Scenes from Carnivale Saturday

I’m convinced that everyone living in the Netherlands keeps a funny hat and an elaborate costume in the closet for special occasions.  The costumes at Carnivale vastly exceed the quantity and quality of what we see at Halloween in the US.

And my favorite clip from Crossroads

Inspectors of the Food and Consumer Products Safety Authority will dress up as merrymakers during carnival to check whether cafés and bars adhere to a recently introduced smoking ban for all cafés, bars, hotels and restaurants. The authorities fear the inspectors would be too conspicuous in their ordinary clothes.

Café and bar owners violating the ban will not receive their fines immediately to prevent drunken revellers assaulting the inspectors.