The Netherlands - Part 2
Journeying through the Netherlands, Michael Portillo visits a vast complex in Haarlem where of millions of plants are auctioned daily. He also stops off in Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Michael Portillo follows his Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide to continue his journey through the Netherlands. Along the way, he roots around the world's largest flower auction in Haarlem and investigates Amsterdam's famous red light district.
In Haarlem, Michael goes behind the scenes to see how 21 million stems and 2 million potted plants are auctioned every day from a vast complex roughly the size of Monaco.
Plucking up Dutch courage Michael takes to two wheels in Amsterdam's fast moving cycle lane and heads for the Indies district, where he samples a delicious "rijstafel" of dishes from the Dutch empire.
Arriving in Utrecht, Michael discovers the main hub of the Dutch railway network and its busiest station. He finds that the first constitution of the Netherlands was signed here and hears what the locals think about Dutch tolerance today.
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