Monday 8 July 2013

Close Encounters with Orchids and Butterflies


A few weeks ago (and I haven't had a chance to blog about it yet !), Dunkirk Town Hall opened its doors to the annual orchid festival. Nothing very exciting for the kids there, you may be thinking - but you'd be wrong. They also let loose hundreds of exotic butterflies in the big hall so we went off to have a look. We started off looking at the presentation cases and oohing and aahing at the pretty colours.


The Madhouse Mini testers were very impressed with the giant insects on display. I'm rather relieved these ones were dead. *Shudders*


We started off looking at the orchids. Pierre decided that this one had a face and must be related to Fifi & the Flowertots ! Oh to have a kids' imagination !


There were some very exotic blooms with some beautiful colours and shapes.


But the kids were more interested in the moving panda toys hiding in the undergrowth !


Now this may look like an orchid but it's actually a cleverly disguised insect. (Sorry about the reflection of the flash on the glass!)


Then it was time to move on to the Butterfly Room.


The butterflies were always going to be the main attraction, especially as they are so tame that you could pick them up and hold them.


We started off with small ones - just look at those beaming smiles !


Before moving on to the bigger specimens.


This is certainly the biggest butterfly we'd ever seen, let alone held.


They even seemed to pose for the photos, opening their wings to show off their colours and patterns !


And the funniest moment was just after I took the photo of the blue spotty one on the right.It flew up in the air and landed on Pierre's face before crawling up to his eyelid. I thought he'd freak out but he just calmy peeled it off and didn't seem at all fazed !

I'm linking up with :


Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall


Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Water-themed fun and games

9 comments:

  1. Big man will be so happy if his butterflies will sit on his hand like that!

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  2. OMG i would love to hold one of those! what a fantastic place!

    thanks for linking up with #MagicMoments

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  3. What a fantastic display of orchids and butterflies, you have some lovely pictures of your children and the tame butterflies. Thanks for sharing with Country Kids.

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  4. Wish we had something like this near us - it looks like you all had a fantastic time and I love Orchids !! x

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  5. Some lovely photos, I love butterflies and there is such an amazing array of colours and patterns. There is a tropical butterfly world not that far from us although it is a bit on the pricey side but worth it for an occasional family day out (and it's lovely & warm inside too!).
    The orchids look beautiful too but I imagine they would have me sneezing!

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    Replies
    1. There used to be one in Eastbourne but I don't think it's there any more

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  6. wow two of my fav things! butterflies and orchids, what a lovely opportunity :0)

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  7. I would LOVE to 'hold' a butterfly. Thought I was going to get chance today when one flew inside but I didn't want to damage it's wings and it flew out pretty quickly. Great photos and what an interesting fun time you all had.

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