We had several other choices for Fasching (Carneval) parades. Grobming, Liezen, Wiessenbach, but we opted for Mitterndorf. It’s close, it’s quite traditional, and the village is rather pretty. We arrived a little after two and learned that the parade was starting at a gasthaus 1.5k up the road and would arrive when they arrived, not before. Given the extra time, we dropped in to the Kirchenwirt, a friendly, gemutlich (cozy) place for coffee and a quick bite.
The kellner teased me in a good spirited way about my German as we settled up the bill. The more German I speak, the more willing folks are to talk to me in English, go figure. Though they all feel compelled to comment on my local accent. I’m a yokel, let me tell you.
Back outside, we could just hear the marching band; brass and drums on the cold wind coming through the center of town. A police car pulled in, lights flashing, clearing the road. A smallish crowd of listless spectators in fur coats or ski gear gathered along the sidewalks. The band marched in – they were quite good really – followed by a tractor pulling a gingerbread house full of little witches. A group of clowns pelted the few spectators on upper balconies with snowballs. A front loader playing loud music carried three teen-aged girls in fishnet stockings, cigarettes burning in their manicured hands. A trailer carried some boys in drag and a handful of people in racing car pit crew outfits. They were followed by… nobody. That was it. Straggling spectators followed and then overtook the parade as it headed to the center of town. We listened to them play until they put their horns down and then, we headed back to the car.
You never know what you’re going to get in a small town.
Had you enough Deutschland? I heard that München’s carnivale was always super. Or had you already been there? I guess after navigating the Italian rail system, DeutscheBahn might not be too tempting (even if they are punctual, clean and filled with tacky folk who make out incredibly loud – it’s true! I couldn’t get on a train in Germany without people somewhere close to me eating each other’s faces.) To be fair, it would be hard for dirt-clump town in Östereich to compete with Italian fests. I look forward to hearing your local accent. When I was in Bamberg, they were quite proud that they weren’t teaching us Deutsch mit ein(e)(er)(em?) Bayreisch accent.
Tired of Germany?! Impossible! Heh. Actually, we’d just completed our circle on Faschingsonntag, so it was parade day. And I wouldn’t underestimate dirt-clumpenberg’s ability to put on a fest. You haven’t been freaked out by pagan traditions until you’ve seen the Grampusspiel, described in an old post here:
https://www.nerdseyeview.com/blog/?p=139
I have one more trip planned, so I may still get to witness a make out scene on the Deutchebahn, though I think I’ll probably get to Munich via OeBB, and Austrians don’t seem to make out in public that much.
And I thought I’d seen some bad parades… 🙂 Good luck with the next one.
Saw your post about Silvio on the BlogHer site…had no idea he was a gazillionaire…really know nothing about him…