Carnival, Cows and Confetti!

On Saturday I departed Lausanne for Freiburg and Langenthal with a group of exchange students from Geneva. There, we toured the picturesque city and learned a bit about its history. Freiburg is a particularly interesting place because it rests on the border between the German and French speaking sides of Switzerland. The Sarine river is the geographical boundary between the two languages. We also explored a gorgeous Catholic cathedral in the heart of the city and picnicked at a quaint little restaurant overlooking the river before hopping a train to attend the Carnival in Langenthal. 

So what is this thing called "Carnival" that everyone seems so excited about over here? 

Think of it as a sort of hybrid between Halloween and the 4th of July put inside a giant snow globe full of glitter! There is a big parade, lots of beer, music, dancing, elaborate costumes and absolutely ungodly amounts of confetti!

This particular Carnival took place in a small Schweizerdeutch 
town called Langenthal. People started meandering toward the town center in the early afternoon on Saturday. Disguised children ran and shrieked as they threw confetti at one another while their equally costumed parents drank beer in the square. Later that night, the party truly began, the entire main street was packed with people in elaborate getups and brass bands played on every block. Vendors stayed open to sell their typically German bratwursts and other fair. And in the morning people awoke and went back, again sporting their colorful costumes, for the big parade! Bands played, people marched, and floats bombarded the crowd with confetti for more than two hours. When all was said and done, the street looked as if it had snowed for two days in a whirl of assorted colors. Everyone (myself included) will be shaking bits of paper from their hair and clothes for weeks!


Also, while waiting for the parade to start, on Sunday morning, we happened across a pasture filled with Swiss cows. So, of course, we stopped to take pictures! The cows were very friendly, some sporting large brass bells. A few even came up to the fence to investigate us, and one particularly curious fellow gave my hand a very wet lick when I reached out to pet him! I guess I can cross that off my bucket list!



With love, from Lausanne

Mindy