Something I love when traveling is finding festivals or special events that are traditions of the area I am in. I have been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time on a few trips and have yet to be disappointed. Being that it is February places all over the U.S. are celebrating Mardi Gras. We learned that Italy is no different; here they celebrate Carnivale in several cities. After a little research and talking to a local friend we found out that Viareggio is known for one of the best Carnivale celebrations in Italy. 2018 is their 145^th year of this crazy party.

Carnivale is such a town staple they start promoting the following years celebration before this year is even over!

The town of Viareggio sits on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea with beautiful views of mountains off in the distance. From the train station, you can easily walk to the beach and the main street lined with restaurants, shops and small cafes. This is also the promenade where the festival takes place. This town is less of a tourist destination and therefore you will find more locals and hear a lot more Italian being spoke. As we strolled through the neighborhoods and watched Chloe enjoy her first beach experience we were stopped by a few elderly women who just wanted to chat about their dogs. Doing our best to understand their Italian we soaked up the moment; I was even able to respond with more than just a smile and nod!

The time had come to go see what Carnivale 2018 had to offer! Tickets to the event cost €20 and it was worth every penny, I mean you travel to take in and experience culture and life so why not. Carnivale takes over the main promenade of Viareggio where the street fills with food vendors, beer, and the biggest Paper-Mache floats I have ever seen. When I say big I mean floats taller than the buildings. Italy uses the festival to inform the locals and tourists of some of the issues they as a country face. Two of the main floats depicted a skeleton smoking and a man in a wheelchair. The skeleton represents the health issue they face here as smoking is still done by majority of residents. While the wheelchair shows the difficulty that handicapped individuals face living in a country that was built hundreds of years ago at a time when handicap accessibility was not a consideration. For me I see how difficult it would be in a place such as Italy. Tearing down entrances to buildings and changing sidewalks that have been here since before the 16^th century seems like you are destroying history. But I am glad to see Italy embracing these issues and working to alert the public and try to solve these problems.

There were several other floats in the parade all unique and interesting. Rather than try and describe them I will let the photos speak for themselves.

The festival food like the rest of Italy’s meals did not disapoint. Sandwiches filled with fresh vegetables and meat sliced right in front of you, all reasonably priced left us wanting seconds and thirds. Of course, Chloe was given all the free meat and veggies she could want (okay she is a dog she always wants more) but she was more than satisfied. One of the other great things about the festival was that you could buy bottles of wine for €6! Just another demonstration of how different Italy and America are in these areas. America capitalizes on festivals and even in restaurants charging 10 times the amount for beer, food and wine making events and such unaffordable to many.  We left the festival spending €52 for tickets, dinner, drinks and a night we will not forget.

All-in-all we were happy we chose to attend and experience the Carnivale festivities. If you have the opportunity to attend feel free to dress up in wild costumes and masks and join the circus of attendees and float participants dancing in the streets.