Rabadan Bellinzona!

I want to get a few photos of the Rabadan Bellinzona up before heading to Fasnacht!  If you're thinking, hmmmm... this name sounds like a very different celebration, you are right!  The term Rabadan does come from a misinterpretation of the Islamic month of Ramadan.  For more information about that, please visit Bellinzona's Rabadan website:  http://www.rabadan.ch/.

I arrived on Saturday morning, expecting to find something happening at 11:00.  Something rather laid back was happening - the Carnival King was walking through the market.  So I walked around, but couldn't help noticing that there were a lot of people in coordinated costumes carrying instruments, which I thought meant that something was about to happen.

Well, something was ABOUT to happen for approximately 4 hours, as I kept following costumed musicians up and down the streets of Bellinzona, only to find them parking themselves at bars and not doing much.  I thought they might be still dressed up from the night before, but they looked fairly fresh, and then there were the instruments!

Flamingo cortege before the parade



So just as I was about to give up, a group of drummers came marching up the street, and that convinced me that, yes, there was a parade coming.  Guggemusik (of which I'm sure I'll see much more this week- 'good musicians playing badly')!

A cortege of trees marching up the street



So it was worth the wait.  I went home covered in confetti with my parade carnival quotient for the day fulfilled.  Here are some photos!

More pictures later!  Got to go and catch the train!