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Regarding the WOC in Dijon, I heard that orchids were confiscated from
Malala Orchids and the participant left the conference within a few days of
that. Does anyone have further information on the grounds for this?
I was at the WOC in Dijon (only as orchid gazer, not attending the lectures
or participating in any other way). My impression was, great job on the
side of the show participants, the show was amazing. However, there seemed
to be a strong show of hybrids, stronger than at smaller orchid shows I have
attended. (the mass of hybrid phals and cymbidiums made me quite
sick.)
The whole thing could have been brighter (there was not one ray of natural
sunlight) to show off better the natural colors of the flowers. There
could have been less noise (too many fake tropical birds and tucans singing too
loudly from blasters, plus a very loud artificial waterfall that deafened
ears). There could have been some more benches and chairs (it took me 3
hours to get through the entire exhibit, and I would have been glad if along the
way, there was a place to sit and pause). And there could have been a
dryer floor... something tells me the giant artificial water fall was leaking...
and reeking diesel fumes. Due to the darkness within the exhibition area,
my photos didn't turn out to be the best (so, text only).
However, the effort to make the whole place as pleasant as possible
deserves credit, and if the means of doing so left somethings to be desired, the
attempt deserves praising. The show of orchids was great, whatever the
setting.
However, the devil was loose up where the sellers and their small stalls
were lodged. I believe it was something like one meter by one meter and
half or there abouts, hardly space for one vendor and a handful of plants.
Without preorders, it must have been difficult to find what you wanted.
For a moment, I had a panic attack, unable to find the correct exit among the
sinuous alleys between vendors, food stands, and garden supplies.
And the crowd... there was a melt-down of traffic, parking, and circulation
in general. Either the publicity department did a super job, or the city
of Dijon was not ready to welcome so many guests... luckily we found a place to
park after circling around for 20 minutes. Some people have reportedly
been parking more than half an hour's walk away, because they couldn't find
closer parking (even after circling for more than half an hour).
Yet, as all this might be, I saw more orchids at the conference than ever
before (or since). And an opportunity to see orchids from the other side
of the globe was a treat. At the same time there were
international orchid shows taking place in Dresden and Stuttgart... Last week I
also went to Schwetzingen to see a much smaller show. I must say, natural
daylight and smaller crowds make orchids more enjoyable. So maybe my
strategy from now on will be, smaller shows, more often... and do all my
buying online. Dijon was not exactly what I expected it to
be. But the orchids made up for every human miscarriage.
My trip to Dijon was part of a weekend excursion into France. We
visited Pontigny, Auxerre, and Bourges (gothic architecture). The trip was
all the more charming for the beautiful weather (sun, spring, warmth)... because
when I left Strasbourg, it was still snowing.
Marianne
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