National Day

17th of May is a National Day in Norway. Originally it was celebrated with children's parades but nowadays one can find an extraordinary mixture of the parade members:

• soldiers and veterans:
  

• Neptun himself and the sirens:
  

• supporters of the new local tram line:

• beer-drinkers in kilts:
  

• representatives of the local cycling club:
  

• half-naked girls (believe me, it was coooolllllddddd):
  

• american footbal players:
  

• representatives of the Bergen Scottish Society:
  

• and many many others... :-)

All of them (except of the tourists and ... us!) wearing traditional norwegian costumes (no, not the sport dress :-), this time I mean bunads) or suits /smart dresses. Even dogs looked very ...formal... today:

I must say, I do not recall seeing so many national flags ever before.... even in the communists times in the 1st May obligatory parades in Poland!