Francois_Dumas Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Once a year our weirdly green and subdued country all of a sudden bursts into a symphony of colors..... red seems to dominate. What happens!? It is tulip (and other) bulb time ! Today the Spring 'hit' us with unexpetced force, driving temperatures up to a record 28 C (record since 1949) ! Nature seems to be breaking records each year for the past 5 years or so. Wettest Automn, Hottest Summer, Hottest Spring Day... you name it, we had it over the past few years. Although I woke up with my customary (for hot weather) splitting headache, I figured I'd better get on that RT and shoot some pictures before the farmers snap off all the colored flower heads (to preserve the energy in the bulb). Nina wanted to ride too..... so we both got sore behinds now, but had a wonderful afternoon !! *grin*. WARNING: Tune down the brigthness of your monitor before scrolling down... these are some BRIGHT RED TULIPS !!! I find it so weird to see these stark color stripes through our otherwise evenly green landscape..... seen it for so many years and still it amazes me... Good that we went.. as you can see they have already started 'beheading' the poor flowers !! A few miles down another road.. pink ones here too... And what would be northern Holland without some black-and-whites.... The region also has some wonderful old towns as you know by now Here's another 16th century building... And on we rode... over the dikes towards the North Sea.... flowers here too.... The cows don't seem to care much....... oh well... seen one seen them all I suppose.... tulips, I mean Stark contrast eh? I wonder about these sort of pictures when thinking about some of the desert photos from the US... such a difference... both awesome landscapes.... This one is near the city of Alkmaar.... we criscrossed all through the province.... And then we went on to my second passion for the day.. THE PLANES !!! Even Nina enjoyed it this time.... she LOVES high temperatures, I love planes..... we both love the RT... what else can one wish for ? Our trusted steed.... Woops.. the snapper snapped !! I usually don't get onto pictures.... and I don't mind at all !!! Nina, on the other hand, gets onto MANY of them..... my doing, of course <g> All crabbed landings today with a fierce cross wind blowing over the 5th runway..... Home after 4,5 hours..... tired..... had fun ! Link to comment
Mik Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Amazing story and photos. I love very much the Tulips, 30 years ago I was in Amsterdam visiting the tulip market and saw how the tulips are sold all over the world... Yes I know, to long ago I also love very much the planes, is there any relation between motorcycles and planes?? Thank you as always for sharing Mike. P.D. Don't sell the RT, you will miss it Link to comment
Whip Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Francois.... "International man of mystery"....love the shades...put a cig. in your right had and you could be a movie star.....Francois McQueen Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Sure got beautiful tulips! Lucky you don't have the herds of deer we have here. They would behead the tulips faster then the farmers. My wife knows. She loves gardening and became a expert in what deer like and don't like! Link to comment
RichEdwards Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 The tulip ride was beautiful! Link to comment
Pigdog Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Thanks Francois Great shots. The stark contrast in colours between the vibrant tulips you are showing us now and the "greys" of winter in previous posts is what I sometimes would like to experience (well.....maybe not first hand). I live in the tropics and you really don't see the "in your face" contrast of colours you have shared with us today. It's like somone took a bright highlighter and said "This is where I'll grow tulips" and the reply was "So be it". Nearly 3 weeks from the official start of winter in Cairns and today it was overcast and 28C. And everything is still a thousand shades of green. I really appreciate your photos from the other side of the world. Keep up the good (no...great) work Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Francois, Thanks so very much for the wonderful photos, as usual. Wow! Such concentrated bursts of color! And to tie it all up with a bow of airplanes!!! Love it! Link to comment
Francois_Dumas Posted May 5, 2006 Author Share Posted May 5, 2006 Thanks for watching everybody..... and for reading! I am never sure to 'blabber' about my photos or just show the piccies... Miguel, the relation between motorbikes and planes for me at least is that I am a total 'mechanical freak' and love airplanes and flying since I received a metal model from my 'crazy uncle' when I was 5. He was ALSO the one who put me on his BMW motorcycle at that time..... so there ! I also love cars (raced go-karts, Opels and BMW's) and even boats (sailing)...... The bike is my latest 'hobby' and one I can still afford.... so I use it to take me to the other places that interest me.. such as the airfields Moviestar eh? Hardly... Nina hates cigars !! Paul, I think all the deer are in Hungary.. we saw hundreds of them there... they were not eating tulips ! Link to comment
Mik Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Francois I feel the same!! As you know, man are like kids with a small difference: Toys price Link to comment
Doug 55 Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Wonderful pictures Mon Ami ! All are beautiful but kudos to Nina looking "tres chic" with the fighter pilot scarf, wonderful grin and twinkle in her eye ! Regarding green-turns-to-red though, it's "the funniest thing" there is a Holland analog (only an hours travel north from my home) in the Skagit Valley area, specifically LaConner WA: "Pre-BMW" I was up there a lot boating in nearby waters and asked a local kid how they tolerate the many tulip-loving tourists. Don't know that I ever got an answer but he shared a family story that I love to this day: His grandmother had sent away an order to Holland for tulip bulbs. After weeks of waiting the wonderful day came - she received the bulbs and upon looking them over came to realize indeed they were from Holland but originally from LaConner WA and after much travel and hoopla now returned to their source LOL, one assumes Grandmother never saw the "dopeslap" icon but would have known exactly what it meant Link to comment
Francois_Dumas Posted May 6, 2006 Author Share Posted May 6, 2006 Nina says 'thanks !' (she does not want me to put her pictures on the 'Net, but I ivariably do.. don't we all want to share beiatiful 'things'???). Yes, I heard about that particular area before, knowing some peeps who fly there .... amazing isn't it ?? But most tourist still flock to the Dutch fields, clogging the already clogged roads...... Link to comment
Steve1962 Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 How does Nina like being a BMW Sport Touring mascot ?? Great photos and ride report , Steve Link to comment
Francois_Dumas Posted May 6, 2006 Author Share Posted May 6, 2006 How does Nina like being a BMW Sport Touring mascot ?? Great photos and ride report , Steve heheh.. I haven't told her Link to comment
phoebe Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 Francois, i love the pictures! i have never seen a live tulip plant before. tulip flowers here in our country are imported from holland. the photos you have shared are really appreciated. i hope i will be able to see the same scenery in the future Link to comment
Rob L Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 Funny...I was in Holland last weekend on the bike and the tulips weren't up yet! What part of Michigan did you say you were from? Nice pictures, the tulips will be blooming here soon Link to comment
Francois_Dumas Posted May 10, 2006 Author Share Posted May 10, 2006 Francois, i love the pictures! i have never seen a live tulip plant before. tulip flowers here in our country are imported from holland. the photos you have shared are really appreciated. i hope i will be able to see the same scenery in the future You are welcome to them, Shyr.. AND welcome to the board. What country did you say you were from !?? Kind regards, Francois Link to comment
Francois_Dumas Posted May 10, 2006 Author Share Posted May 10, 2006 Thanks Rob.... true, there are many 'Holland's' in the world Link to comment
BULLman Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 But most tourist still flock to the Dutch fields, clogging the already clogged roads...... My parents were in your neck of the woods, they took a riverboat cruise on a 120 person boat [not too big, nor too small, just right]. from their email We just returned from our river cruise through the Netherlands and Belgium. We spent 7 nights on a river boat and 3 nights at a hotel in Brussels. We boarded the boat in Amsterdam and cruised mostly at night and took walking and bus tours from when the boat was docked. Some of the most enjoyable parts of the cruise was visiting the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, Keukenhof Flower Park, Kinderdijk (UNESCO landmark of windmill sites), Gouda (Cheese factory), Antwerp, Lier, Bruges and Brussels (visited a Lace shop and chocolate factory where we sampled the products). The weather was cool in the beginning and sometimes rainy but when we got to the Flower gardens and Windmills, the sun shined and that made for great pictures. Most of the time the weather was great except at the beginning and the last day at Bruges It was a "See the Tulips" Crusie, and it was the first cruise to actually see the blooms [the crew was more excited than my parents ] Sounds like a neat trip [and yours was too ] Link to comment
BULLman Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 your pic their pic Looks like you were standing on the same dirt Link to comment
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