A Lucky Schedule: Mardi Gras in Venice
When we booked our trip to Venice, we choose our dates based on the school vacation. We didn’t check the calendar to see what was going on. So when we got off the train in Venice it took us a few minutes to figure out why the entire town was dressed up and partying. In one of our luckiest travel moments ever, we had arrived on Mardi Gras – the last and most festive day of the famous Venice Carnival.
We discovered afterwords that the Venice Carnival is known for being very sophisticated and family friendly. It is nothing like the craziness of Rio or New Orleans, so we had a total blast going out with the kids and seeing the sites. The costumes were absolutely amazing.
That evening, we went to the famous San Marco Piazza, near the Palais of the Doges, where it’s all happening. There was a free concert, and lots of folks showing off their costumes.
We were there!
Of course, it was hard to get to sleep when we got back to our apartment. Folks outside were partying until about 4AM, blowing horns, trumpets and the like. But a calm, beautiful, and remarkably clean Venice was there to explore when we got up the next morning.
The Venice Carnival is definitely an event worth making an effort to see, and great for the kids. We’re very happy we were lucky enough to experience it.
Wow – gorgeous costumes! I would have felt definitely underdressed. But maybe that made it easier to ask people to pose for photos? 🙂
The people who dressed up were definitely there to be seen. Some of them spent the whole evening posing for photos. There was one lady who didn’t move for more than 20 feet all night, just turned slow circles graciously having her photo taken.
Wow, those are amazing costumes! Wish I was there.
Ces costumes sont vraiment audacieux! Those costumes are more than elaborate, I agree with Val you must have felt underdresssed.
How fabulous that your timing worked out that way! Must be all that clean livin’… I loved Venice, but could never find my way back to the same place twice. Of course, that happens here, too, just less often 😉
These pictures are awesome!