The stock market is on another screaming roller coaster ride. Everyone is blaming someone. Investors shout at us to buy now while the prices are low. Others suggest the time has come to move to gold or something safe.
Time magazine's front cover this month touts "The End of Europe;" reckless spending is the culprit. I have no idea where all this is going, but it sure reminds me of a story I heard on a trip to Amsterdam.
You see, long before anyone ever heard of Cisco Systems, Qualcomm, Nokia, Google, or other stocks, there was a tulip named Semper Augustus. With blood-red streaks against a white background, this tulip was extraordinary.
She was widely known not only for her beauty but her rarity.
The creation of master breeding, this exquisite flower became the holy grail of all tulip bulbs among the rich in the 17th century when someone paid 10,000 guilders for a single Semper Augustus bulb. This was the price of a house on one of the grand canals of Amsterdam. Suddenly, tulip mania began.
To have a garden filled with brilliantly colored tulips became a status symbol. The rich and famous around the world paid dearly for this precious commodity. To meet the demand, breeders started experimenting and producing new and different varieties. Single colored tulips needed lines, stripes and flames to make them more valuable. The breeders wanted to keep the market hungry with fresh merchandise, and it worked.
Tulips soon became a coveted luxury item. People were willing to pay vast sums of money for a single bulb, prices rose constantly, and growers increased supply. It was madness. Buying and selling bulbs became a quick and easy route to making a fortune. Merchants and farmers began to mortgage whatever they could to raise cash so they could begin trading in tulip bulbs.
In 1636, any tulip — even bulbs once considered garbage — could be sold off for a nice profit. In 1637, everything changed. In everyone's haste to get rich quick, a couple of major problems had been overlooked. The first problem was an over saturation of the marketplace; this led to lower prices. Like our housing bubble, the tulip bubble also burst! Dealers went bankrupt. Many people lost their life savings as the tulip fell in value.
The second problem was even more devastating. Unbeknownst to the breeders who had created beautiful flowers like the highly coveted Semper Augustus, the unique vivid lines and stripes of different colors which were so coveted in the blooms turned out to be a genetic virus. How ironic! The people in charge of creating the market had infected the bulb with the virus and had led to its extinction!
Isn't it amazing how an obsession with tulips blossomed into such a financial disaster? How many times must history repeat itself before we begin to understand? Luckily, the Dutch finally figured it out and did not throw the baby out with the bath water. Flower power is currently alive and well in the Netherlands, and, next spring, the world is invited to come see them during Floriade 2012.
Held every 10 years, the Floriade is a horticulture masterpiece attended by over 30 million people in 2002. This event, which runs from April until October in Holland, will feature more than 100 exhibitors from dozens of countries. These countries come together to create a 165 acre park where Mother Nature — at her very best — is on display.
Not only will you be immersed in different cultures and introduced to different customs, foods and rituals, but you will see the world's most exquisite flowers, plants, trees, fruits and vegetables on display in the most creative of ways. In short, this is a horticulture event not to be missed. It is expected to exceed your wildest imagination.
Reservations are now open for this popular international show! As your travel advisor, I have a couple of exceptional ways for you to see Floriade 2012. You will note, I have mainly chosen spring dates. I wanted to make sure your were totally enraptured in tulip mania!
Escorted tour: Netherlands, Belgium and Paris. 11 days.
Experience the color and glory of spring on this leisurely-paced tour through the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Visit blooming fields of flowers, plants, trees and visit cultural events and sustainable architecture exhibits the Floriade Horticultural Exposition. Float in the canals of Amsterdam. See diamond artisans cutting diamonds in the diamond capital of the world. Travel back to medieval times during a Bruges sightseeing tour. Walk the boulevards of Paris, City of Lights. Visit the home of Claude Monet, cruise the Seine River and enjoy a farewell dinner on the Eiffel Tower.
Departure dates are: April 9, 16, 23, 30 and May 7
River Cruise I — Gems of Germany Belgium & the Netherlands — eight days, April 15, July 16 and Aug. 12.
Sail through three countries, visiting some of the most exciting cities in Western Europe: Brussels, Antwerp, Maastricht, home of the Floriade 2012 and Cologne. This river cruise includes all meals, accommodations and sightseeing. It's the best of old and new Europe.
River Cruise II— Amsterdam to Antwerp — Tulips and Windmills, ten days, April 10.
All the things that come to mind when you think of the Netherlands and Belgium — colorful canals, whimsical windmills, vibrant tulips, rich maritime history, the art of Rubens, Rembrandt and Van Gogh — are yours to experience on this perfectly paced springtime cruise that includes the Floriade.
These trips would be a perfect escape for a garden club group or for flower lovers who wish to enjoy the once-in-a-decade experience of a world class horticulture event, combined with the history, art and flowers of Europe! I will be happy to send you a free brochure.
Floriade 2012 is described as a place where a weed is a flower growing out of place! It's going to be special, so why not get caught up in "tulip mania" this spring? Take a horticulture journey sure to awaken your senses! How rich is that?
Contact Dianne Newcomer at dianne@monroetravel.com, Monroe Travel Service, 1908 Glenmar St., Monroe, Louisiana, Tel. 323-3465 or 800-365-3465.
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