Our next destination was Aarlsmeer. I have always wanted to see the Bloemenveiling where flowers are auctioned each day for transport around the world.
The cruise north was interesting as we passed the flower growing areas where you could see hectares of glass houses stretching out from the canal.
We stopped for the night on a side canal, the Aarkanal near the town of Alphen ad Rijn.
It is very good in Holland, the towns do a lot to provide places for holiday cruisers. This sidewall went for couple of kilometres with a bike path alongside, along a small canal to a lake area. Some parts of it also ran alongside larger open areas of trees and grass but one had to fight the every year cruisers to get these places.
We also passed under some interesting bridges which lifted up for us to go under or turned to go through.
The next one was interesting for us as we didn’t read the chart properly and had to wait as it only opened each half hour as it was on a very busy road. It may be a nuisance for us but we are only on holiday, it must be a real nuisance for the car drivers if they are running late for work and they get there at the wrong time.
The town of Aarlsmeer is situated at the north edge of the Westeinderplassen, a huge lake which has many small islands and about 35 marinas, boat clubs and boat yards. We cruised through the widest part of the lake then wound our way through a channel to come out right near our destination.
We chose the Nieuw Meer Marina as it was in town and suited us as we needed to be at the flower auction at 7am. We were on the town side and to get to the club across the small channel.
There was a cute little (thank goodness it was small) chain drive ferry which you had to wind vigorously. Sailors in this club must be very good arm wrestlers.
Our bike rides around towns are always interesting.
A new baby girl here.
Someone in these houses has just finished their school years as it is tradition to hang up your school bag on the flag pole.
This little canal has an interesting piece of art, I think it was modelled from one of my summer photographs.
The sky trails above us show how close we are to Schipol Airport.
The road system here in town shows how bicycles are the ruler of cars. The road has a bicycle lane each side with a single car lane in the centre. Bicycles have right of way and cars must wait behind until it is clear to move to the bicycle lane the other side and pass. If the other bicycle lane is occupied the cars and buses must wait behind.
A lot of market research must have been done to show having a coffee and the aroma of coffee relaxes customers and they buy more goods, when we visited the hardware shop they also had table and chairs and free coffee. There isn’t room in this supermarket so they have a small seat near the free coffee machine. If you don’t have time to sit the trolleys are equipped with a coffee cup holder.
FLORA HOLLAND
We were up at 6am next morning to ride out to the flower auction. What a morning we had!!!
The auctions are held on premises which cover the area of 250 soccer fields.
We paid our 5 euro and entered a bees’ paradise. 48 million flowers and plants are auctioned here daily then sent off all over the world.
We see the first of the flowers on trolleys waiting to be taken into the auction rooms.
The visitors walk along a walkway which runs the length of each side of the halls.
There are 6 auction rooms in this hall. The flowers are wheeled in for inspection and all relevant details are put up on the auction board.
The auction rooms had two or 3 screens working simultaneously keeping the buyers on their toes.
As the price drops on the computerised auction board the buyer presses a button on his desk for the containers he is bidding for. You can see the man at the front right with his finger on the button.
Some of the buyers were high tech working with laptops.
Buyer 1014 has just paid 22 cents a stem for these flowers you can just see the red ball at 22 on the screen.
For anyone interested below is the chart given to us to explain the auction screen. AA is the top quality grower.
The frenzy of activity is everywhere with little red electric cars racing around like bumber cars at the showground.
???????
There are patches of bright colour everywhere.
Thousands of the same shade of roses. Did you say you wanted orange ones!!
Soon the flowers are being packed away ready for delivery and it is time to go home.
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