Carnival in Dunkerque 2010 (by kerouac2)

[Deleted]

Yesterday, I decided to hit the road and see part of the Dunkerque carnival for myself. Dunkerque is one of the cities of French Flanders noted for its devotion to authentic uncommercial carnival culture -- just the local people getting together to have a good time.

Actually, today is the high point of the carnival there, but since I was somewhat unsure of what I would find I thought it would be wiser for me to see a calmer day, since I didn't know my way around town, if parking would be a problem and a few other details like that.

One thing I did do beforehand was to print out the procession route and schedule for the day. Each day is devoted to a different area of town and has its own local carnival procession through its residential neighborhoods. (Today is the big day and night for downtown festivities.)

First I had to get to Dunkerque, which is something like 290 km from Paris.

There was a tiny bit of light snow, but nothing to worry about.

Anyway, I got to Dunkerque before noon, which is what I had planned, even though the parade didn't start before 15:00. I found a place to park and then I checked various maps to see if it was convenient enough for the later activities and also easy to get away if unexpected incidents made me want to leave fast. I have become more cautious about the unknown as years go by.

There really is not much to see in Dunkerque, since it was bombed to bits by just about everybody during the war. I did notice that there was a municipal expo somewhere called "The Reconstruction of Dunkerque 1949-2009." What struck me was thinking that the war ended in 1945, so the city just lay in a heap of rubble for 4 years before they started picking up the pieces and trying to put some of them back together.

one of the many canals


a shopping mall that retained one vestige of the previous building


a municipal office building (I don't know what it used to be)




a ship in front of the port museum


the city hall

(end of part one)

[Deleted]

I just wandered around waiting to see a trace of what might be happening later.

Across from the train stations, there were a few modest hotels that seemed to have attracted sufficient customers.

After seeing the appealing nightly rate of 35€, I was wondering if all of the potential clients were reading the fine print. Frankly, I think that there is probably already a bed in the rooms and that this is actually the charge for adding an extra bed.

I started to spot a few unusual sights...

I saw a shop temporarily devoted to carnival necessities.

I saw a salesgirl staring at me from indoors, probably wondering if I was going to be wanting the net stockings and perhaps a furry pink miniskirt. Hah! But I was going to quickly find out where to get those (if ever I enter an alternate universe and that is the obligatory uniform).

Of course, the local bars knew that they would be doing excellent business as well.

(end of part two)

[lagatta]

I suppose the City Hall and the oldish-looking buildings in the first picture were rebuilt from the rubble?

Some of those rebuilding exploits are extraordinary - such as the centre of Warsaw for example.

I would assume the 7€ is for an extra bed. What I don't get is "supply room with WC" - either the room has a WC (en-suite) or it doesn't and one certainly hopes there is a WC in the hall. If not, people had best not drink too much beer at that Carnival!

I suppose this is better not said in Dunkerque, but the area looks more Belgian than "French" to me.

[Deleted]

There were more and more unusual people to be seen in the streets, but there was still plenty of time before the event.

I saw a big outdoor bar being assembled, but this one was for the next day, not for today's event.

As I continued to wander, I came across a large street market, which sold numerous products that I have not really seen in Paris (or anywhere else, for that matter).

       

There were really A LOT of stands devoted to these products.

           

           

I'm afraid that I didn't buy anything this time, but I saw lots of hesitant people slowly but surely getting into the spirit of things. I don't think that most of these people were locals, because the locals have had a chance to fully equip themselves over the years. And, as I later discovered, they make a lot of the stuff themselves.

I left the market, having completely lost my bearings, but it seemed pretty evident that all I had to do was follow a few people to find my way.

(end of part three)

[bixaorellana]

Very quiet streets! Did it heat up later in the day, to build to a crescendo on Tuesday? Were you at all tempted to stay overnight to see what Sunday might offer?

Re: Lagatta's comment about the city hall -- that was my first thought, also. Well, not Belgium specifically, because I don't know enough to say. However, it looks more like Prague, say. Do you suppose the municipal office building might have been a public market? Perhaps it's more likely that it was a warehouse, considering its position right on the river (or canal?).

It's hard not to admire a city that features so much hot pink!

About the reconstruction not starting until 1949 -- it raises all kinds of interesting speculation about how and when aid money was allocated to cities that suffered great damage during the war. That could be a hefty bit of historical research.

Okay ~~ enough yakking. I wanna see some rowdy revelry!

[Deleted]

All of the Flanders architecture, whether in France or Belgium, looks like Flanders. And of course, most of Flanders is in Belgium. Some cities like Lille (Rijsel in Flemish) could even be mistaken for Dutch.

I imagine that quite a few of the historical buildings were rebuilt about 80% from rubble. After all, all you need are some good photographs of olden times to know exactly what to do. When I saw the nice "old" buildings surrounded by totally utilitarian early 1950's architecture, it would have been very naive to think that the old buildings had miraculously survived the war while all of the surrounding residential and commercial buildings were destroyed.

Carnival revelry coming up next!

[Deleted]

This being a small neighborhood event, the rendezvous point was on a small neighborhood corner. People began to arrive about 30 minutes before 15:00.

People were itching to get their leggings in gear and hit the pavement!

           

(end of part four)

[lagatta]

What do they feed people for 4 euros 50?

And why pink?

[bixaorellana]

Oh ~~ you know what hit me looking at these pictures?! Instead of costuming to look like something or someone in particular (R2D2, Marie Antoinettes, etc.) a la mardi gras in N.O. & other places, these people are dressing to play the fool -- a much older carnival tradition. Does the celebration of pre-Lenten carnival go far back in Dunkerque's history?

Hands-down, my favorite picture of this very fun group is the guy lighting a cigarette -- great photo!

[Deleted]

At 14:45, the bells of a nearby church started pealing annoyingly. (Any loud bells that ring for 15 minutes are annoying!)

Time to start the parade! A fanfare with drums started up, brass instruments, flutes. They weren't even out of tune. The sun had come out, even though it was still well below freezing.

The Bande de la Basse Ville was on its way!

(end of part five)

[lagatta]

Yes, it does look very cold. My friend across the pond is describing temps considerably colder than ours and much more snow than we have (no, not in Flanders, where they mostly have North Sea winds). But the people do look like they are having a lot of fun.

I like the cigarette guy too. And the somewhat nerdy young man with the mismatched socks, and well, a lot of the people. There is of course a lot of cross-dressing going on.

[Deleted]

The Dunkerque website says that the carnival is not a spectacle and that there are no spectators -- everybody present is considered to be a full part of the event.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

(end of part six)

[bazfaz]

Great documentary, K. It puts our little parade to shame. I particularly liked the colourful umbrellas that brighten up a city that otherwise has not a great amount of beauty.

[Deleted]

I should point out that this was a rather difficult report for me to do because I am one of those people who is frightened by clowns and any other disguise.

I don't know if it is therapeutic for me to mingle in such a crowd or whether it is making the trauma worse. I noticed that as long as nobody spoke to me, I was fine, but the moment any of the costumed revelers said anything to me, it made me completely uncomfortable. I am unable to read people's real motivations when they are hidden behind makeup or masks, or if they are dressed illogically.

What if the people are not really disguised at all? What if they look like that even when they are at home in their apartments? That would be a scary thought.

     

(end of part seven)

[spaceneedle]

Clowns freak me out a little too. I remember back in the day, everyone thought these clowns were so cute, but they are creepy!

[Deleted]

Around and around we went. The crowd remained enthusiastic in the frigid but sunny afternoon. A few groups would slink off to nearby cafés and return full of energy.

Around 16:30 there was a break, just before the venue of the herring toss, which intrigued me no end.

People took photos of each other or themselves and posed willingly for anybody with a camera. Sometimes, one was even drunkenly ordered to take a picture.

going for refreshments

Finally, the magic time of 17:00 arrived. It was time for the herrings to come raining down on the crowd!

The tossers were up on the balcony of a municipal building.

The herring came raining down!

They splattered on the pavement or were caught on the fly. The many umbrellas were used as both protection and as inverted catching devices, depending on the person.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't as extreme as my imagination had depicted. There had been some articles in the press a few years ago about frozen herrings being banned because there had been some injuries. As it turned out, these fish were smoked but wrapped in plastic. Danger of injury appeared to be minimal, except from mob hysteria, of which there was a bit.

The herring tossers made it clear when they were out of herring.

Once there were no more fish, candy was thrown down the crowd, and I got two whole pieces. Yippee.

Some of the lucky herring catchers attacked their prizes with considerable bestiality.

Then it was time for some of the people to disperse ( me? ) , even though still others were arriving for the rigadon, the street dance that ended the event.

peas in a pod or a burqa?

Numerous traces of the event covered the pavement.

I didn't really want to leave, but I didn't want to overdose on the event either. I wanted to retain the desire to return again.

going to the rigadon


I almost turned around to follow them back.

Goodbye, Dunkerque carnival. I really hope to see you again.

(end of part eight and real end)

[bixaorellana]

A good time was had by all!

Kind of nifty to see a local celebration that's totally unselfconscious and plain good fun for the participants. You never answered my question about whether or not the festivities go on until Monday midnight.

[Deleted]

Actually, carnival season in Flanders does not pay much attention to the religious calendar, and the festivities continue all through the month of February. In Dunkerque, the last parade is planned for February 21st and the last ball for March 6th.

[Deleted]

I found a video report of the same event on YouTube. The herring toss begins at 5:00.

[bixaorellana]

My computer has been balky all evening, but I'm sure the herring toss will be equally enjoyable tomorrow.

I have to ask: Do you feel this form of therapy helped you with your phobia? Are you willing to admit that you posted this report while wearing a fright wig and a large rubber nose?

[Deleted]

Great report K2! Nice to see this morning as I head downtown to see a similar sight.I am also inspired by the mode of warm dress as I am digging through my costume trunk looking for warm garb to don. It is 1C here today,but promises to warm to about 15C with lots of sun.
So,layers it will be,to shed as the day warms up.
I don't expect to see any herring being tossed.Coconuts yes.
Thanks for this.

[Deleted]

The area where we go here is similar,although, it is near the French Quarter where most of the commercial crap occurs,it is in a small neighborhood,actually 2 neighborhoods, in the far lower Quarter,the Faubourg Marigny and Bywater where the crowds are thinner and the flavor is much,much more "local".

[hwinpp]

1. No floats?
2. I'd catch a herring, by hook or by crook.

Looks like a very local affair, they're doing it all for themselves. Nice take on the carnival.

[Deleted]

No floats. They do floats in the south of France with flowers and citrus fruit.

There was some really tough competition for the herring!

And yes, it was completely local for their own personal enjoyment -- that was what I liked best.

[imec]

Fantastic! This shows a side of the French I had no idea they possessed.

[htmb]

Since I was up this way just last week I decided to pull up this old thread for a look. I'm dumbfounded. Kerouac, these costumed revelers are French?
It certainly looks like everyone was having a wonderful time.

I'd have a problem with many of the costumes, too.

[kerouac2]

After already 3 other trips to Dunkerque, I fear that I may be returning again next year.