Carnivale in Venice

I spent my junior year of college in Florence, Italy. The program I studied with hired a bus to drive the students (all Americans) up to Venice the weekend of Carnivale, their celebration before Lent.

We were driven up in the afternoon in late February and told to be back at the bus by morning. We were expected to wander the little allies and piazzas of Venice for the night.

At some point in the evening I was seperated from my friends. It wasn't strange or scary. For some reason it seemed fine. I wasn't drinking. Although in the morning one of my classmates had to be brought back to the bus dripping wet since he fell into a canal.

I ended up alone in a small square at 2:00 in the morning. Entering from another street was a group of costumed musicians and dancers. They all had on powdered wings. The men wore fancy britches and coats while the women were in flowing ball gowns. There were probably 20-30 of us in regular clothes watching them.

Suddenly, the musician began playing a waltz. And a man in a wig and britches took my hand.

I danced a waltz at two in the morning in Venice, under the stars.

Have a musical memory? Why not share it? Oh, and be sure to link back to me. Because if you are going to get some linky love, you should give it back.