Holland, not only tulips

In a little guide over Holland you can read that, one time, a typical 'polder' was nothing but a set of land strips emerged between the banks of lakes surrounding, while what we see today is the result of work of "shallow water". This is the nickname of the man with a classical system of dams and windmills, the icon of the country, has converted the lake water in soil remediation, making the interior of Alkmaar one of their most fruitful in Europe.

Alkmarr, a town of a thousand rills, is known as the land of monuments, especially the cheese, weighing from 1300, according to an old rite, in Market Square, where today the Pesa Palace hosts the Cheese National Museum. And then Beemster, one of the first 'polder' to be quenched in the seventeenth century, declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1999.

The "new land" in the Netherlands, this means 'polder', created in late 1600 draining a lake, has managed to maintain harmony and natural balance as well as an original state almost unchanged. Today, between grazing animals and large expanses of flowers that dye lots of colors in farmlands you can visit it, maybe cycling, one of Holland's most popular ways to discover nature. Surrounded by rows of vineyards below sea level, it can lead straight to his heart, the picturesque village of De Rijp known island village in 1500 for herring and whaling. All this is Beemster, a paradise where now grow fruits, vegetables and flowers of all kinds.

As heavenly as is represented in the 'Westland Floating Parade' in the Region of South Holland. Each year the last weekend of July this summer event, unique and colorful, attracts more than 300 thousand visitors with a route that varies from time to time. Three days in which 60 boats decorated with flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables, take a trip of 70 miles, through villages of Westland, Midden-of Delfland, Vlaardingen, Maassluis, Rijswijk, Den Haag en Delft, famous for its ceramic white and blue. Theme of 2010 is the ''Vreemd Vogels” (rare birds), to which each boat will have to devote an individual choice.

More than 400 volunteers between skipper, appearances and set designers, working together on this event to show that the Westland has much to offer with its greenhouses. In summer, in fact, the wonderful fresh products, grown in a healthy way, are exhibited and offered to the public in an infinite variety. Pleasant climate, good music and routes for the lovers of two wheels really well organized: only a slice of Holland.

The Editor