Pust, Ljubljana Style

Yesterday was Ljubljana’s Carnival parade, which went by our apartment and across the Triple Bridge to Preseren Square.  It was far more tame than what we witnessed last weekend in Ptuj, but was still a lot of fun.  The second Saturday of Carnival (or Kurentovanje, as they call it in Ptuj; or Pust, as they call it in the rest of Slovenia) is masquerade day, so everyone was out in full costume.  In fact, Rosetta, Celia, and Sy were the only kids out who weren’t dressed up.  Good thing they're too young to care.

This parade was complete with bumble bees, a fire-breathing devil, brass bands, lots of accordions, a few Kurenti, and even a Muammar Gaddafi float (we’re not sure where that fits into Slovene history, or Carnival for that matter).

The best part was the polka band that played in the square after the parade.  They reminded us of the Essen Haus in Madison, except that they were dressed as purple and yellow jokers, which reminded us of the Minnesota Vikings.  We're pretty sure they sang “I don’t want her, you can have her” in Slovenian.  Celia had a ball dancing around in circles and waving a ribbon she picked up off the ground.  Sy also “danced” a bit; unfortunately, we’re fairly certain he’s inherited his old man's sense of rhythm.  Mommy and Daddy had lots of fun watching.

We ended the day with pizza and then dragged three exhausted kids and two exhausted parents home to bed.