04-22 Flower Parade

A few days ago we bus/walked to the buildings where they were putting on flowers onto floats for today's parade. It will come by around 3:30 this afternoon. In the meantime we get to shop around Lisse.

Shopped the booths along the street till the rain came, then we stopped for lunch about 12:45. Most of the booths were just the shops bringing some of their merchandise out to the sidewalk with the addition of other knitted crafts, although some were very unique. There was jewelry, cheese and handmade soaps and some other normal street fair items.

We walked down the parade route through town and out to the main road scoping out a place to watch. There were plenty of open spots - after all, the parade route was 15 miles long!

We could have waited longer, but we were done with everything we were doing before the parade. We had found a comb for me to use with my 220v European curling iron to keep me from burning my scalp and shaving cream for Pat.  

Pat napped in the sun (yes it rained earlier, but now was sunny - not warm, but sunny) while we waited. Walt weather?? for the parade?  We will see. 

The smaller band organ went by at 2:45. It's on wheels and had been parked and was playing at in intersection in Lisse when we walk by just a little while ago. It a smaller version of the one we saw yesterday at Keukenhof.

The parade lasted a little more than an hour. There were bands, big farm tractors with flowers on them, decorated tour buses, and flower floats.

Afterwards there was barely any trash on the ground where the viewers were. The few pieces that were left were quickly picked up by other people as they made their way home. Some groups in the homes across the street continued to have their own party out their front doors.

We stopped at the grocery for more water, then had a 4-cheese pizza at the first restaurant we ate at close to our hotel. I know it seems like we are eating at a lot of Italian places, but they make up about 50% of the restaurants in town (maybe we need to adjust our eyesight). We'll be walking along the streets and there will be ANOTHER pizza place. Is this Italy or the Netherlands?