First things first. I don’t want you to be disappointed so I’m going to be giving you a couple of pics as a teaser, but tonight’s post will not be an in-depth tale of my experience of Binche’s Carnaval (by they way…I’m using the French spelling of Carnaval, so please don’t be all up in my face like spell check!:P). I want to do it justice and I don’t quite feel up to it tonight. I made some point form notes on the way home so I should remember more. Plus, I can ask Adeline tomorrow if there’s anything I forget!

Just know that Binche is the place to be for Mardi Gras in Belgium. The Carnaval traditions of this city have been (about 5 years ago) officially declared….umm, how did Adeline put this (I’ll have to double-check tomorrow)? Since it’s the traditions and not a building, it’s immaterial, but it’s like when they declare a building or something as a historic site and it can’t be torn down or changed? This festival is like that.

So, tomorrow I will post the long version when I’m well rested and refreshed. Plus, there’s a couple of things I want to research online before I post about them. One is to do with the yellow flowers we kept seeing, but as everyone we asked about them was French and not Belgian, Adeline suggested I cross-reference the tale online. So that’s what I’m going to do.

Here is you teaser/taste of tomorrow’s post:

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1. We’re on our way

2. Almost everyone dresses up, so Adeline painted her face and Bastien wore his monster hat. We had his Buzz Lightyear costume with us, but he didn’t want to put it on.

3. Bastien sleeping!

4. This has nothing to do with Binche….I just like the car.

5. The Gilles de Binche. What are they…read tomorrow to find out!

6. Their hats. Really, really heavy hats.