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      Holland is probably best known for its flowers, especially tulips, clogs and Windmills!!
But there is a lot more than this if you are prepared to look and go off the beaten track.   One of the main attractions of course is Amsterdam, its canals, its “brown” cafes (where cannabis and the like are freely available) and of course the city`s Red Light District!   Besides all these there is the weekly flower market, the cheese market, and some of the finest Art Galleries in the world, where, unless out on loan to other Galleries, you can find most of the finest works of Van Goch, and the other Dutch Masters.   Go and look (and in some instances out of the above I would suggest you don`t touch!!!) but then head further afield and you will find a friendly people who mainly speak fluent English and who will make you feel most welcome in a country which has reclaimed up to a third of its area from the North Sea.
        Apart from the crossing from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, the easiest crossing in terms of time and cost is probably Dover to Ostende, and it is a short drive across the border into Southern Holland, where you can head straight for Delft, before going on to explore The Hague, the seat of Government and the main Financial centre.   Almost a part of this conurbation is the town of Scheveningen, which has a great beach and which probably acts as a lung for the City of The Hague.
        Another of the attractions of Holland is of course the Bulbfields, and thousands flock annually to Kukkenhof Gardens to see the displays which last from the earliest snowdrops in February to the hyacinths which tend to come into flower later in May.   It is always a gamble as to whether you will catch the display at its most colourful, because weather and the changing times of the Spring season can make all the difference between seeing the flowers at their best, and seeing them in between species flowering.   A good time generally is the beginning of April, but check with the Dutch Tourist Office.   You`re bound to miss out on some of the bulbs because of course they do not all flower at once!
        Assuming you are in your own car head off North up the coast and discover the old town of Alkmaar, before heading south-east again into Amsterdam.   The Dutch road system is excellent, but watch out for speed checks, they have radar traps everywhere!   One thing you may notice as you travel around, the general absence of farm animals out in the open.   This is because mainly they are kept in long sheds, with conveyor belts at one end to supply them with fodder, and also at the other end to dispose of the effluent!   This is also something you will notice, the pungent odour seems everywhere!   After a while, like the Dutch you will become immune to its presence.
         The north of Holland is generally more open countryside with large stretches of Pine woodland, especially to the south-east of Groningen heading towards Emmen.   North of Groningen the land is flat and not very attractive, and if the north-east wind is blowing, then make sure you have as many layers on as you can get, because it is lazy wind.   It doesn`t go round you, it goes straight through!!!