A pleasant surprise....

When I chose Maastricht as my host for this euro adventure, i had no idea that Maastricht is home to the second largest carnaval celebration in europe. what luck!! You have seen the pictures, you've read the build up, and now here is my official post-carnaval post. I did my research and I found out, from native dutch speakers (not always an easy task you know) that the reason for the season is the afore-pictured vegetable woman. Maastricht is a mining town (hence the afore-pictured caves) and this woman is celebrated because she would bring the food to the workers everyday. so for this small task, there is a week long party including copious amounts of alcohol, dancing, and COSTUMES. So anyway, we all stumble onto this week-long-party and embrace it. We did costumes, we got up early to watch the innumerable parades that go from town to town, we ate waffles and fries with too much mayo. It was very memorable (and yet not...) and the photos don't even begin to capture it. Luckily, I have some video too available upon request. I'll have to email it until I figure out a more appropriate medium.
Officially, Carnaval started on Sunday night, the 3rd. However, on Friday at 3, I remember having already consumed twee (dutch for two...) beers. The Vrijtof was transformed from barren concrete to crowded fairground in the time it took me to check my email and come back through. Naturally we couldn't just keep walking. Due to Carnaval, we UniMaas kids got a whole week off school so I was in great spirits anyway. Unfortunately, I also had a cold, which I did my best to ignore, but eventually succumbed to the pesky bug.
Saturday night (before Carnaval had actually even started...) we got all dressed up in our bug outfits and hit the town. note the photos. We lost Erin unforutnately, but I found her again at around 4am. Cam was also lost by this time, perhaps off with some oompa loompa or other. Erin was with the priest Marco and his "un-holy" water as Erin refers to it. Loaded. We made our way home through the still crowded and costumed streets of Maastricht. I think I talked politics with another of the oompa loompas. Maybe that was another night.
So as I mentioned, I was sick for most of this carnaval thing. Booze was hitting hard and fast, and so I decided later in the game to really try and get home early. I even had the discipline (or else incapability to move) to stay in one night. I picked a good one to stay in: Erin and Cam were "interpretive dancers" and I surely would have been roped into that as well. kudos girls :P.
Anyway, carnaval is good for a few things. You really get to know the city and so I am happy to say that I am no longer lost most of the time and I can now choose between a couple of routes instead of just one I have burned into my brain to get to places i need to go. I am running much more efficiently now! cobblestones notwithstanding. Also the exposure to traditional dutch folk music has been truly enlightening. I am now searching for the "carnaval compilation" cd and can't wait to put it into high rotation. Speaking of music, do yourself a favour and download "schnappie" (alternative spelling: schnaapie). If you get the video even better. you'll know you have the right one if there is a cute little alligator chasing a fly through ancient egypt. that song was the official theme of carnaval, has nothing to do with dutch music otherwise played, but is quite catchy. read: annoying. Also annoying: "girl" by Anouk. Take that spinners.
The costumes of carnaval, as I am sure you have noticed from the pictures, are quite elaborate. I tried to snap pics of unsuspecting revellers whose costumes I liked the best. Whole families dress up in a theme and they also build a music wagon thing and use it to transport *music*, beer (legal to drink in the streets here!), snacks, and layers. Why they didn't choose a warmer month for carnaval i don't know. oh well, february it is. I couldn't train the way i wanted to for various reasons (mainly that the gym, along with everything else, closes for carnaval week...argh!!!!) so I had my bike out to play downtown and take pictures. It was a nice day! luckily i didn't get caught because i found out later that Tristan, the very french frenchman, was ticketed for way less than what i was doing. I don't know what the fine is for riding down stairs and jumping curbs is, but i surely can't afford it judging by Tristan's ticket for riding in the wrong place.
Carnaval is actually a controversial time of year in MAastricht and the town is kind of divded on it. Some hate it and just leave. Others, as mentioned get all decked out and liquored up. Put those kids to bed, i say! It does have its downsides though, i'll admit. People just chuck their glasses in the street so there is now broken glass everywhere. Everything is closed so it is impossible to get anything done...which reminds me, i am still really behind on my laundry.
Anyway, the ones who take it seriously are very moved by the whole thing. Carnaval is ended when the vegetable lady, hoisted up on her pole for the week, is slowly lowered as the clock strikes midnight on tuesday. Kim (Australia...and a guy), Jane (Denmark) and Andrew (USA) and I all watched the whole thing finish up whilst enjoying a waffle (soooo good) and wiping our noses. I think everyone in the guesthouse is all partied out because we all have the same stupid cold. When the veggie lady is all the way down, people cry. Then quietly walk home. Just kidding, they party their faces off all night. but that's normal on tuesdays. Speaking of which, it is Tuesday and 8pm...time for dinnner perhaps.