Mardi Gras, New Orleans
Come on take me to the Mardi Gras. Singing aside, yes, take me to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
I’ve flirted with Norleans, most notably at the annual IPW, the American Travel Fair, where the Preservation Society Jazz Band entertained us.
And drunk the Sazerac and eaten the gumbo and jambalaya.
But I’ve yet to get there… soon, though.
Of course, we owe it all to King Louis XIV, naturellement, and Pierre Le Moyne d’iberville.
The highlight is the Rex Ball. As they used to say in Norleans… laissez les bons temps rouler, or ‘let the good times roll.’
Visit www.mardigrasneworleans.com
Rio, Rio, by the sea-oh
Rio, the self-titled Biggest Show On Earth…. and it all starts with the Romans.
The Classical Romans threw a wine festival back in the day to the vino god Dionysius, or Bacchus.
The Portuguese adopted it with ‘Entrudo’ and then took it to Brazil.
In 1840 the first Rio masquerade took place with polka and waltz, of all things, front and centre.
Samba, the music of the Africans, took over in 1917. And we’ve never looked back.
Visit www.riocarnival.net/EN/tickets.
Notting Hill, London
The Caribbean Carnival of St Pancras Town Hall doesn’t have the same ring to it as Notting Hill.
But that’s how it started out indoors in 1959 before they took it outside.
And the rest is history.
A million people take to the streets every August Bank Holiday Weekend at the end of the month… She’ll have me cutting the grass.
Visit www.thelondonnottinghillcarnival.com.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Europe’s biggest carnival and the second largest in the world.
A fancy dress fest, it culminates in the entierro de la sardina (burial of the sardine).
And they pack them in for that like…!
Visit http://www.futenerife.com.
Carnavale de Venezia
It’s as old as time… well 1162 at least and a military victory before Carnavale went on to become a Rennaisance staple.
But the mean Holy Roman Emperor Francis II banned it in 1797.
Probably got given a dodgy mask at the hire shop.
And it only really came back in 1979.
A package for Carnavale
If you’ve got a fancy mask you want to give an outing then we found this package with Weekend A La Carte www.weekendalacarte.co.uk
Three nights Mascheranda package from February 21-24.
That’s entertainment, dance and costume hire. And party in the Palazzo Pisani Moretta on the Grand Canal.
And the chance to pose in St Mark’s Square.
Visit www.venice-carnival-italy.com.
And just to get your started here is Barbados Crop Over, Foreday Morning and Grand Kadooment… https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/rihanna-in-barbados/
MEET YOU AT THE CARNIVAL