Dushanbe Tajikistan

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Boulder Creek Hometown Festival 2017

Two weeks ago, Labor Day Weekend in the United States, we went to the Boulder Creek Hometown Festival   Even though Labor Day marks the official end of summer, we love this festival.   First we headed to the Farmer’s Market.

Yum

Don’t these vegetables look enticing?   And, there is more.

Cheerful flowers

The flowers are beautiful.   Pappardelles, The Fine Art of Pasta, had many types of pasta available.

So many types of pasta

Makes us hungry just looking at them.   Next we saw the Big Taste Grill, a truck by Johnsonville.

Big Taste Grill by Johnsonville

This is the world’s largest touring grill.   It weighs 53,000 pounds, is 65 feet long and 6 feet wide. It can cook 750 Brats at a time, or 2,500 Brats per hour.   440,000 BTU’s are heat by propane fuel.   Since 1995 the Big Taste Grill has been raising money for charities.   The profits from this weekend are aiding victims of Hurricane Harvey that severely damaged Houston, Texas and surrounding areas.   We ducks are on the stairs, ready for Brats.   Festivals are great for kids to play.

Play area for small humans

Oh, sometimes we wish we were human.   Next we sampled ice cream.

Interesting place and delicious ice cream

We love ice cream.   What are these kids doing?

Bumper Balls

It looks like so much fun.   They can bump into each other.   Of course, it is called bumper balls. End of summer means all gardens have too many huge zucchinis.   What to do with them…  Decorate zucchinis.

Zucchini

Then race the decorated zucchinis.   You buy a zucchini and the decorations are there for you to decorate.   Wheels first.   After the zucchinis are decorated, let’s race.

And the race begins

Such fun.   Next to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art we spotted this statue.

Near Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

Just not sure how to describe it, but it certainly got our attention.   OK moms, let’s eat.   We love the Dushanbe Teahouse, also known as the Boulder Teahouse.

Let’s go in

This was a gift from Dushanbe, Boulder’s sister city in Tajikistan.   The teahouse is serene, located on the banks of the Boulder Creek and surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Flowers everywhere

While eating, you hardly hear any of the activities of the Boulder Creek Hometown Festival.   We ordered a Cuban sandwich and Indonesian Noodles with chicken.

Our lunch

So very tasty.   Since this is a tea house, we ordered a display tea.   This is Jasmine Bouquet, a hand tied green tea around yellow chrysanthemum and jasmine buds.

Jasmine Bouquet, a display tea

With the glass of hot water, we received the tea ball.   Drop the tea into the hot water, and soon it will sink to the bottom of the glass.   It was interesting to watch the tea ball open and the buds come into view.

Tea with buds coming into view

The display was fascinating and the tea tasted very nice.   We do like green tea, so we were very happy.   We also go to the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse when there is no festival.   Isn’t the inside beautiful?

Indoor pool with Seven Beauties

When inside, don’t forget to look up.

Ceiling. Made by hand, no power tools.

We really enjoy visiting this tea house.  When in Boulder, Colorado, we hope you visit the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse.   And don’t miss the Boulder Creek Hometown Festival the first weekend of September.

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The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse with Zeb the Duck

I, Zeb the Duck, like tea.   My mom also likes tea.   We love the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse in Boulder, Colorado.   We met some human friends there for lunch and want you to see this Teahouse.   Boulder, Colorado is a sister city to Dushanbe, Tajikistan and Boulder received this magnificent gift.   Our teahouse was built completely by hand from 1987-1990, by more than 40 artisans in several cities of Tajikistan.   Let’s visit the Teahouse.

Boulder Dushanbe Teahous

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

The Teahouse is on the Boulder Creek, in the heart of Boulder.   The entrance faces a city park.

Let's go in

Let’s go in

Before we go inside, we want to enjoy the flowers.

Flowers everywhere

Flowers everywhere.   Isn’t this ceramic panel colorful.

Eight colorful ceramic panels, created by Victor Zabolotnikov, grace the building’s exterior and display patterns of a “Tree of Life”.   The beautifully landscaped outdoor dining area create an oasis within the city.

Relaxing outdoor dining

Relaxing outdoor dining

I, Zeb the Duck, met some friends.   My friend, Channel the Bear was there and a little duck friend, the Caped Crusader.

Zeb, Channel and Caped Crusader

Zeb, Channel and Caped Crusader

Our moms let us have our own table, until it got busy at lunch time.   Here is the Boulder Creek.

Boulder Creek

Boulder Creek

It is nice to hear the water as we eat.   So peaceful.   We ate outside, but let’s enter the Teahouse now.   Inside the Teahouse are eight large, intricately carved white plaster panels, designed and executed by Kodir Rakhimov.   You can purchase green tea here.

Green tea. Beautiful hand carved column

Green tea.   Beautiful hand carved column

As we look around, we see more tea supplies.

Gorgeous teapots and tea supplies

Gorgeous teapots and tea supplies

We love this place.   The central pool features seven hammered copper sculptures by Ivan Milashevich, based on a 12th century poem, “The Seven Beauties”, in which a princess from each of seven different nations narrates a fable that expresses important cultural values.

Indoor pool with Seven Beauties

Indoor pool with Seven Beauties

We love any restaurant or teahouse that has a pool inside.   Don’t forget to look up.   The ceiling of the Teahouse was carved and paint with intricate patterns traditional of Persian Art.   The teahouse ceiling was originally built, carved and painted in Tajikistan.

Ceiling. Made by hand, no power tools.

Ceiling.   Made by hand, no power tools.

Absolutely no power tools were used in the original construction.   The work was crafted by hand exactly as it was centuries ago.  Of the twelve cedar columns, no two columns are like.   This Teahouse was completely built by hand in Tajikistan and then taken apart.   Carefully packed in large crates, the pieces were shipped to Boulder, Colorado.   Master woodcarvers, Manon Khaidarov and Mirpulat Mirakhmatov helped reassemble the Teahouse in Boulder and carved their names in the ceiling.   Several craftsmen from Tajikistan were in Boulder to reassemble and ensure that our Teahouse was as intended.   As we left the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, we needed to have one more photo of this beautiful place.

So sad to leave. We come back often

So sad to leave. We come back often

We hope you visit the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse soon, at 1770 13th Street, Boulder, Colorado.   Visit http://www.boulderteahouse.com for more information and additional photos.   There is so much more.   They have a farm to ensure fresh ingredients.   They also serve afternoon tea.   This place is wonderful.