Thursday, May 14, 2015

Close Bonds

The Tulip Festival is underway here in Ottawa and Gatineau. This festival is a legacy of the Second World War and the close ties between the Canadian and Dutch people. The Dutch Royal Family and the Netherlands continue to send tulips each year, adding onto the many the Canadian government has planted through both cities. To start things off, there were a series of displays on the Netherlands at Commissioner's Park by Dow's Lake, where many of the tulip beds can be found. I photographed several of them with the aim of getting the text in. If you enlarge these, they should be readable. Tomorrow we start looking at tulips.














42 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading the text. What a nice gesture from the Dutch. Where did you get the magazine?

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  2. Interesting! Of course, I look forward to the tulips!

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  3. Nice! Enjoy the colors of your heroes reward, Canadians!



    ( '>
    /))
    //""

    ALOHA from Honolulu,
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^=

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  4. I didn't know that Holland gives tulips to you. Every day can know new things.
    I'm waiting yours photos of tulips.
    Hugs

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  5. The gift of tulips is such a wonderful idea to maintain bonds between nations. So lovely. There should be more hands across the waters like this.

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  6. The fruits of international cooperation and interaction.

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  7. An excellent reportage, glad for the coming tulips!

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  8. Nice exhibtion about the Netherlands, thank you. Enjoy your Tulipfestival as I did ours.

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  9. i love the church and the windmills ... so cool. ( :

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  10. been looking forward to seeing the photos, as I guessed you would take photo's of them.

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  11. William, I'll be looking forward to those pictures of the tulips!

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  12. Super 'winter fun' image William, looking forward to mass tulips!

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  13. I love hearing the story of the tulips!

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  14. Very interesting...I had no idea of the connection with the Dutch. Have you ever wondered where the phrase, "Getting in Dutch," which means to get into trouble, came from?

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  15. I can't wait to see the gorgeous tulips.

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  16. @Janis: actually these are a set of billboards!

    @Kay: I've already photographed a lot, and I expect to be doing more through the weekend.

    @Cloudia: the Dutch people have never forgotten the liberation, much of which was done by Canadian soldiers.

    @Tomas: thanks!

    @Mike: the festival has been going on since the 50s, and it is big here.

    @Orvokki: it's been a tradition. The overwhelming majority are brought over by the Canadian government, but each year the Dutch and the royals do this as well.

    @Gemma: it is a positive legacy of the war.

    @Revrunner: definitely!

    @VP: you're welcome.

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  17. @Marianne: they're such lovely flowers to see each spring.

    @Beth: thank you!

    @Gill: they're late this year.

    @Linda: I'm enjoying putting the posts together at the moment. This will go for awhile!

    @Grace: thank you!

    @Norma: thanks.

    @Lowell: I have no idea, actually.

    @Tex: thanks!

    @Sharon: I've got a lot of them.

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  18. Well, now that all the Canadian teams are 'dead'. Where do you go from this point???
    Wish for an 'original 6' series? "Hawks vs Rangers? Hard to root for a Florida team. My god! it's ice hockey! Ducks? Most stupid name of all teams except for the Wild. Yikes, where do I go? Hawks- win too much. Rangers- from NYC. Lightening- Florida. Ducks- Quack! Give me some love here.

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  19. Always love a good Tulip Festival. Ours are all gone now so I will enjoy yours.
    MB

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  20. must be an exciting and beautiful event!

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  21. Our Dutch followers are very clear about their appreciation of their Canadian liberators.

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  22. A lovely tradition continued all this time between the two countries. I enjoyed the photos and I will now look forward to your tulip pics.

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  23. My hubby was just mentioning that the other day. As he is Dutch.
    For sure there was a bond.

    Tulips are beautiful. Your front large Background.

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  24. This is so nice to see here, William! :)

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  25. I need to get myself off to try the paradis des cyclistes...

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  26. This is a good way to explain the connection to people!

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  27. Traveling up there for this festival has been on my wish list ever since you blogged about it!

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  28. Great stuff William, I love tulips. There's always something to learn from your posts...

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  29. This is always an exciting sight (even though I've only ever seen it once - and once is not enough!)

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  30. @Birdman: I'd say the Rangers at this point- a traditional team. Followed by Gary Bettman getting his butt turfed out of the leadership.

    @MB: it'll be a pleasure to show them.

    @Joy: it certainly is.

    @Red: they definitely are.

    @Denise: this set of panels were new, but the ones from last year that I showed are in place again.

    @Carolann: my family comes from a Dutch background too.

    @Marleen: it's nice to see the tulips out and about again.

    @Ciel: I wouldn't mind a good long trip to the Netherlands myself.

    @RedPat: it definitely is.

    @Cheryl: the festival certainly would welcome you!

    @Geoff: the tulips are my favourite flower.

    @Hamilton: I'm lucky that I can see it each year.

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  31. Great post William. I am excited to see the tulips!

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  32. I would love to see a tulip festival.

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  33. What a wonderful post today. The bond between Canada and the Netherlands is very touching..
    Your tulip photos are always wonderful. The cities must look fabulous when you see them in person.

    cheers, parsnip

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  34. flowers connecting people, i like that
    such interesting and wonderful photographs

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  35. Yes, super easy to read. Thanks for doing that.

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  36. Wonderful displays with those typical Dutch scenes.

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  37. I think it's touching that the Dutch continue to be grateful to Canadians for liberating them from the Nazis.

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  38. It's a great festival, isn't it?!

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  39. @Lois: as am I.

    @Randy: I love getting to this one.

    @Parsnip: they do, yes.

    @Tammie: I like it too.

    @Whisk: you're welcome.

    @Jan: thank you!

    @EG: it is.

    @Jennifer: definitely.

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