Saturday, June 14, 2014

Going Dutch - in Zwolle, Louisiana

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In Summer 2011, I launched the Louisiana world tour where it all began for me – in Algiers, LA.  In three years time, I have cruised the alphabet from A to Z and I’ve traveled from the heights of Lisbon (331 ft) to the nether land of Venice (0 ft) Now it's time for some tamales from Zwolle.  


Zwolle Tamales

Zwolle (203 ft) is a town in Sabine Parish, just west of Bermuda, near Natchitoches.   Upon arriving in Zwolle, I made sure containers were closed, then tiptoed through the buttercups to photograph the town sign. 




Zwolle Corps Limit


Tiptoe through the Buttercups


Zwolle is famous for its tamales.








So much so that there is an annual Zwolle Tamale Fiesta, this year it will be held October 9-11, and the signs of it are all over town.  The festival aims to celebrate the Indian, Spanish and French culture of the area. 


Hardware, Auto Parts & Tamale Fiesta

Zwolle Tamale Fiesta float


Forestry is a big industry in Zwolle.

Zwolle Logs




And yes, there’s a festival for that. 




Zwolle Loggers & Forestry Festival float



After photographing the Festival Fun, I went a block or two over to photograph the town and anything with the name, as is my World Tour custom.





Zwolle Neighborhood 2014

Zwolle Train Depot

Zwolle City Hall




Everybody was really friendly. 



Friendly Tractor Driver in Zwolle





As far as the World Tour goes, Zwolle has it all.  The mission, of course, is to photograph the town name.  Not only was the name everywhere, but there were miniature signs on the Forestry Festival floats (say that 10x fast).




Zwolle Logger & Forestry Festival float

Zwolle Logger & Forestry Festival float



A common question I ponder about all the towns I visit is  why they are named what they are .  I have researched most of them. Yet in Zwolle, all I had to do was to look no further than a storefront window:







Zwolle Town Name



Reading the informative façade, I learned that Zwolle was named in 1896 by Jans de Goeijen for his hometown in The Netherlands.  He was impressed by the peaceful surroundings of St Joseph Church. 

As was I. 





St Joseph Church grounds  Zwolle, LA

St Joseph Church, Zwolle LA





The feeling of having it all in Zwolle is akin to the moment of triumph I felt reaching the summit in Himalaya.  A moment of knowing that the World is enough, and  will always be as large, or as small, as you want it to be. When I started the Louisiana World Tour in 2011, I was searching for a larger world. In 2014, I am content see what I find.  Its a peaceful easy feeling that keeps me going.  




Tot de volgende keer,
Natasha


** Shout out to Christine who accompanied me on this adventure, gave me a place to stay and filled me in on stories of the area! **
all content (c) Natasha Sanchez

About the WORLD TOUR:

The Nattie Concepts World Tour began in 2011 under the premise that the world is as large or as small as you want it to be. Since that time, over 20 "international" destinations have been visited in Louisiana. The 2014 World Tour began in March 2014 and aims to discover the many exotic locales of the Southeastern United States.  Follow the blog for more exciting adventures! 

Check out a preview of the Louisiana World Tour on my website
http://www.nattie-concepts.com/portfolio_-_photography/world_tour
 World Tour images available on my Etsy site
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