All the fun of the Fair

It's called a Kirmes here. This one comes every year, and spends 3 weeks setting up on the banks of the Rheine, and is open to the public for 10 days. I've never been before, so I just HAD to go last night when some friends invited me. Someone told me it is the biggest kirmes in europe, but I'm not sure. It has apparently over 4 million visitors in it's 10 days of opening. It is also, I discovered, connected to the parade on Sunday (see my last post) celebrating the schutzenfest (shooting festival)
More info here (in german though!)



Not being an experienced fair-ride traveller, I chose to go on the 'Euro-star', the biggest mobile rollercoaster in the world and scareyest ride in the whole fair. Brilliant! Of my fellow riders, TI was unimpressesd because it was not as smooth a ride as the rollercoasters in her native Canada, Mr V loved it, and I was stunned into silence and just grateful that I could still walk and talk when I got off, come to think of it CP was also rather quiet, and mysteriously dashed off home after the ride...


Following all the excitement, we calmed our nerves with a beer, and found a nice 'push penny' arcade to play on. I won a haky sack and a toy motorbike, great! I did also go a bit crazy taking pictures, what with all the 'pretty lights' and stalls. you can see them here.