowlands, creating a picturesque kaleidoscope of hues reminiscent of Van Gogh’s master work, Tulip Fields.

The fields, aflush with tulips of of every variety. It is as if the colors of the rainbow exploded and fell onto the open lands of Holland. And it is here they lay, flaunting themselves in the brightly colored beds, like pigmented stars soaking in the sun.

They may not be traded as currency anymore but their richness and value will long endure.~ZT