Carnival---Riquewihr Style

On February 19th, DJ and I left Basel and headed for France to visit a castle he had been to last August.  Typical of our behavior, we left late enough in the morning that by the time we got close to our destination, it was time for lunch.  Friends at work had told DJ about some quaint little villages nearby (smaller even than Colmar) that were fun to visit so we went to Riquewihr in hopes of checking it out and having lunch before we headed to the castle. Like I've explained on my blog before, in Europe, a lot of places (especially in small towns) close during their lunch hourS (usually two) unless it's an eatery.  So...things were almost hauntingly quiet when we entered this cute little French restaurant on a street that resembled more of an alley:



I wish that I had taken pictures inside, but I was feeling a bit intimidated.  The dining room had almost a medieval architecture in stark contrast to the linens, china, food, and service which were more like a five-star establishment in a large city.  I had a filet of beef with vegetables, the presentation of which was as exquisite as the taste.  DJ, ever willing to try another sort of fish, ordered the pike.  The mousse that DJ and I shared for dessert was incredible---not just chocolate, but banana and another orange one that was fruity in taste.  Once again, it was as beautiful as it was delectable.

When we got back outside, things had livened up substantially.  What we didn't know was that we were there right in time for a parade----Carnival-style!  I didn't know anything about Carnival or even Lent until I moved to Illinois as an adult.   For those of you that may have been a bit sheltered growing up, as was I, here is a definition of Carnival and why it is held (right out of Wickipedia):

Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.


Carnival is a festival traditionally held in Roman Catholic and, to a lesser extent, Eastern Orthodox societies. Protestant areas usually do not have carnival celebrations or have modified traditions, such as the Danish Carnival or other Shrove Tuesday events. The Brazilian Carnaval is one of the best-known celebrations today, but many cities and regions worldwide celebrate with large, popular, and days-long events.


The Lenten period of the Liturgical year Church calendar, being the six weeks directly before Easter, was marked by fasting and other pious or penetential practices. Traditionally during Lent, no parties or other celebrations were held, and people refrained from eating rich foods, such as meat, dairy, fats and sugar. The forty days of Lent, recalling the biblical account of the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, serve to mark an annual time of turning. In the days before Lent, all rich food and drink had to be disposed of. The consumption of this, in a giant party that involved the whole community, is thought to be the origin of Carnival.



Here's just a hint of what it was like from where we stood.  The parade participants actually came through the arch, unless it was a float and then they came from off the side-street to the right because they wouldn't fit within the arch.

So here's my attempt to share with you only a small part of what we experienced that day.  You won't be able to hear the chaotic noise and the bands, nor taste of the treats being thrown from the floats, nor will you have parade participants come off the street and tossle your hair (talk about intimidating), but you will be able to see through my camera lense a small glimpse of what this small French village did to celebrate.  I apologize in advance because I was leaning up against the corner of a building, one foot resting on a small cement pillar, wedged between two people, trying to keep my balance as I shot these photos.  So not in the order that they appeared, by organized more by category, this is what we saw:

BRASS BANDS - probably a half-dozen.  Lots of drums, too.  No typical woodwinds, but some bagpipes.
Notice their painted faces, their headgear, their costumes---not your typical high school/college band.  Heidi, the trombone shots are just for you!










Notice the poor drummer's knee socks??



FLOATS - Possibly a half dozen or so.  Simple in comparison to what we see in the states; most had elements made with paper mache'.  Candy was thrown from some and confetti as well.  You'll see the confetti in the air as it is thrown from the Viking-type ship and a pirate ship.  No beads like at Mardi Gras!
 



Off to the right you will notice a man dressed in reddish brown that is on stilts.

 

 

 

PEOPLE IN COSTUME AND LOTS OF MASKS:
 
 



 

 

 

Once in awhile, there was a bit of entertainment of sorts:

This man was spinning some things attached to rope---not sure what they're called.



This guy was poking people with his pitchfork.



After the parade the brick streets looked like it had snowed:



See my next post for some of the other things we saw in Riquewihr.  The castle will have to wait.  By the end of all this, we were "carnivaled out" and cold!  We called it a day and headed back to Basel.  That's the one nice thing about living so close to the French border---we can take lots of day trips on Saturdays.