Bloemencorso Bollenstreek is a huge community event that we were excited to be part of. The local volunteers were very accepting of their new Canadian friends. We learned how to set our stroopwafels on top of our coffee mug so the caramel melted! They introduced Ray to Kapsalon (a dish created in 2003 by Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands). Ray loved it. They shared hours and hours of licorice candy treats with us. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. We had a Blast.
Watching the parade was equally a tourist event and a community celebration. Scouts ran up and down the 42 km route selling packages of stroopwaffles. Of course, we bought more. Security would drive by on their bikes and hold their hands in the air. Every time the crowd would cheer. The vibe was pure fun. I know you will enjoy Ray's video. You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom.
22 Comments
GVE
4/25/2024 06:53:24 am
Were you in the parade.
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Ray
4/25/2024 08:29:11 am
No, we enjoyed the show from one of grandstands. We cheered wildly when the float we worked on went by.
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GVE
4/25/2024 06:56:00 am
Did you make something with the tulips.
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Ray
4/25/2024 08:30:12 am
We put the pins in and then the more skilled workers put them on the float.
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ACE
4/25/2024 07:08:05 am
Which one the floats was your favourite ?
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Ray
4/25/2024 08:31:48 am
I am very partial to elephants and so I liked the float with the mother and baby elephants was my favorite. It was also the first place winner.
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HLOE
4/25/2024 07:09:02 am
Why was there a purple elephant covered in tulips?
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Ray
4/25/2024 08:35:14 am
The floats are completely decorated in flowers (mostly tulips) or other natural materials. This was started 77 years ago by the flower growers in that part of Netherlands.
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NPW Group C
4/25/2024 09:07:21 am
How many floats were there? How long was the parade? How long did it take to make one of the flower sculptures?
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Diane
4/26/2024 04:29:33 am
There were bands and decorated cars and tractors but just 15 full flower floats
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NPW A
4/25/2024 09:10:08 am
How long did it take to make one of them?
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Ray
4/26/2024 04:11:43 am
I imagine the designers would start brainstorming ideas and making rough sketchs soon after this year’s festival is completed. The floats were already constructed on the cars and the foam figures were on them by the week before the parade. They can only cover the floats with floweres starting the Wednesday before the parade. They have to be completely covered by Friday for a short night parade on Friday night. Then the big parade is on the Saturday.
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Tyler
4/25/2024 09:11:29 am
Wow! This is amazing. I have a few questions:
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Ray
4/26/2024 04:23:55 am
The flatbed floats (they refer to them as cars) are
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NPW F
4/25/2024 09:13:16 am
Which float was your favourite?
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Ray
4/26/2024 04:05:06 am
I am very partial to elephants and so I liked the float with the mother and baby elephants was my favorite. It was also the first place winner.
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NPW D
4/25/2024 09:13:17 am
What is in the kapsolan?
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Ray
4/26/2024 04:25:40 am
Consisting of a layer of french fries placed into a disposable metal takeaway tray, topped with döner or gyro meat, covered with slices of Gouda cheese, and heated in an oven until the cheese melts.
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NPW E
4/25/2024 09:14:22 am
How were the floats moving?
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Ray
4/26/2024 04:34:31 am
The front car has its own motor (car ).. you can see the driver on the front left corner. Two of the floats were electric this year for the first time.. once the float is built and the styrofoam figures are ready it takes two to three days to cover them with flowers.
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NPW Group B
4/26/2024 04:22:38 pm
How long did it take to put the little pins on all of the flowers?
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Diane
4/29/2024 02:49:44 pm
We worked for seven hours and only got 12 crates done. I can’t imagine how many hours it took total for all 15 floats!
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