Holland in Tulip Time: Floriade - Bits and Pieces
Here are miscellaneous bits and pieces. None seemed appropriate for a discourse of any great length. Equally, they seem too good to leave out.
It was a sunny morning. This trio were entertaining themselves by rolling down a grassy
hill. From the giggles and occasional shriek it is clear they were having a good time.
Stilt walkers strutting around the Floriade Plaza as we arrived.
Quite graceful in fact. Members of the Close-Act theatre group.
Late in the afternoon, in a different part of Floriade were these . . . .
what to call them, reminded me of Renny Fenny beggars. Grovelling
in the mud, spreading red carpet for their queen, pulling a white coach
like an outsized artichoke. From the hall of the mountain king, perhaps.
The cultural - historical route has this magnificent boardwalk through the forest.
Great place to decompress after all the sights and sounds of the exhibits. There are
some presentation points. My favorite was the 5,000 year old burial mound. A telescope-
like device showed still pictures as the commentary by an 11-year-old boy told of the
death and burial of the tribe's most important member, their best arrowhead knapper.
Thought to have originated in Texas some time ago, I've heard this called
yarn bombing or guerrilla knitting. The Dutch call it wildbreien. Anything
outdoors is fair game, as objects from benches to bicycles to trees are covered
with colorful but transient knit covers. Tea cozy anyone? Apparently some
Canadian has declared June 11 to be the first International Yarn Bombing Day.
.
Then there were dressed trees, trees weaing skirts. Mother Nature.
The skirts, a signpost informs me, refer to women, the source of life.
Steel frame supports a ball gown with mailbags - urban knitting is better.
Cardboard is good. Apparently 80% of the paper is made from
recycled paper, and - at least in the Netherlands - the supermarkets
recycle over 95% of the corrugated board. I put out for recycling
what accumulates at home, use it for mulch, or reuse for shipping.
An exhibit for water in the garden sponsored by the Groei & Bloei
gardening magazine. There were the usual small pond etc but I
was amused by this watering can endlessly spilling into a rain barrel.
.
A simple woodland path, almost a briddle trail or ride, leading off into the woods.
Tender spring green leaves, the epitome of countryside. It fed off the main path
leading from Environment section to Education & Innovation. Most appealing.
Tour Comment: We arrived at 10:00 a.m., when Floriade opened. Since our tour group has three buses we were offered staggered return times, whatever you choose - 3:00 / 5:00 / 7:00 p.m. There is so much to see, but my legs were giving out. Carol and I chose the 5:00 p.m. bus, and delighted with the option.