The 2008 Venice Carnival is under way - it's an early festival this year. Venice is full of revellers dressed in masks and cloaks. Saturday's opening events were all cancelled or postponed for what were basically political reasons (the city in mourning over two port-workers killed at work; a current media hot issue). But the city filled up anyway. We tend to avoid the huge crowds, but Carnival is actually a less stressful time than you would think. During the week the visitors are all tourists who are staying here, and the numbers are manageable. It's at the weekends, when thousands of extra people come in by train and car and bus, that Venice really feels the strain. Even if you don't fancy the organised events and DJ shows, you can admire the parade of costumes around town. The best place to go is to St. Mark's, to the waterfront, where lots of fancy-dressed masked figures promenade and pose for photographers. Little crowds gather around the best-dressed ones; it's a competition and you can only feel sorry for those left to pose in vain. Most of the costumes we've seen so far have been quite good - we've put a photo gallery on the main website: Carnival 2008 Photos. You may wonder who they are, and why they do it, but perhaps it's more fittingly mysterious not to know. Away from St. Mark's, Venice's main thoroughfares are busy but more fun than normal. You see corners of cloaks swishing around corners; and every tourist seems to be wearing a tricorne hat and perhaps a mask. It's all very good-natured and the weather has been smiling on the fun: sunny despite the cold.
> About Carnival
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