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Entries in Cowboy Costumes (1)

Tuesday
Mar082011

Cowboy Theme Stampedes German Carnival

by Bennett Owen

It’s over for another year. The “silly season” as it’s called in Germany. Fasching. Karneval.  You expect this kind of thing in Rio and New Orleans but the Germans have a different reputation…stolid, dour, intellectual. And stereotypes are there for a reason. So it’s all the more amazing to see the great western German cities of Mainz, Düsseldorf and Cologne in the midst of Carnival fever:

Photo courtesy of cityshake

Photo courtesy of cityshake

But take a closer look and among the revelers…a familiar pattern emerges…

Photo courtesy of cityshake

Photo courtesy of cityshake

Despite the Germans’ love-hate relationship with America, the western mystique is indeed well entrenched here.  Route 66 on a Harley…it’s the dream of freedom for many a German businessman.  And then there’s Cowboy Johnny:

All I can say is, thank God for Lent!

Photo courtesy of cityshake

Photo courtesy of lichtkriegerin