During the Second World War, the Dutch Royal Family escaped occupied Netherlands to the safe haven of Canada where they were hosted for three years. Whilst there, Queen Juliana gave birth to Princess Margariet at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. The maternity ward was temporarily conceeded as Dutch soil so the princess could claim her birth had taken place on homeland. On 5th May, 1945 the Netherlands was liberated by a largely Canadian armed forces. In gratitude of Canada's valiant efforts and hospitality Queen Juliana sent a gift 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada. The next year she sent 20,500 more requesting a display to be created for the hospital. Every year since then a further 10,000 bulbs has been sent.
This was the beginning of a bond between the two nations and also the beginning of the Ottawa Tulip Festival, the largest of its kind in the world which officially came into existence in 1953.
L: Tulips named for the Liberation; M: National War Memorial; R: Amar, Jesus and Ernest.
This year's festival opened on 4th May and will last until 21st May. Aside from the usual displays at Parliament Hill, Dow's Lake and Major's Hill Park, one of the highlights of the festival this year is International Pavillion, offering culture, entertainment and food from participating embassies and community groups.
Formalities Over
Weekend 5 started at 5:20am on Saturday morning. Ernest and Amar and Jesus picked me up at 6:15am and we were on our way to Ottawa. A McDonald's breakfast and three Tim Horton's stops later we'd arrived. It was a sunny but chilly Spring day and our first stop by Dow's Lake was the portaloos. We strolled along the lake where tulips were planted though it was patchy in display. No comparison to the tulips at Keukenhoff. What became our focus was probably the number of babies and toddlers on display as well as the dogs and an acute sense of the amount of French that was spoken around us. Quebec was only a hop skip and a jump away.
Weekend 5 started at 5:20am on Saturday morning. Ernest and Amar and Jesus picked me up at 6:15am and we were on our way to Ottawa. A McDonald's breakfast and three Tim Horton's stops later we'd arrived. It was a sunny but chilly Spring day and our first stop by Dow's Lake was the portaloos. We strolled along the lake where tulips were planted though it was patchy in display. No comparison to the tulips at Keukenhoff. What became our focus was probably the number of babies and toddlers on display as well as the dogs and an acute sense of the amount of French that was spoken around us. Quebec was only a hop skip and a jump away.
L: Amar and I at the Festival; Giant tulip sculptures; tulips.
When one visits Ottawa, one simply must see Byward Market. With its fresh fruit, flower, jewellery, vegetable stalls it was like being back in some European city. Ah memories. The one thing Ernest made me eat was Beavertail. I didn't argue cause I'm all about eating. I ordered one with banana and chocolate. Now before you all go nuts it was just a flat piece of beaver-tail shaped dough, deep fried with toppings on top. Sheesh.
Clockwise from Top Left: Fiddleheads, a kind of fern that cooks and tastes like asparagus, apparently; deliciously sweet berries; Beavertail stall; wild garlic.
Parliament Hill is a grand sight. Set back behind a large green square, you get to take in the the width and height of the Centre Block. Attached to the back of it is the Library of Parliament. Behind Parliament Hill you get a great view of the Rideau Canal and Quebec on the other side. It's surreal how once you cross the bridge every sign you see is in French; it really feels like you've entered another country even though it's the same. It's like we left Springfield and gone into Shelbyville.
Clockwise from Top Left: Parliament Hill Centre Block by day; Ernest and Amar enjoying the view; Library of Parliament; me touching Spidey outside the National Art Gallery; Rideau Canal and Quebec in the distance; Parliament Hill Centre Block by night.
After a dinner of Indian buffet, owned by a man who was so eager to succeed in his two month old restaurant business that he would be almost on top of us to refill our water after every sip, our little party of four contemplated our next move. We've seen the tulips, we've seen the canal. We took in Parliament Hill and a few embassies (and learnt the difference between embassies and high commissions). Ottawa was a few dollars richer with our passing. What was left to do? It was about 9:30pm when we started our journey back to the big metropolis that is Toronto, the one that is filled with more life, more excitement, more action. The one that is home for only another 4 weeks. Will my departure be bittersweet at that time, or will I be brimming with joy as I once thought I would? Something tells me there's a change in the air, that I won't forget Toronto in a hurry for in-almost-hindsight, she'd thrown me a curveball and gave me much to think about - fate, being one of them.
3 comments:
Hey T, is that the same Spider statue at the Tate Modern? They removed it from the Tate - maybe Ottawa bought it?
yeah it's the same one. you remember it as well? that's why i had to take a photo of it.
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