This post is about the groups that walked the Horse Market parade two Sundays ago, some of them bands, some of them representing certain periods in the history of Ludwigsburg, some coming from other towns.
They were all interesting to look at, and it never ceases to amaze me how much time and effort these people put into what they are doing in their free time. More often than not, the costumes are hand-made, and even just to get some of the materials together must cost a lot of money. Then they need to be taken care of, and then comes the "fun" bit - wearing it while walking 2 km in the blazing sun on a hot day like that! Or worse - in the rain, which can't be good for the costumes.
Anyway, it is remarkable, and I want to show my appreciation with this post.
One part of the parade was all about Ludwigsburg's international community with groups representing their countries of origin, ranging from Greece to Equador and quite a few in between.
The historical groups walked in a loose chronological order. Not each and every detail was strictly authentic - shoes were often chosen more for comfort than for their historic accuracy, and not every hairdo was exactly as it would have been at the time a certain costume was supposed to represent. But one should not be too picky about it; altogether, a pretty good idea was given of how folks were dressed through the ages.
To continue my series of posts about this year's Horse Market parade, here is horse power of a different kind. I am not really an enthusiast for all things on wheels and with motors, but I do like the nostalgia of vintage cars and machines, so these tractors were interesting to look at. And their owners so proud!
I have thrown in some old fire engines for good measure. Some of the machines shown here are not all THAT old - at least it doesn't feel like it, since I've still seen them in use during my childhood and youth. But then again, I'm 50, so my childhood and youth are considered prehistoric by some :-D
Enjoy your weekend, whatever you'll be doing! I'm off in a few minutes to catch the first of two trains taking me to O.K.'s. Yes - at least for the trip there, my "old" connection (with having to change trains just once) is back; hopefully, it will be reinstalled for the return trip soon, too.
