Oompah Bands in Salzburg

Many traditions thrive in Salzburg, the region became rich because of the Salt Mines, Salzburg, salt mountain and Salzach river, Salt river, many references to salt and you can visit the salt mines in the lake district around Salzburg. There are a lot of attractions, hiking in the mountains, camping around the lake district, fishing etc.. It is not all music festival.


Here are some photos of the Pentecost Parade each year on Saturday at 11am where the different parishes congregate in the centre of Old Salzburg and march across the Staatsbrucke.

All in traditional costumes, bands and parish flags, very colourful and lots of fun to watch.

Here we are Will and I at the parade in our traditional costume. Love those hats.

The riders crack their whips 

Dult sponsors the parade and gives out beer to the crowd, everyone loves a good parade. This beer is brewed in Altötting, Bavaria just across the border. Dult sponsors several beer festivals in October and in the summer time.

Summer is here now!

Well we had a classic Spring time we are told and on 1 May we switch to Summer overnight. Beautiful sunny hot days, nice breeze so far. Got the car washed inside out today, they did a good job, got the rugs shampooed and vacuum etc.. to remove all the Winter dirt. I also changed my wardrobe from Winter to Summer and put away all the Wintery clothing. Dogs are going to the groomer for their Summer trim and started the flea and ticks treatment. It is hot in the sunshine and the Tulips and Daffodils are out just in time for the Tulip Festival which started today in Ottawa. There was an antique car parade down the Driveway, beautiful Rolls Royce convertible and Bentley circa 1959. Some Jaguar same vintage and Corvettes 1960 they looked like real sports car then. There was also 2 Citroen DS which I did not know still existed in Canada, the Citroen DS was the favourite car  of General DeGaulle of France. This Sunday there is a Marathon, the roads around us and Pretoria Bridge is closed from 7am to 2pm, this type of closure is very common in the Summer time. I like it because our neighbourhood becomes very quiet.  All the restaurants have re-opened their terraces. So it is now Summer.

Tulip, Tulipe, Tulipano, Tulp, lale

On this lovely Saturday I went to Dow's Lake which is a former swamp flooded during the construction of the Rideau Canal just below Hogs back falls in Ottawa. It is a large park area, with old trees and flower beds. At this time of the year and for the last 60 years we have over one hundred thousand tulips blooming.
Each year the Royal Dutch Family and the people of Holland send thousands of tulip bulbs in memory of Canada's help in the Liberation of the Netherlands in 1944-45 and in the hospitality and help we gave to the Royal Family of the Netherlands. Here are some photos of today's excursion.

Tulips in our home's front hall a gift of our friend J.

The man from Appeldoorn, symbol of the two hat contribution of Canada to help Liberate Holland and then feed and re-build the country. A similar statue stands in Appeldoorn symbol of the faithfulness and friendship between Canadians and Dutch people.

Dow's Lake in central Ottawa