Wednesday, February 13, 2008

It's Almost Over!

If you're looking for pictures from this year's Basel Fasnacht, then you've come to the WRONG place. I've managed to nearly completely avoid the annual Fasnacht festivities. I say nearly because I did: see people on the tram dressed in their costumes, hear drums and fifes over my blasting iPod as I quickly made my way from the gym to the tram, trudge through confetti pretty much everywhere I walked.

While I respect the tradition of the Fasnacht, I have to say that I find the music to be incredibly grating; fifes and drums just don't do it for me. Also, the confetti that is thrown from the floats - eventually finding its way into every bodily orifice - is a major source of annoyance. I've been to Fasnacht three times, and if I never go again it'll be fine with me.

NOTE TO SELF: From now on, go to Chicago during Fastnach week to avoid the whole thing.

OK, so I'm a party-pooper. Big deal!

You know what? That was pretty negative, wasn't it?

Let me try to balance out all the negativity by saying that the weather here has been absolutely FANTASTIC the past few days. It's been 10˚C/50˚F and sunny for the past several days, and it appears that we're in for more of the same at least through Saturday.

I guess it's not all bad, now is it?

3 comments:

CanadianSwiss said...

You are NOT alone, TBF! I feel the same way, although I lived in the centre of Fasnacht activities for 3 years. NEVER AGAIN! I started freaking out when I heard them practising for the next year in April (!!) for heaven's sake!

I respect the people that do it and the culture behind it, but leave me out of it.

Kirk said...

Yeah, the fife and drums (well, especially the fife) can be sort of like nails on a chalkboard. I didn't mind the Guggemusik as much.

Anonymous said...

This is the greatest rant I've read in a long time.

I began to hate Fastnacht the morning a Gugge band woke me up after a late night of heavy drinking. Hangovers are bad, but hangovers with Guggenmusik is hell.