Thursday, May 23, 2013

THE TULIP LEGACY


Hi,
I'm still loving the flowers of the northern Spring..



Every Spring, Ottawa hosts the Canadian Tulip Festival, along the banks of the Rideau Canal and Dow's Lake.


During World War 11, the Dutch Royal Family found sanctuary in Ottawa.
Then Princess Juliana, her husband and daughters lived here and participated in daily Canadian life.





 In 1945 the Dutch Royal Family sent 100,000 tulip bulbs in thanks to Canada.  Now Holland sends 20,000 bulbs annually in an enduring friendship.


A Man with Two Hats statue symbolises this friendship between nations - 
there are two, one in Ottawa and one in Holland.

Park Omega, Quebec, where the animals speak French...



 We were greeted by this statue of L'Orignal - the moose -
Sadly Spring is not the season for magnificent antlers and this is what we saw:

It's just not the same, is it!




The Arctic Fox - tiny and pretty



Lac des castors

Still no sign of red cardinals, so I bought Un foulard orange decore d'oiseaux!
(with thanks to Grandmama)

Bonjour!

 xxxx

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23 comments:

  1. metteMay 23, 2013 at 11:13 AM

    The third picture looks like a wild tulip field! Beautiful.
    You must have had a splendid time with the little ones.
    We have a huge amount of moose over here, and worst, moose ( deer ) flies, which are horrible. What a pain for the moose.
    Riding in the forest in fall is not fun, as there are those flies all over.
    I´ve never seen an arctic fox - naturally it has to be white ; ).
    The orange scarf is so cute !

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    1. PatriciaMay 23, 2013 at 12:43 PM

      Hello Mette, I wild tulip field would be beyond gorgeous.
      I had no idea moose were also in Europe. I notice they are not very popular here, especially with motorists as they can really damage a car at night.
      The arctic fox is quite tiny, and I could not help thinking how many it must have taken to make the beautiful fur wraps I remember the Queen wearing long ago. Good thing that has gone out of vogue.

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  2. RosemaryMay 23, 2013 at 3:11 PM

    As the song goes "Tulips from Amsterdam" what a lovely gesture of friendship.
    Loving the orange scarf - really striking - a little souvenir to take home I presume.
    I bet that your eldest grandson loved seeing all the animals, I wonder which was his favourite?

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    1. PatriciaMay 23, 2013 at 4:49 PM

      I didn't think of that song Rosemary, but it is very apt, and interesting that the link has been maintained, with regular visits by Netherland royalty.
      The scarf was a souvenir from Montreal, and the French Grandmama bought one as well. We are now linked by scarf :)
      Eldest grandson, who insists he is now a Big Boy, tells me he liked the black bears the best.

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    2. RosemaryMay 24, 2013 at 4:15 AM

      I guessed that.

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  3. AnonymousMay 23, 2013 at 5:01 PM

    During my visit to the Netherlands a couple of years ago I learned that it was Canadian troops who liberated Holland at the end of World War II. As a result the Canadian Embassy/Ambassador's Residence is the largest with the biggest grounds in The Hague. Another interesting facet in the friendship between the two countries.
    Joy

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    1. PatriciaMay 24, 2013 at 7:00 AM

      Hi Joy, thanks for your comment - we also learned more about the connection when we visited Ypres, and saw the huge Canadian war memorial in the Fields of Flanders. The tulip connection is so special.

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  4. Rustic Vintage CountryMay 23, 2013 at 11:32 PM

    Fabulous riot of colour with the tulips. There used to be a Tulip Festival every year in one of the large parks here and it was always something to look forward to but for some reason it stopped and I don't think there is even one tulip left now(I could be wrong, not been over that way for some time)it's very sad. x

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    1. PatriciaMay 24, 2013 at 7:03 AM

      The tulip festival does look amazing - I guess free bulbs every year from The Netherlands is the secret of success!

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  5. JaniceMay 24, 2013 at 12:15 AM

    I am so pleased you are having such a wonderful time. Jx

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    1. PatriciaMay 24, 2013 at 7:04 AM

      Thanks Janice, and you continue to enjoy France!

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  6. valerietilsten59.blogspot.comMay 24, 2013 at 2:43 AM

    Such a beautiful and interesting post Patricia..
    I did not know the story about the Dutch Royal Family...
    Tulips always amaze me.. there are so many varieties.
    The park looks very interesting.
    It seems you are having a wonderful time.
    so pleased for you.. regards to all your family
    val x x x
    thanks for writing comments on my post while you are away.. very thoughtful.xxx

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    1. PatriciaMay 24, 2013 at 7:06 AM

      You are welcome Val, I love your blog.
      I have never seen massed plantings of tulips before, only a few blooms in a flower shop at home, so it was quite a sight for me to behold! The Dutch Royals continue to take an active interest in this little piece of their history. We are now in preparation mode for the Christening of the Bebe on Sunday :)xxx

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  7. DarlaMay 24, 2013 at 4:19 AM

    How interesting. I knew nothing about the Dutch Royal Family connection to Canada. The Tulips are beautiful/

    Darla

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    1. PatriciaMay 24, 2013 at 7:07 AM

      It is interesting Darla, and they had a display among the tulips telling the story with old photos of the princesses in Ottawa during the war. Then Princess Juliana worked for the local Red Cross. The tulips are a beautiful lasting gift to Canada.

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  8. kristieinbcMay 24, 2013 at 6:48 AM

    It looks like you are having a wonderful time with your family in Canada. I'm glad to see you got to sample one of the famous Beavertails!

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    1. PatriciaMay 24, 2013 at 7:08 AM

      Great time here in Ottawa. I ration myself to one of those Beavertails per visit - they are delicious eaten in the open air!

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  9. Debra TurnerMay 25, 2013 at 9:18 AM

    Wonderful pictures, Patricia. Adorable grandchildren. Enjoy your visit!

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    1. PatriciaMay 25, 2013 at 11:28 AM

      Thanks Debra, and Hi to you while I am on the North American continent!

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  10. The Silver BunnyMay 25, 2013 at 10:26 AM

    Ah mon Dieu, ce foulard est trop joli ! I had never heard the story about the Dutch royal family ; sending flowers annually is certainly a great way to consolidate diplomatic ties ! xx p.s. we expect you to speak fluent French by the time you get back down under !

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  11. PatriciaMay 25, 2013 at 11:37 AM

    Merci boucoup, Lapin D'Argent! I think more countries should exchange les fleurs.
    Expecting to achieve fluent fractured and highly original French any day now :)

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  12. KathyMay 26, 2013 at 1:01 PM

    You really are having the most wonderful time, Patricia, and the weather looks gorgeous. I love the idea of the tulips of friendship and the continuing annual gift. It reminds me of the magnificent Christmas tree given by the people of Oslo to the people of London every year since the war as a sign of their gratitude for Britain's support of Norway in WW2.

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    1. PatriciaMay 26, 2013 at 4:33 PM

      I have not heard about the Christmas tree from Oslo - another lovely story of thanks and gratitude. Thank you for telling us. The weather here is quite briskly cold, but the sun is shining. I love it!

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