On Sunday morning, in the spirit of continuing our monthly outdoor adventures, we drove to Surrey to visit the Tulleys Tulip Festival. It was my birthday weekend and our visit to this blooming great extravaganza reminded me why I love the month of May so much.
I couldn't possibly narrow down my selection of photographs so prepare for a botanical overload as I share my favourite sights of the morning.
Tulleys Tulip Festival is highly Instagrammable and we began our journey by walking past the windmill and through the Secret Garden.
If you're one of the many people who weren't able to visit Keukenhof Gardens this year, I guess this might make you feel a bit better.
We met some unicorns along the way. The festival must look beautiful at twilight or night, but I think we chose the perfect time to go (first thing in the morning, before the crowds).
Suddenly, we were out in the famous field of tulips.
I'd never been to Tulleys Farm before but we enjoyed ourselves a lot and have decided to return for the annual Pumpkin or Halloween festivals later in the year. I was most impressed how many different kiosks there were to buy food or drink.
After we finished exploring the tulip fields, Stephen offered to take me on the Big Wheel. This was awfully nice of him, seeing that he is scared of heights.
The views were lovely and I liked that the wheel went around a couple of times to let you really appreciate the sights. You can see that the tulip fields are fairly small but there were further fields to the right of the photo too. We unfortunately couldn’t get to Tulleys in March or April, which is the best time to see the tulip fields at their best.
After our tour of the tulip fields, we went to the nearby Wiremill Restaurant in Lingfield for a delicious breakfast with a view. I had the vegetarian breakfast and have officially been converted to vegan sausages!
If you enjoyed this post, you will definitely enjoy our visit to the Pashley Manor Gardens Tulip Festival too.
You chose the perfect day to photograph at the festival with the colors that radiate in the sunlight! Such a tranquil oasis as well as we overlook the water.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a lovely day. We had a very bad summer last year so it feels like spring has finally returned to SE England after an 18 month absence
Deletei enjoyed the variety of flowers and burst of colour, i like the gorgeous flowers packed together in rows. the aerial view was great too.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed with the aerial view! I'm so pleased we took the ride on the big wheel
DeleteAs you know, and since you mentioned it, Keukenhof here in the Netherlands is this country's most visited tourist site, which I have now visited twice in my 15 years, first in 2010 and just a couple weeks ago. So, yes, if you can't go there, it's clear that your Tulleys is the place to go, Mandy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you. What is it about tulips??!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope to go to Keukenhof one day too - my friend went this year and loved it
DeleteHappy birthday to you, Mandy. That is quite the location to celebrate the day. What a joy to see those tulips, such colourful flowers and the ferries wheel gave you a fabulous view over the fields. Great series of pictures. Indeed The Keukenhof is a special place. If you decide one year, make sure you have tickets online, some days are sold out and this year it closed on May 11.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day.
Thank you Astrid and thank you for the tip about booking ahead. I believe this is vital for many attractions in the Netherlands
DeleteThe tulips in the wooden wheelbarrow look terrific because they are so closely packed in. Those in the "famous field of tulips" look sparser and less rich.
ReplyDeleteWell spotted. We were there on the very last day of the season. It's definitely recommended to go earlier in March or April but we were too busy!
DeleteBeautiful photos!lovely birthday treat. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteThe tulips are stunning. Happy Birthday to you.
ReplyDelete