Joke, it's a long time since I heard from you, I hope that everything is OK with you. Have a wonderful week! Yair.

said ykarelic4 5 months 1 days ago

Delightful pictures. Happy Easter to you, Yoke !

said theskywalker69_3 7 months 6 days ago

Thanks for this beautiful album! Very nice pictures.

said graduation1976 2008.08.08 at 20:25:51 PDT

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/563134627lqLiOe...This link goes to Istanbul Tulips.I invent you to look at them.Best wishes,Rasim

said rasim1 2008.07.31 at 14:19:53 PDT

Ottoman culture valued garden and flowers greatly.It was during the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent that wild tulips were cultivated.The love of tulips went well beyond that of any other,naming an era in history.In the 18 th century Istanbul was the apogee of this passions for trees,flowers and gardens and tulips in particular.Pleasure was sought in tulip gardens in daylight while poetry and musical evenings took place,illuminated by candles on tortoiseback,protected by glass shades.This was the time of Sultan Ahmet III.....Kind regards,Rasim

said rasim1 2008.07.31 at 14:18:05 PDT

Sultan 4. Mehmet founded a Flower Academy ought to be evidence enough that this love of flowers was no passing fancy.In 1726 people could see 839 kind of tulips in Istanbul.First tulip,the culprit,however indirectly responsible for the fall of the speculators, is named by a number of sources as Ogier Ghislain de Bosbecq,the Holly Roman Empire's Ambassador to the Court of Suleyman the Magnificent.Busbecq mentions in a letter he wrote in 1558 'Istanbul's garden's rich with daffodils,hyacinths and a flower they call LALE in Turkish.It does appear likely that he might have carried back a few bulbs with him to Vienna.Equally plausible is the idea that he may have introduced the Flemish to the flower when he took up a post at Leyden Univercity in Netherlands in 1593.The final few years of the 16 th century saw a tulip craze in Europe,the like of which had never seen.

said rasim1 2008.07.31 at 14:16:55 PDT

Very beautiful tulip album.I have to write somethings about tulips.......From 1730 until 1788 years was a time of peace,renovation and reforms.This little Ottoman Renaissance is known as the Tulip ERA by Turkish historicians.What was it that hadtriggered this sudden passion for tulips? Where did tulips come from? Where did they originate? While the precise origin of tulips is not known.Tulips pop up in Southern Europe,Caucuses,Iran and Anatolia.The first intance of tulip in decoration in Anatolia dates back to the 12 th century.Mevlana was the poet to refer to tulips in his poetry so : Come,tulip,come and take colour from my cheek'the famous philosopher wrote in mid 1200 s.Konya,the capital of the Seljuks ,was decorated with figures of tulips all over.

said rasim1 2008.07.31 at 14:15:17 PDT

Hi Joke, I do not spend too much time lately in WS and I'm glad that finally I have the chance to visit this album. Keukenhof is a very beautiful place, looks like heaven for photographers. You show it's beauty with your pictures and do it very well. I enjoyed watching your pictures, thanks for sharing them with us! I hope that in one of the next springs I'll be able to visit there myself, till then I'm happy that I could have a virtual visit thanks to you. Thank you very much for your visit and kind greetings on my featured album yesterday, it's always a pleasure to hear from you. Wishing you all the best, Yair.

said ykarelic4 2008.07.15 at 07:15:37 PDT

Very nice album, Yoke. I loved the story and history that you have told of the gardens. What a fascinating place to see in real life with the beautiful water features and the artwork. One can see the obvious care that your people have given to this magificent garden and park. I see that you have paved walkways and it feels so open and would never seem crowded. I would imagine that when the gardens are open, you hear many different languages around you. It is like that here. We also are growers of Tulips and bulbs in Skagit Valley that is only a two hour drive from my home. I make the journey every year just to see the beautiful gardens and new arrangements of flowers. Spring would not be complete without a visit to these beautiful gardens. Please come and take a peek at this rather large album that I continue to add to each spring. Hugs, Marjie http://travel.webshots.com/album/549665048ohcRmO

said windflowers43 2008.07.12 at 07:22:26 PDT

Yoke wat een mooi album! De foto's zijn echt prachtig. Was helaas zelf te laat maar volgende keer dan maar. Gelukkig heb jij hele mooie foto's dus kan ik vanuit mijn luie stoel lekker toch gaan. Lieve groetjes Ria

said 8598 2008.05.24 at 06:42:00 PDT

How wonderful it must be to visit something so spectacular I loved your album you took stunning photographs. Thank you for sharing it with us. Met vriendelike groete aan jou van my in Suid Afrika

said Sandra0510 2008.05.14 at 10:36:18 PDT

Wonderful & colorful album Yoke. Greetings Ana Marija...

said manama117 2008.05.07 at 00:17:29 PDT

Schitterend Joke al die kleuren. Toen ik naar je foto’s keek luisterde ik gelijk naar Classic FM. Dus dat was genieten voor oog en oor. Maar een ding je laat ons alles zien we hoeven daar dus niet meer heen te gaan.:) Groetjes Rico

said enrico1202 2008.05.01 at 15:29:57 PDT

Hi Yoke, It is always a pleasure to view your albums because the pictures are so beautiful and you can see that you take your time and really capture the photo and that is great! Thank you for your last message and I am glad to hear from you anytime! All the best to you always! Chris

said quietodin101 2008.04.29 at 20:13:54 PDT

Dear Yoke, this is a place in which I should wish to stay in this moment, to enjoy its beauty, surrounded by lovely colors, scents and sounds, forgetting all ... Thank you for these fabulous images full of peace and serenity that you have given us. A big hug. Simonetta

said simonaman 2008.04.28 at 10:51:50 PDT

Great album of beautiful tulips

said erdogan41 2008.04.28 at 08:28:11 PDT

Bonjour Joke, As always you share with us a very great and colorful album with high quality pictures. I love the way you use to show us this magnificent garden and it's like we were there. Feeling emotional with such great beauty all around. Thank you Joke for this fantastic album, big hugs, Marielle

said mariellefrigault 2008.04.26 at 08:39:54 PDT

Hello Yoke, What a great collection of Albums you have, Holland is /was one of our favorite destations, My traveling is a bit limited these days, but my Memories are very vived, I remember Anne Frank's house with great Sadness, loved the water taxis, has a few (SHOCKS)!!!! in the Red light area, but both of us enjoyed the Tulip fields. Lovely Album.

said mrcoradour 2008.04.25 at 03:44:54 PDT

Hoi Joke, ##### krijg je het toch voor elkaar om een groep narcissen op het juiste moment tegelijk naar je camera te laten kijken? Grote klasse en...........helemaal toppie!!!!!! John

said silversiding 2008.04.24 at 10:02:59 PDT

Joke wat een fantastisch album heb je hier , ik zie ook leuke Joke details, bij en lieveheersbeestje, en het is ook heel anders dan van Johan ene Ien. ik vond alle drie heel mooi anders.Ik wil ook naar de keukenhof Eeeeehhhh

said keizerin 2008.04.22 at 23:25:46 PDT

Dear Joke! What a magnificent album of the Spring display at Keukenhof! One tends to get saturated with all the colours and beauty of the place, where Nature dances in all its glory. I imagine, it must have been very difficult for you to decide what to photograph and what to leave out. It is exceedingly appealing from wherever one looks. The tulips and the hyacinths are abundant and mesmerising in spreading a carpet of flowers. If the pictures look so impressively beautiful, I dare not imagine how lovely it must be see it in person. You have done great justice to the park. Thank you. Hugs, Suresh

said suresh_krishna 2008.04.22 at 04:51:35 PDT

Hello Yoke...a beautiful album! I like the fact that you took all kinds of views of the water features, the statues, the flower beds etc. as well as the flowers themselves. A glorious place to visit. Thank you so much for sharing the beauty.

said anonneymouse1 2008.04.21 at 06:02:22 PDT

Hello Joke, a wonderful album with gorgeous flowers. It was a delight to view. Best regards, Andrew.

said theskywalker69_3 2008.04.20 at 17:25:21 PDT

Another beautiful album you have here. All your albums are gorgeous, it is always a pleasure to visit your pictures. Take care and have a great day, Don

said muggs1953 2008.04.20 at 16:40:00 PDT

Hi Yoke! I have looked at your album with pleasure. Especially that I love gardening. I will visit Botanic Garden in my city next weekend. I hope to meet Spring.Warm regards.Edyta.

said kedith68 2008.04.20 at 13:28:47 PDT

Lieve Yoke, wat is het een mooi album geworden. Zo leuk om te zien ##### je dit hebt aangepakt. Alle leuke plekjes in het park, samen met de bloemen mooi bij elkaar gebracht. Je fotos zijn stuk voor stuk weer super!! We hebben ook zon mooie dag gehad samen. Fijn om jou fotos in dit album terug te zien! Liefs Ienemien!

said iahuis 2008.04.20 at 13:05:55 PDT