It is as we expected — fantastic! And I cannot believe that I was so lucky as to pick a hotel that is practically next door to the ferry over to the venue — so much more pleasant than a bus trip! I knew the hotel was in the Almere city center, but when we got off the train, I thought that would be the center and I was kicking myself for not booking into the Best Western or whatever US hotel chain was right there (we mostly try to avoid such places, but there it was, 50 feet from the train station) — as we waited for an Uber ride 15 minutes away. But we got to the Leonardo hotel and walked around and THERE WAS THE FLORIADE FERRY (which I hadn’t even read about) — YAY OUR LUCKY DAY!
The Floriade theme is Growing Green Cities. Several of the buildings are permanent and the whole area will become a residential/business/greenspace district of Almere. One that will remain is the greenhouse — 120 THOUSAND square feet that is now displaying flowers, trees, greenery, veggies and fruits — the very best of the Dutch horticultural industry — but what I mostly remember is the fabulous flowers. We will be boring you all with pictures of flowers for months. They have a huge vertical garden, a term that is confusing because it means what we mostly think of as walls of growing pockets on the sides of buildings AND the innovation of growing food from seed to ready-to-eat on vertical frames that move around so plants can get sun/light and nutrients (or maybe just water, not sure — it’s not hydroponics). In front of the greenhouse is a building that is an agriculture-related university and a couple of its sides are covered with our usual understanding of vertical garden — full of FLOWERS! A whole side of a tall building of FLOWERS! The 60 hectares is divided into districts, the Urban District and Hortus Avenue are the centerpieces, then there is Utopia Island, Green Island and the Eco District. The Urban District has most of the 30 international participants’ spaces — China was probably the best garden by far, with lots of gorgeous furniture, fencing, screening and lovely bridge made from bamboo — and, oh, the plantings! Here also are the buildings (probably not permanent ones; built to be temporary and recycled) housing the amazing innovations that particularly the Netherlands have been working on in building materials; making food out of weird things — way weirder than just algae — to feed the masses when climate change destroys much of the world’s farming ability; energy; other climate change coping strategies. What astonished us most about the innovation work is how far the Netherlands (also Germany) are ahead of the US in terms of coming to terms with the future and the need for new ways of imagining life on a heating planet. Maybe there are innovators is US, but we sure don’t hear much about them and they don’t seem to be celebrated much — and what is being shown at this expo really is amazing. We kept wondering what has happened to the US, which used to be the world leader in “future thinking”.
One VERY creepy food example was called celebrity food — made from the stem cells of your favorite celebrities! UGH! We aren’t sure we understood correctly because we were having a hard time understanding the whole exhibit; much of it not in English — but that’s what it seemed to say! If so, it is one innovation I believe I will not be indulging in. I think we have to go back there and look again.
One of the best things about our two days at the Floriade is we haven’t had to stand in any lines and the only thing we’ve waited for is the hop on/hop off “train”, but that’s mainly because it is the slowest transportation in the history of transportation — Laird says it goes about 3-4 miles an hour, but I believe it is much slower. Not that it matters when you’re on it; only when you are waiting for it to show up. We also get a (one-way) ride on the cable cars each day with our tickets, but we never got there yesterday even though we bought a return ticket. We finally made it today.
I am very disappointed that in 60 hectares there are only TWO gift shops, both of which have run out of things I can get in my luggage, so, alas, looking at a gazillion pictures will have to suffice as your souvenirs. (Note: both gift shops have promised to have deliveries Thursday, so J will have at least one more opportunity to get cool stuff. We also found handmade metal coffee cups in the Turkey pavilion and may go back there tomorrow. Not to mention the fact that they have good looking baklava.)
lairdandjonelle 
So now I have to develop a list of what celebrities I’d want to eat? Prioritized/hierarchical? What would the criteria be? What counts as a celebrity? Do they get royalties? Per pound sold? I really feel like some of these questions need to be answered before anyone opens a restaurant.
Yes, I agree, these are definitely questions that must be answered! But start on your list anyway.
I think each of us will get to figure out our priorities, but, as you have surmised, it might depend on price. Did you notice the Madonna bite? I think she might be something of a has-been — but that probably will make her affordable, doncha think? Get the whole family to make their lists so we can compare when we get home!
That is absolutely wonderful! Your choice for the hotel turned out to be perfect karma.
I’m still wondering how I got so lucky — but we’ll see how luck holds out when we try to get an Uber back to the train station. I’d really like to have this trip end easily and happily!