The one afternoon I spent in the isolated Dutch province of Limburg was enough to catch the Dutch carnival in full swing. I assumed the brass bands, tractor-pulled floats, and mass enforced fun was an exceptional lucky timing on my part. 10-12 processions in as many towns and 2 days later, I've seen the error in presuming cosmic happenstance. I think I've caught more of Euro Carnival then almost any other individual on the planet this year.

One thing that's caught the eye amongst the stern-faced fun has been the spread of (most) ages, but my own. Speaking to my Koblenz bike host - Nikolas, he explained how amongst Millennials there has been a significant revolt in Carnival participation. It's perceived ass the older generation trying to institutionalize and enforce 'fun' and in particular drinking to excess, a rebellion we've seen echoes of throughout Uni and Society. Youth rebellions need to be new and fresh, so I suppose that temperance, moderation and sobriety do fulfill that role as novel values for today's James Dean...

I had a tremendous evening during the Carnival days in Stolberg near Aachen, hosted by Asli's cousin-brothers Oncu and Guncu. Oncu gave me a of the City's 'Kupferhofs', cooperative copper processing communities built together in charming squares dating back as early as the 1300's. Many of the original families are living in the same houses, the surprising oversight by UNESCO a blessing in disguise perhaps.