CARNAVALL!
Trip Start
Dec 28, 2006
1
49
Trip End
Dec 28, 2007
Breda,
Netherlands
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The party shop was well prepared and had the perfect costumes for a bunch of animals - a chicken a tiger & a lion - perfect for outside - nice & warm inside !
Dordrecht had a lovley little parade ,where some locals put a float in that has a meaning relevant to the theme ,we must have looked a sight as we managed to get interviewed by the local tv news & some freinds from work saw it replayed for 3 days!
The bigger parties are however below the river (in Brabant) so saturday night we headed down to seven hills on the train with a bunch of other animals and drag queens and monks and ring leaders and strawberries etc etc and the small town was one big party
anything goes on bikes in holland
! a lot of live music , beer , and dancing done by all in every costume imaginable ! We had a great time dancing till our feet were saw & the last train was going home !
But that is not the end of Carnaval - the big even is the Monday when the winners of the small parades in the smaller towns come together for a massive parade in Breda - and you wouldnt believe the floats - some of them were the size of two semi trailers - filed with costumed people , moving parts & music - the only way that people could possibly make such amazing floats is if they worked on them year round - and we heard that they do !
The origin of Carnaval is Catholic - which is why the party is bigger below the river - its supposed to be the big party before the serious time at easter ?
And a big party it is , the streets were choccer block full of smurfs & action heros , animals and fireman , everybody sharing their amazment of the incredible floats over a few not so quiet beers !
Definatly the biggest street party weve ever seen !
Comments
That sounds unbelievable!
Sounds incredible, I hope you have photos!
Louise Brown
TravelPod Community Manager