As has become tradition for me over the last couple of years I went to Copenhagen on March 17th to photograph the celebrations on St:Patrick's Day.
Unlike last year's celebrations (which are now in a Flickr gallery rather than on this site) it was pretty cold and rather rainy this year. That was okay though...at least it wasn't snowing!
I don't have the exact number of participants of the Three-Legged Race, but it felt like there were more people taking part than last year. Perhaps it was because this year's event happened on a Friday. That makes me wonder what next year will be like on a Saturday!
It's possible to see the rain drops falling in some of the pictures from the Three-Legged Race warm-up tent (in my St:Patrick's Day gallery), and I feel at least a little bit of pity for the participants who had to start their run with freezing water falling on their heads...even if they did do it voluntarily!
Pit Stop at the Irish Rover
It was quite a relief to be able to get inside for a quick pint of the dark stuff, where it was warm and definitely not rainy! As we (my constant photo buddy a.k.a. my dad and a new acquaintance from a Facebook photo group) sat with our pints I couldn't help noticing an older couple to my left. All around us people were singing and having a great time, but these two sat there with their beverages, barely cracking even the smallest smile. I don't know why they didn't feel in the spirit of things...or perhaps they _were_ having a good time, it just didn't show as much on them as it did on the group of young men belting out Pogues sing-a-longs to our right.
Outside the Dubliner, the last pub on the list of places the Three-Legged Race participants have to visit people were having a good time, including one team of young ladies who did a seemingly ugly face plant on the pavement, only to get right back up without making her partner fall too. Alcohol makes for limber movement, apparently!
Sing-along outside the Dubliner
This year I didn't take any pictures of the music and dancing on the stage at Rådhuspladsen (Town Hall Square) because we were more in need of a meal, but there was just enough time to zip back there to catch the start of the St.Patrick's Day parade before we had had enough of the cold and dreary and caught the train home to Sweden. Hopefully next year, when I expect it will be a lot more crowded the weather will cooperate better!
You can see all my pictures from the day in the gallery found on the menu to the left.