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Dutch river cruise holidays: Esther Rantzen finds tulip heaven in Holland and Belgium

The lily of the valley is the pale, fragrant bride in the flower world, whereas the tulip is the diva. With their black hearts, brilliant petals and elegant stems, they demand applause. And in true diva style, once they have bloomed, they refuse to come back next year.

Or at least they do for me.

In bloom: Esther was enchanted by the potent colours at locations such as the Keukenhoff Gardens in Holland

As a gardener I've struggled and failed with them, but still I am an ardent fan. It has been my dream to see them in full glory, blazing with colour in the tulip fields of Holland.

My mother told me about the Dutch tulip fields when, as a London child, I used to help her fill bowls with fibre and hyacinth bulbs to decorate the house.

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But even then I knew you can't restrain a tulip in an bowl. So I was thrilled to take Scenic Tours' river cruise along the lower Rhine, through Belgium and Holland, ending up in the Keukenhof Gardens, the biggest flower garden in the world, with seven million spring bulbs.

Although I am a cruise junkie, I had never before been on a river cruise. The ship itself, the Emerald, was long and low, lined with balconies and huge windows. There was always something to look at; people walking dogs, windmills, birds wheeling ahead of you, and the excitement of the locks.

The Emerald has comfortable cabins, each with its own bathroom, balcony or picture window. The food was straightforward but delicious, with open seating so you meet people.

The cruise began in Antwerp, and I owe Belgium an apology. I had always thought it dull.

How wrong I was.

Antwerp is a fabulous city. Having admired the cathedral and the ornate houses, I spent a happy hour in the diamond quarter and then visited Rubens House, where Peter Paul Rubens had his studio. It has been restored and is the perfect combination of gallery and domestic home.

Flower power: The Keukenhof Gardens, near Lisse in the Netherlands, is the world's largest flower garden

I only had half a day in Bruges with its charming canals, and could have done with more.

But a cruise is really a reconnaissance - a glimpse of places you can choose to revisit.

Our goal was the Keukenhof Gardens, showcase for the Dutch bulb industry, its 79 acres opened in 1949. We took a bus from Lisse and were soon driving between tulip fields, their furrows laid with vivid pink, scarlet and gold.

The fields belong to tulip farmers who donate their finest bulbs to the Keukenhof. Tulips were first discovered growing on high mountains in Turkey, so they love to freeze in winter and bake in summer.

They came to Europe, so the story goes, in the 16th century when a Dutchman had a friend working in Turkey who sent him a parcel as a present.

Unwrapping it, he saw what he thought were strange onions. He tried to eat them boiled, then fried, but they tasted so disgusting he threw them on his rubbish heap. Next spring his onions sprouted beautiful flowers. The tulip had arrived.

It's an unlikely story. But it is true that in the middle of the 17th century 'tulip mania' took hold in Holland, with bulbs changing hands sometimes ten times a day for a fortune.

Standing in the Keukenhof Gardens you can see why. Sweeping arcs of glorious colour light the landscape.

Gliding along: Bruges is an idyllic setting for a river cruise

If it rains on your visit, don't despair. Dotted among the acres are covered pavilions, and the central one is crammed with tulips of every size, shape and colour. Some have frills, others are shaped like lilies or goblets.

Can you import this beauty? Yes. Get some delicious 'Poffertjes' (tiny puff pancakes) warm from the cafe, then wander to a stall to buy the bulbs. You can purchase exotic breeds such as Queen of Night (glossy black petals) and Bleu Aimable (lavender blue). Browsing through the irresistible colours, I ordered bags of them, including flamboyant wild parrot tulips.

A word of warning. We ended our cruise in Amsterdam and in some of the flower markets there, tourists were offered last year's exhausted bulbs for sale.

The trick is not to buy bulbs in packs before October. They won't flower. I did say they were divas.

But if you love them, go to Holland.

As my mother told me, the tulip fields are one of the wonders of the world.

Travel Facts

Scenic Tours (0800 023 6168; www.scenictours.co.uk) offers the Dutch Sights & Belgian Delights eight-day cruise from £1,595pp (includes £750 per person discount if booked by July 31, 2013) based on March-April 2014 departures.

The price includes flights or Eurostar, butler service, on-board meals and drinks, sightseeing and excursions.




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