CARNAVALE!

Apparently Brazilians and New Orleans folk aren't the only ones to celebrate this time of year - Italians are enthusiastic participants as well.

To me, Carnavale seems like the Halloween-equivalent, although I am told that Halloween is also celebrated here. Depending on which Carnavale festival you attend, festivities can range from Masquerade Balls (Venice, Italy) to everyone simply walking around in their costumes, music performances, fried food, and lots of silly-string and confetti (Viareggio, Italy - where I was yesterday).

Although I haven't been an active participant (a mask and costume wouldn't exactly fit in my suitcase, nor did I even think to bring any), I have been an interested and amused observer. :) While on the Piazza del Campo taking these pictures, I suddenly became the target of 5 and 6-year olds with silly string. I quickly protected my camera lens and ran away from them, but they were already on to their next victim (thank goodness!).

Tuesday is Mardi Gras and I am going to a mask party at Gallery (the local club) - should be interesting....since Italians seem to know how to party. ;) Have to say...don't think that anyone can party harder than the Serbians I met on the Vineyard this past summer...

Italy is always filled with surprises, though. :) I wouldn't have it any other way!!


(Side note: I deactivated my Facebook account last week - I came to Italy to experience life and culture, not sit on Facebook and waste time...which is basically what I was doing. To be honest, I find it very liberating - one less thing to obsess over! And, I realize how ridiculous it is how wrapped up people are in it - today, Facebook came up as a topic of conversation AT LEAST 8 times in the course of 2 hours, "Did you see the pictures....", "Oh my gosh! They're dating?!", "Did you get the message about...?" And I just sat there thinking, 'Wow. What has this world come to?' Yes, I will eventually put Facebook back up again, but not right now. If people need to contact me, that is what AIM, email, snail mail or phones are for...)