Carnevale a Viareggio

We went to Viareggio Friday. This is the largest town we have visited in Tuscany. It’s most known for the Carnevale, which is this huge festival with floats and parades. There are several Carnevale throughout Italy in various cities, but not all are celebrated in the same fashion. The floats are very famous in Viareggio. We visited the place where the floats are made and kept. They were huge! Each artist is given 130,000 to make a float. Materials are recycled every year, not no piece of a previous float is ever reused. Using paper mache, lard, and water, these floats are constructed over a four – five month period. The artist designs the float, oversees the process, and then constructs with a team of 4 – 10 people. During the Carnevale festival, the floats are judged and are placed. The 1^st, 2^nd, and third place winners get $10,000, $8,000, and $6,000. The prize money isn’t a lot, but that is because it’s more of a pride thing. I thought this was a really cool cultural experience. When I think of Italy, I definitely don’t think of large floats that display political satire.  When I saw the floats, it reminded me of something you’d see in South America or Spain. It definitely seem more like a Spanish thing to me. It was a cultural twist for me. For lunch, we went into the city center of Viareggio. We walked along the piers and looked at all the expensive boats. It’s an area with a lot of wealthly people, yet still not as wealthy as Forte de Marmi which is close by.  For lunch, we ate at what is probably the most famous restaurant/café in Viareggio called Café Margharita. The building is built in the Liberty Style (from 20’s and 30’s time period). The front of the building is made of carved wood. Very ornate. The restaurants and shops lining the beach somewhat reminded me of the states. The architecture was much more modern. Even the landscape looked like cities on the coast, especially California coast. I didn’t really feel like I was in Italy based on the look of the towns we visited. However, when you here the language and taste the food, you know you must be in Italy. I was very surprised, though. When I always thought of Tuscany, I thought of winding roads through rolling green hills, Cyprus trees, sunflower patches, villas, old churches, vineyards, etc. I pictured Napa ,California haha. I’m sure some of the Tuscany region is like this, but our week traveling on the western part of the Tuscan region hasn’t matched my previous perceptions and expectations.  The beaches look similar to those in the U.S. as well. The water is warmer. the beaches have rocks instead of shells, and you’re allowed to be nude (although all women tend to wear bikinis and men wear speedos), but other than that, the Mediterranean beaches on Italy’s coasts are quite similar. I’m curious to see how Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast will be. The exciting thing is that I get to say I’ve swam in the Mediterranean before, so that’s pretty neat! We went to The Beach Club again last night. It was interesting to find that the crowd there was much older than two nights before. Apparently in Italy, different nights mean different age groups even if the same club can be geared for all ages. At this club, Friday and Saturday nights are typically for crowds 25 and older. But, we went anyway! A lot of the girls in this program went, so it was a little wild. The night was exactly like Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night.” I had a blast! I’m excited to try some of the clubs in Florence. They are all supposed to be decorated really differently and the music changes a bit from one to the next. I liked The Beach Club for multiple reasons: 1) Wasn’t too expensive, 2) The guys weren’t drunk and disgusting, 3) The music was a blend of American and Italian top hits and not all of that techno crap, 4) There were dancers dancing on the roof which was totally awesome, 5) Fireworks, and 6) It was on the beach!

The Pope as part of a float for the Carnevale. 

Not sure which Pope this is.

Another float making fun of political figures.