When we arrived in Barcelona on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, we had no idea it was the start of carnival. Our first inkling was when we saw lots of school children in costumes near our appartment, but we dismissed it as some sort of very local festivity. However, when we went to the main food market next day – Santa Caterina – and saw geishas and cowboys selling fruit and vegetables, we realised it must be something bigger! On Saturday, we ran into Freddy Flintstone and Superman pushing strollers with diminutive Princes and Zorros. On Sunday, we happened to run into the parade as it left Santa Caterina.