RSSIn Viareggio
“Viareggio is dead in winter,” an Italian says to me on the train ride here, before quickly smiling and adding, “But wait, you’re going for Carnival, aren’t you?” Viareggio is anything but dead for 4 Sundays of Carnival.
In fact, Carnival in Viareggio is consistently voted one of the best festivals in all of Italy. For the past 135 years, with a few years off at war time, the townspeople construct huge floats and parade them along the coastline.
Viarreggio’s floats become world famous with the help of local shipbuilders from the nearby port who design and construct memorable parodies of Italian political life. I meet Australians and Americans on the streets, but this is mostly an Italian affair, giving the whole event an authentic vibe. Thrown in for good measure, though, were a couple of Barack Obamas. One, fittingly, with hammer and nails in hand.
In 2009, Carnival Sundays in Viareggio are: Feb 8, 15, 22 and March 1.
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Benjamin Thomas
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About the Eurail Blog
I'm Benjamin Thomas from the USA and I've been accepted for a fellowship in Europe. During my stay I will use Eurail Passes to explore the continent. On this weblog I will share my (train) travel experiences. Intro
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