It is the largest flower auction in the world and the auction building  is the largest building by footprint, in the world.  They sell about 20 million flowers PER DAY from suppliers in Europe, South America and Africa.  The auction is set up as a Dutch auction in which the price starts high and works its way down. Bidders get only a few seconds to bid on the flowers before they are shipped off to the new owner's business.

The flower carts are delivered to the warehouse and then moved around by drivers using little electric carts.  

Visited our friend Sanne who we met when she was travelling Australia last year with friend Nick.  Met both Sanne's Mum Jenny and Nick's parents Bettine and Rene.  Bettine and Rene generously treated us all to a  cruise around the canals through Leiden - complete with champagne and snacks.  How civilised!  And what a wonderful way to see the sights - something we would never have experienced but for a chance meeting with a friendly young couple in a national park in NSW.  Spent a great day with Sanne the next day as well - ended up staying 3 nights - and didn't even go into Amsterdam.  The area around Katwijk - Leiden was lovely and we have resolved to return next year.  Leiden is the town from which the English Pilgrims departed for their final destination of the east coast of America.  The first leaky boat got them as far as Bristol where they had to buy the Mayflower!  In fact we loved all of the Nederlands that we saw and could spend weeks there.