Le Carnaval des Alpes

Yesterday, bien sûr, was Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras in Gap meant "Le Carnaval des Alpes", which involved masses of kids and adults parading through the streets. I couldn't help but wonder where all these people came from. I had never seen Gap so crowded!



There were some fantastic costumes. The theme this year was "les animaux". Can you tell?





There was also plenty of confetti. Who doesn't love confetti?


And even a few Rio-style samba girls, who must have been freezing!

So yes, it was a big day out in Gap. Even the newspaper was all about le carnaval. This ad for our local paper, Le Dauphiné Liberé, says "Carnival: T-minus one. A look behind the scenes." Excitement builds!

For me, the best part of the afternoon was spending time with my friend Tanya and her son Mathieu (a.k.a. Le Cowboy), soaking up the winter sunshine and enjoying the festivities in what is usually such a sleepy little town. Crowds, confetti, and cowboys = good times!