Carnaval in Aalst

Somehow we missed this last year, but Carnaval is a BIG deal over here!  Although it is impossible to find a halloween costume in Belgium (other than a witch hat or ghost...umm sheet) they sure do break out the big guns for this holiday! After some careful research about which town to spend our "fat" Sunday we decided on Aalst because its parade looked fun and lets face it, its the closest.  This cutie town is about 30 mins away looks sort of like Ghent without the canals, or Leuven without the University.  Anyways, it was bright sunny day, we found a parking spot and headed to the Grote Market (which is always the place to be in any good Belgian town)  We were a bit early and there wasn't too much going on but the town looked ready for some rowdiness! Every store front, building and even the interiors of bars were boarded up like they were preparing for a hurricane.  Apparently the fun goes on for a few days in Aalst, and all businesses are closed until Ash Wednesday, craziness!

Enjoying a festival Brat

So what happens in an Aalst Carnaval, you ask? Well there are LOTS of men dressed as women, there are blood oranges thrown, there is a lively and musical parade that goes on for hours, there is a lot of boozing, and many costumes that we in the King family simply don't "get"
Anywho, we had a great time- surely didn't stay for the whole thing because it was getting really cold.  Sofie was nice and warm in her new sheepskin stroller bag (like an Ugg sleeping bag!) but Chris and I were cold to a point no amount of gluwein could cure.

P.S....Happy Valentines Day!