Every year, in the lakeside town of Morges, there is a wonderful tulip festival.
We went very early in the morning to avoid the crowds
and some of the flower beds were still in the shade.
I love the fresh green leaves just starting to open on the trees.
Remember to click on each photo to see it full screen!
It's a short walk to get to the park from the train station
and I really like to pass by the medieval style defense castle built in the 13th century.
There are several museums inside, covering police and military history.
I like this view taken from the other side a bit later in the morning
with the sun giving a warm hue to the brickwork.
The building in the background is part of the castle complex.
The park is very vast and runs alongside the lake on one side with wide alleyways
all around and smaller paths winding in the central part.
There's a metal sculpture at one end of the park with a view on the mountains
on the other side of the lake in neighbouring France.
There are hundreds of tulip beds in all different colours.
It would be impossibe to put them all up here, so I've chosen my favourite ones.
These double yellow blooms were full of interesting details.
These orange ones were catching the backlight so beautifully.
A bright and cheerful mixture of yellow and orange.
Just look at the delicate shades of pink and the play of sunlight and shadows.
I do rather love the more subtle colours like this one.
The muted yellow and soft orange quite take my breath away.
These are similar, but too lovely not to include!
The faint edging of orange on each petal is very lovely to observe.
This group of pinks were catching the indirect sun very nicely.
These are very elegant in the classic tulip shape.
Now a little drama with a bright, luminous orange and fringed yellow edges.
Rather unusual colouring and it looks as if the pink parts have been painted on
as an afterthought!
I do believe that this one is one of my favourites with the beautiful markings.
Bright pink with an intricate centre.
Luminous pinks for the last photo of the tulip festival.
I hope you've enjoyed waking in this lakeside park with me
and that you'll tell me your favourite tulip!
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I wanted to end this blog entry with a photo of some Lily-of-the-Valley
which are sold in Switzerland every first day of May to bring good luck.
I have arranged them on an open page of the lovely Flower Fairies book
by Cecily Mary Barker.
Her art is beautiful and her poems quite charming.
The words are not quite in focus because I wanted the flowers to be
the most important feature.
I will write part of it here:
"Gentle fairies, hush your singing.
Can you hear my white bells ringing.
Ringing as from far away?
Who can tell me what they say.
Little snowy bells out-springing.
From the stem and softly ringing -
Tell they of a country where
Everything is good and fair?"
Wishing you a most beautiful month of May.
It's my favourite month of the year!
