We went to the Moonlight parade of the Battle of Flowers this year, as we normally do. The fireworks were amazing, though fiercely loud. Even standing there marvelling I couldn't help worry about the pets, elderly, children, ill and shift-workers in the vicinity who were probably disturbed. Lets face it, the hospital is not that far away - although I am not sure if there are still "quiet please" signs around the hospital as there used to be.
As for the parade itself, I missed last years stilt walkers. Somehow men in drag on segways chucking sweets didn't quite have the magic of the odd birds and other animals, picking their strange two or four legged way down the arena last year and bending to peer into the faces of spectators.
The parade always takes a while to get going, but this year it never did seem to get into full swing - the floats that were there were fabulous, but between them it seemed very flat. Maybe it was just the crowds - were were packed like sardines, and that created its own set of expectations, but maybe it was the music - very few floats had music that was actually properly audible - even if the dancers were singing along. My daughter kept reminding me of "puppet on a string" that was blaring from a float a few years ago, and which she was singing for months afterwards.
I know - I complain the fireworks are too loud, then that the floats are too quiet!
