Spring is coming

Sunday February 20, 2011 Day 235

This morning we arose late and went to the grocery store for a few items. Then in the afternoon, it was bright, sunny and not too cool, so we went for a walk in the botanical gardens near our apartment. Unfortunately we forgot to take either camera. The walk was lovely - the earliest of the spring flowers are just starting to open, and a couple of trees were in bloom, although even they looked as if they had opened only yesterday. Clearly, spring is coming.

While in the gardens, we could hear drums beating, so on our way back we climbed the hill and entered the Peyrou, where there was a 10-piece drum line practicing with drums whose names I do not know, as they were not familiar to me. A couple of them were the rough equivalent of bass drums, but were upright and with only one head. One girl played a cowbell, another beat a tambourine-looking instrument but without the shakers on the side. Their beat reminded me of the drum cadence for parade marching - complex, with rhythms that were not repeated often. They were a nice reminder of Mardi Gras, which I don’t think is celebrated with much fervor here.