Tulip Time In The Netherlands, Day Three

Paul and Elizabeth sail on AMAWaterways newest ship, the AmaLea. River Cruises through the Netherlands and Belgium during the height of the spring tulip bloom in Apri are at their best. It’s a chance to experience a river cruise and visit some of the most interesting towns and cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Middleburg, Ghent, Bruges, and even a stop at Kinderdijk.

The ship’s godmother is travel industry veteran Filomena Andre. Today the ship stops in Middleburg, where Paul and Elizabeth hire a taxi to take them to nearby Veere, home of Elizabeth’s ancestors.

In the 1600s, four Vandeveer brothers left from Veere to sail to what was then New Amsterdam and settled in what is now Flatbush. Three centuries later, the descendant of one of those brothers gave birth to Elizabeth’s mother, Marian Vandeveer Harryman. A visit to the town’s museum and a stop for apple cake and tea round out the day.