A rendezvous with Holland Tulips
After
a long morning drive, the Michigan Holland welcomed us with a chill wind and multi
coloured tulips. This Dutch American town looked like a hill resort with a
festive look. Children, clad in colourful uniforms and armed with musical
instruments were ready to march on the main road to celebrate the close of
winter. The Tulip Time Festival is at its peak. Patches of carefully planted
tulips on the wayside welcomed all photo lovers. I am told that the city boasts
of 2 million fresh flowers. Who could count them and freeze them in their
cameras? The Windmill Island gardens did sport a new look with so many native
friends, excitedly showing their visiting relatives this and that. On the road
sides many local student groups waving their school flags, wearing the typical
Dutch wooden shoes, were ready to participate in the Dutch dancing style. The
parade promised many visions of frenzy and colour. Regardless of age, gender
and nationality, everyone was participating in the event and mingled with the
one and half hour parade of children, police, army and commercial outfits.
Music reverberated in the streets, food of every kind was sold everywhere. I
had to run back to the car to find a forgotten coat to arm myself against the
onslaught of the chill wind which did not bother many tourists. It was sheer
fun to walk around the place of festivity tasting the local goodies and
forgetting all your world of work and deadlines. A short drive to the nearby
Michigan lake further brought to us more inviting scenes and purple tulips. The
beach with the distant fog and myriad boats was breathtaking. The biting cold
discouraged us from exploring its promising avenues of tourism. Hail Holland
and tulips! Nice memories to pack home.
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