Spring is in the air.

The Canadian tulip festival in Ottawa claims to be the worlds largest tulip festival. Over 500,000 people attend annually. In 1945, the dutch royal family send 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa in gratitude for Canadians having sheltered Princess Juliana and her daughters for three years during the second world war.
While in Canada Princess Juliana gave birth to her daughter at the Ottawa civic hospital. In 1946 Juliana sent 20,500 more tulip bulbs asking a display could be created for the hospital. And promised to send 100,000 more each year. The years following the donation Ottawa became famous for their tulips and in 1953 the first Canadian Tulip Festival as organized.
We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful city with so much history. A few days ago we attended this flowery wonder and loved it!

This is the rideau canal that runs right by our apartment building. Best walking paths ever!

During the Second World War, Canadian soldiers saved the butts of the Netherlands. They donated this monument to pay tribute to Canada. A statue identical to this one stands in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. The same monuments symbolically link Canada and the Netherland.