Welcome to Paradise

Cotton hats!

One of the things I love about Paris is sometimes, you go into town with no plan in mind, and you just happen to run into something awesome.  There are so many things going on in Paris, especially during the summer, that this actually happens quite often.  Last weekend, Bram and I were having lunch in a cafe in Paris when we started hearing drums, which no, is not common for Paris.  We left the cafe and looked around.  There were more people than normal on the Champs Elyse, which is really saying something.  It turns out we ran into the middle of the Carnival Tropical de Paris, a giant parade featuring people of all cultures in their traditional dress, dancing up and down the Champs Elyse and playing drums.  There were people from mostly tropical places, such as Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil, but there were also groups from Japan, Eastern Europe, and even a group that looked like they were from Texas!  With the excess of people, there was such an energy in the air, as even the crowd danced along to the beat of drums in the Parade.

Check out those braids!

Brazilian feather lady.

The Queen of the Tropical Carnival, bedecked in leaves and flowers.

One of the more energetic groups dance to drumbeats, provided by Coca Cola.

This picture has everything, from super tall woman, some gorillas, and a guy who mistakenly wandered into the Parade route.

A super tall scary ski mask guy.

Representing the Dallas Cowboys in Paris?

These women danced with fruit balanced on their heads.  That takes talent.

Peacock Man, a lesser known superhero.

The Champs Elysee is normally packed, but with the Parade, it was even moreso.  People were lined up 10 deep trying to see the Parade, when others were lucky enough to find places on benches, phone booths, or bus stop shelters.  So most of these pictures I got by holding the camera over my head and aiming.  Talented, no?

A carnival is not complete without a Chinese Dragon.

Looking back down the Champs Elysee, along the parade route.

 

And now, a couple of videos so you can get at least some feel of what the atmosphere was like, as we danced to the drums with crowds of Parisians.