I was going to fill you all in on our lovely trip on the EuroStar this morning (a really cool, fast, comfortable, and well-serviced train) but now, everything is different. We arrived in Lille, France and as we walked to our new (OMG fabulous) apartment, we noticed that there were a lot of people in the streets. We thought maybe we'd skip the quiet tour around the old town of the city and just rest. And then when we arrived, our host asked us if we were here for the festival. Festival? Um, no.
Well, it turns out that we've arrived in Lille on the very day of a festival two years in the making. And not only that, but our apartment was located on the very street where it takes place. We had to do some research to figure out what this festival is all about because the language barrier between us and our host confused us. So here's what we discovered. Today is the opening day of the Utopia 3000 festival, the 6th edition of Lille 3000. "To launch this great cultural event which takes place until October 2, an opening party in the colors of nature will take place this Saturday, May 14 in the streets of Lille. Some 300,000 people are expected in the streets of Lille." Plans can change quickly.
How lucky were we to watch this spectacular parade out the apartment window. We've had so much good luck on this trip but renting an apartment on the parade route of a bi-annual (semi? I dunno - the one that's every 2 years) extravaganza has to be the most fortuitous. We saw all kinds of amazing creatures, characters, animals and marching, dancing, beautifully adorned paraders. One balloon even paid Mom a visit on our third floor balcony! The pictures are much better than any description I can provide. Right now, there's a concert going on outside with tens of thousands of people dancing and cheering. Later, there will be fireworks. It may not make for a good sleep tonight, but I don't care. Happy Utopia Festival, Lille. We are so honored to witness it.
No comments:
Post a Comment