Count Down to Karneval

      Today the kids had a break from school for parent teacher conferences. However, we still had to wake up at the same time because we all had appointments downtown to become legal residents. So we boarded the train and went all 20 or so stops to the central station where we met our ambassador  Inside the permit office we sat down and she said "I will need all of your passports please!" NO!!! I left them all at the house and, she had made our appointment for residence in November. I can not say she looked to happy....neither was I. She spoke to some people and then decided we would drive back to our house pick them up and return but because it was karneval they said we must be back in an hour because the office was closing. So we drove, picked up, and returned just in time. As he was printing the last of our papers it turned 11:11(the official start of karneval) and everyone cheered and drank champagne.
     We left the office and returned to the main station to head home but it had transformed into a virtual circus while we were away. There were witches, clowns, Hippies and everything in between swarming around the station.  Oh and did I mention they were drinking. We went down to the U where we tried and failed to board a train two different times with an assortment of characters  Four ladies in flower covered bell bottoms even helped me protect the (kinder/ kids) from the mob of people descending the train. We finally got on to one packed in like sardines.  The "Easter bunny" was even riding with us to Oliver's delight. We rode back home while people cheered and chanted (I have no idea what they were saying, but they sounded happy) until the train slowly emptied and we arrived safely home.
 
                   My iphone does not do these costumes justice