Fastnacht

I thought Silvester was as nuts as it gets here, I hadn't heard of Fastnacht. Fastnacht is bonkers.

It's essentially a big parade of floats through the city and everyone wearing fancy dress and drinking. Every one in the crowd drinking - drinking as if hangovers weren't possible and that this time they really were the most atttractive person in the world. Tomorrow may reveal two painful truths.

Normally this sort of thing would drive me indoors and nothing in the world would make me go near it. However, I'm determined not to be put off enjoying things that everyone else enjoys just because of a few arschlochs. So off we went. If you liked 80s disco music, you'd have had a ball.

Everyone else went too (including some entrepreneurial sorts who were selling beer at over 3 times the price), Most people went in fancy dress* - vampires are big (there was even a vampire marching band), kangaroos were popular, the Pirate look was a hit with many of the guys and I have to say well done to the four chaps who went as the Ninja Turtles.

Many pictures were attempted but crowds just don't stand still, damn them. So here you have 2 Cleopatras on a float. I think they're just a wee bit scary. Mind you the pink, sparkly stetson and the pig hat are a bit mad too.

I'm told that the parade in Mainz tomorrow makes today pale into insignificance. Goodness only knows what madness goes on over the river - no wonder taxi drivers don't go there after dark.

*I didn't.