¡Felices carnavales!

The pre-Lenten celebration of the Carnival is being held now in many countries around the globe. While the more popular carnivals are that of Rio Janeiro, Brazil with its many samba schools, or that of Venice, Italy with its spectacular tradition of donning masks and costumes that dates back to the 12th century, there many countries with a noticeably Mediterranean tradition that celebrate the few remaining ferial days before Ash Wednesday, which marks the Catholic tradition of Lent.



This picture of me and my Taiwanese friend Sewe was taken a year ago in Valladolid, Spain, where we celebrated the Carnival in a more restrained fashion, largely due to the harsh Castilian winter. It was later on published in the newspaper El Norte de Castilla. It's one of those rare moments when this quiet -- and for the most part, reserved -- city in Central Spain became one lively street party.

¡FELICES CARNAVALES A TODOS!