Pretty Princess

Here are more of the tulip beds around Dow's Lake.

By The Lake

This is Victoria Day in Canada, a public holiday, so I'll be a bit scarce today. And it is also the final day of the Tulip Festival, though my shots will be ongoing into June.

Returning to Dow's Lake, I came back late in the afternoon on the 14th of May, with the sun out and shining on the tulips. This first bed is just before the Rideau Canal widens out into the lake, a bed of tulips on the east side of Bronson Avenue.

West of Bronson, the path brings us back into Commissioners Park, where I wasn't the only one this day appreciating the tulips.

Aberdeen

This is another one of the large tulips outside the Aberdeen Pavilion. There were more inside, where the building has been playing host to a number of functions during the festival, including entertainment and food.

When I popped in there were a number of artists at canvases, working mostly from photos of tulips, while a professional artist was among them (I believe it was the fellow in the white shirt) giving tips and suggestions.

This sculpture of Van Gogh was present.

I rather liked this sculpture, which was more approachable for photo ops.

A Bivouac

The Tulip Festival rose up out of the aftermath of the Second World War, and so it is a bit fitting to have a nod towards that. At Lansdowne, outside the Aberdeen Pavilion, the first weekend had an encampment of World War Two era vehicles, artillery, and tents, along with re-enactors in period uniform, both men and women. They made for a rather good photo opportunity.

Lansdowne

There is a bed of tulips on the east side of Lansdowne Park, with a view of the Rideau Canal, which surrounds a statue of two torch relay runners. The statue was installed after the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Walking around it gives one multiple perspectives, including a view into Lansdowne of the Aberdeen Pavilion.

Lansdowne is one of the sites this year, with the Pavilion hosting various activities. I'll be showing more from here in the next couple of days, but these shots, taken on the opening day of the festival, show a couple of the large tulip sculptures that can be found at various sites. This one has two local waterfalls painted on opposing sides with a 19th century era look; in the first shot, it depicts the Rideau Falls, which I've shown you before during previous visits to the site. The other side shows the Chaudiere Falls on the Ottawa River, upstream from Parliament Hill. At present, those falls are not easily accessible or photographed, and look rather different from what they would have looked like when Champlain first saw them.

This last one might bother some conservative politicians down in the States. So much the better.

Mixed Tulips

I have more tulips from various spots today, including these along properties in Centretown.

These are in Dundonald Park.

This bed is in a garden near my home in Old Ottawa South.

These are in Central Park in the Glebe. I have another from this park that I'll be using for the upcoming theme day on Shadows and Highlights.

These tulips are a short walk away from the park, outside St. Giles Presbyterian Church.

Bold Shades

One will often see tulips growing in private gardens and other spots this time of year. While they're not as densely planted as the main sites, they're pretty. Here we have tulips in the church yard at Fourth Avenue Baptist Church in the Glebe.

These are in gardens outside a home and a florist in Centretown.

And on another note, some trees are blossoming now- this bush is down the street from my home.