White rose

In keeping with the green and white theme, little green leaves are peaking out from behind the petals of this lovely white rose.

Fresh flowers and bouquets are abundant in the many flower stands that dot the streets of Amsterdam. A fun place to buy florae and bulbs is at the Bloemenmarkt on the Singel Canal, where the flower stalls are on houseboats. The gift stores in the market also do good business, including those that sell delicious Dutch cheese.

A year and a half ago, when my cousin was living in Germany and I was living in Canada, we met for a weekend in Amsterdam and shopped at the Bloemenmarkt. This past spring, beautiful souvenir tulips adorned my garden in Burlington. If you had asked me then, I would never ever have expected to be living in Amsterdam. Life’s twists and turns are interesting, indeed.