Uithoorn to Amsterdam.  Amstel River.

There was a LOT of grumbling coming from the aft cabin when I got up at 5.45 this morning and informed Skip that it was 6.4 degrees out. Brrrr. But we managed to leave on the bikes just after 7 and were at the flower auction at Arlesmerer half an hour later. Skip reckoned it was about 4 degrees with the "windchill". 

WOW! Definitely worth the chilly early start. 

Aalsmere is the biggest flower auction selling 60% of the world's flower.

They auction off 34.5 million flowers per DAY!

That's a pretty impressive 12.5 billion a year.

The daily takings: 9.6 million euros.

Flowers come in from all over the world. These South African proteas fetched 1,60 each. The protea grandioso (bigger) made 2,10 each and pincushions 0,35.

Prices on the auction "clocks" start high and drop until a bidder presses a button to fix the price. There are 40 of these clocks.

Buyers/bidders sit at terminals in two rooms like this. The auction goes at a heck of a pace - they really have to pay attention.

They auction everything from flowers, pot plants, greenery to ornamental pumpkins.

This lot were mostly hydrangeas and boxed orchid plants.

It looked like well organised chaos. Within 60 minutes of pressing the button, orders were collated and being loaded into buyers trucks. The scale  and speed of it all is impossible to get in one photograph.

A couple of hours down river we found ourselves close to the centre of Amsterdam. Interesting, but as you've probably gathered not our thing, so we went back a couple of km to an area of "country" moorings where we are once again tied up to a couple of trees. There are a number of rowing clubs along this stretch of the river and we were well entertained watching them train.

We wondered how many rowers had been put off their stroke by this joker.

How about that for a houseboat!

Here is a link to a short video taken at the flower auction. Persevere - there is a BIG surprise halfway through :)


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