Utrecht

Our planning for the weekend didn't quite work out. We were in the U.S. for most of April, waiting for our work visas to be processed. We forgot that Queen's Day, April 30, was a holiday and by the time we tried to make reservations to go to Paris, the trains were all booked.

I missed the tulip fields! By the time I was authorized to enter the Netherlands again, they had passed their peak. I heard that the season was extra short this time, due to a draught--no rain for several weeks.

We decided to spend the weekend locally for a change, and on Saturday, Faye, Heidi and I took the train to Utrecht, about a 40 minute, very pleasant ride. Along the way, we saw pasture, after pasture, with at least one baby lamb. Spring is here!

My guidebook talked about the canals in Utrecht being dug out, so that their level was 10 feet below street level--that compensated for changes in the Rheine River level. I don't know what they used those warehouses for, since I would think that they would have expecteded flood ingfrom time to time.