The first of, potentially, several visits this year to Keukenhof happened on this sunny, brisk Monday and I’m hard-pressed to think of a better time to go. First, going on a regular workday is a sure way to avoid the insane stream of buses that are a given this time of year – and while it may be a coin toss, to be able to go on a sun-filled day like today is the best insurance to enjoying what is possibly one of the best-looking tourist magnets in this part of the world. I’d been here many times before but given the current circumstances the chance was hard to pass up – it does only happens two months of the year after all.

We booked our tickets online last night and were in queue a few minutes before gates officially opened this morning at 8, which meant we were just the second in line and for a great deal of the time felt like we had the place to ourselves. We took our sweet time wandering around the fairly huge park, take photos leisurely and unencumbered, be the first to scale the open windmill, which was practically empty, with enough time to enjoy the luxury of some warm and quiet drinks in between.

By the time we decided to leave nearly two hours later, the queue to go in was ten times as long and with a certain blissful smugness we walked away from the crowd and to the sunny parking lot satisfied with our first accomplishment for the day. With several more guests lined up this year we’ll surely be back, wiser in the knowledge that the secret to visiting Keukenhof has been uncovered just in time and that more lovely visits will quite possibly come to pass.