World's culture capitals

Where in Europe does one go to experience a little culture? Paris? Milan? Perhaps, but in 1990, the place to go was Glasgow, Scotland . That year the city was named European Capital of Culture by the European Union, and Glasgow's done its best to uphold that reputation ever since.

A number of new cultural institutions and buildings opened, including the Museum of Education in 1990 and the Gallery of Modern Art in 1996. By 2005, almost 30,000 people were employed in Glasgow's tourism industry.

The boom continues: City officials have promised to inject $300 million into cultural buildings and projects between 2006 and 2011. The city wants to keep selling itself as a vibrant place to work, live, invest and study. "Glasgow: Scotland With Style," is a slogan the city strives never to lose--and thus reaps the rewards. In Depth: World's Culture Capitals

Glasgow is just one example of a place that has pegged itself as a culturally dynamic destination in order to attract a growing number of "cultural tourists," or those traveling for more than sun, sand and a drink with a little umbrella in it.

Culture Sells
In 2007, 898 million people were classified as cultural tourists, compared with 538 million in 1995, according to a Jan. 14 report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a Paris-based group of 30 democratic countries that provides economic and social statistics and data. The 159-page report, entitled "The Impact of Culture on Tourism," examines the economic and social significance of culture on tourism in several places around the world.

The report's take-home message: Follow Glasgow's lead. Reinforcing the importance of culture has stimulated economic growth, and made the city a desirable destination.

Same goes for Barcelona, Spain . Many thank the 1992 Summer Olympics for the city's revitalization. But Greg Richards, a partner at Barcelona- and London-based research firm Tourism Research and Marketing and the primary writer of the OECD report, says that it wasn't until the early 2000s--when the city launched a campaign promoting the historic importance of Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudí's work--that true culture vultures took notice.

"For quite some time and up until the 1970s, La Pedrera was a bingo hall," says Richards of one of Gaudí's most famous buildings. "What Barcelona has done very successfully is develop culture first and foremost. In return, they've seen an increase in tourism."

Due--at least in part--to its focus on cultural tourism, the city saw 11 million overnight visitors in 2005. But other than a lot of material to work with--including nine World Heritage Sites, great restaurants and captivating artwork--Barcelona had another element working in its favor. The city had the manpower to organize its cultural programs.

"You can have the cultural resources--historic buildings, etc.--but the key thing seems to be able to use those assets," says Richards. "You need to be able to manage and market it effectively."

Developing-World Challenges
That's the struggle facing places such as Kenya's Amboseli National Park. While there are special homesteads where tourists can experience Maasai culture, and learn about Kenya's 40-some ethnic groups, the politically troubled nation is on the U.S. Travel Warnings List. With few resources to help improve infrastructure and safety, it's difficult to draw in the crowds.

Singapore , by contrast, is better equipped than a developing nation like Kenya to become a center of culture. In 2008, Singapore officials branded the city-state "Global City for the Arts," drawing attention to the Singapore Art Museum (which exhibits Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art), as well as by adding a children's wing to the Asian Civilizations Museum. The new Singapore History Museum also opened last year.

While many perceive Singapore as a sterile business center, its cultural presence in the East is now undeniable.

Same goes for Luxembourg , which in 2007 became the first country ever named a European Capital of Culture. During the yearlong festivities, the area welcomed 3.3 million tourists and saw 6% growth in hotel occupancy from 2006. The event generated about $44 million for the local economy. Big draws were Musee d'Art Moderne, which opened in 2006 and the Philharmonie Luxembourg, a concert hall in Luxembourg City.

Young Travelers Fuel Growth
Ramping up the arts may not be enough, however. Richards believes that, for regions looking to cash in on their local culture, young travelers might be the key. Although youth travelers tend to spend less money per day than their elder counterparts, their vacations tend to last longer, which often generates more profit than the short, expensive trips taken by baby boomers.

Peru , for example, has marketed itself to young travelers--offering discounts for those with an International Student Identity Card--with significant results. Known both for its textiles and folk art as well as ancient structures and biodiversity, the OECD says that, today, Peru classifies 93% of its tourists as cultural tourists. And according to the Peruvian government, the country's tourism dollars reached $2.22 billion in 2008, an 11% increase from $2 billion in 2007.

"In a downturn like this, many young people will choose to travel at the end of their degree, rather than immediately embarking on a career," says Richards. "They might be the most effective target [for cultural tourism]."

So it seems there is hope for other culture-rich destinations, like Turkey's Çorum Province, the former center of the ancient Hittite civilization. Efforts there have been stonewalled by everything from a lack of accommodation to paved roads. That is, until now.

Following in the footsteps of successful centers of culture, the Turkish government's Ministry of Culture and Tourism held a workshop in 2008, encouraging local businesses to invest in cultural infrastructure. Because of this effort, a five-star hotel is now in development, according to the OECD.

It's too early to determine whether Çorum will succeed. However, Richards points out that every city has a story to tell. The better the residents tell it, the more tourists will come. In Depth: World's Culture Capitals


South America’s sexiest beaches
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BAT 11dk: A Concept with a Cause

Robbie had a way with girls

ALLOWAY, Scotland -- From simple beginnings in a crofter's cottage to worldwide recognition, the birth 250 years ago of poet and lyricist Robert "Robbie" Burns is being widely celebrated in the highlands and lowlands.

Called Scotland's favourite son, the "Ploughman Poet" and "Bard of Ayrshire" spent his first seven years in this village on the River Doon.

Throughout the year, families and more than 100 communities are preparing celebrations. Tourism officials hope Scots around the world -- and descendants -- will visit, including for clan homecoming called "gatherings."

BOILED PUDDING

Even those who know little of Burns likely know of his Ode To A Haggis.

Scottish organizations mark his birth on Jan. 25 with banquets opened by someone reciting his best-known poem, then plunging a knife into the traditional dish.

The boiled pudding is usually blended sheep organ meats, minced onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, salt and liquid stock, but vegetable versions are also available.

On a recent return to the land of my ancestors, my grandfather's nephew, Dr. Findlay Macdonald, drove me south from Glasgow along the Clyde River. It was our first visit to the clay and thatch-roofed Burns cottage, which is filled with originals and copies of his letters and memorabilia.

The impoverished family moved to a farm in 1766, where heavy work left him permanently stooped and weakened.

SCANDALOUS

He and his six younger siblings were mostly taught at home by their father, tenant farmer William Burness, and a local teacher.

Burns' first poetry and songs were for girls he loved.

Scandalously drawn to dance and drink, he attracted church-goer wrath, especially when his first out-of-wedlock child was born to a servant.

Mind you, Burns was also wooing Jean Armour, daughter of a stonemason. After she bore him two of their nine children, her father relented to their marriage.

The first collection of his verses was printed in 1786. Poems, chiefly in the Scottish dialect, was a major literary event.

Invited to Edinburgh to oversee a revised edition's production, he became a society darling and greatly influenced Walter Scott, who became a famous Scottish historical novelist and poet.

Continuing social, romantic and writing pursuits, Burns penned over 400 songs, collected folk tunes, rejected invitations to be a journalist and a politician, and reconciled with his wife.

The most famous Burns song, Auld Lang Syne, performed around the world each New Year's Eve, is a promise to remember old friends.

With a weak heart and a bacterial infection after a tooth extraction, he died at 37 on July 21, 1796, in Dumfries.

The museum here houses copies of his works, written in both Scottish dialect and English, plus biographies, criticism of the church, the class structure, poverty and sexuality.

There is also great humour, expressed in bawdy tales, support for carousing, Scotch whisky and socialism. Above all, Robbie Burns keept alive the history of Scots in folklore and verse.

Taste of Burns poetry

To give you a taste for the poetry, if not the meal, the original Ode To A Haggis in Scottish dialect begins:

"Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,

Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!

Aboon them a' ye tak yer place,

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye wordy o' a grace

As lang's my airm."

A translation on Wikipedia, is perhaps better understood today:

"Nice seeing your honest, chubby face,

Great chieftain of the sausage race!

Above them all you take your place,

Belly, tripe, or links:

Well are you worthy of a grace

As long as my arm."

---

DETAILS

The cottage and museum are in the Burns National Heritage Park, on Alloway's main street, near Ayr, a railway and port town south of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport.

For more information on parades, festive evenings and other events, go online at homecomingscotland.com.To book Jan. 23-26 Burns Night accommodations, including a festive dinner, parades and golf, visit best-of-scotland.co.uk.


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World’s culture capitals

America's best snowy drives

As a record-breaking Arctic front settles over much of the Northeast this week, perhaps the best way to enjoy the sub-zero weather isn't by the fireplace but in your car.

From Alaska's Seward Highway to the Lake George Loop in New York, there are several great places to take a drive through snow-covered landscapes. There's even a road that runs through high desert--Utah's Scenic Byway 12 in Bryce Canyon--that probably doesn't immediately come to mind when considering snow.

Each route combines picturesque landscapes and ample amounts of snow over a course manageable in one day. These roads don't automatically close for the winter, but they still get enough of the white stuff to satisfy. In Depth: America's Best Snowy Drives

With an elevation of 9,318 feet and snowfall of more than 200 inches each winter, the village of Silverton, Colo.--surprisingly, for some tourists--doesn't close during the winter. In fact, it's a time of year the locals make the most of.

"We're kind of nestled in a volcanic caldera, so there's this nice little valley, a flat valley among four mountains, and driving upon Silverton is like this hidden gem in the mountains," says Gina Carmack, vice president of the Silverton Chamber of Commerce. "And the snow is so white and sparkly, we kid around and say it's like Cool Whip, because it's just so pristine. It's not like snow you see in the cities."

Onward and Upward
One of the roads on our list, the Payette River Scenic Byway, takes drivers along the Payette River from Boise to McCall, Idaho, gaining more than 2,000 feet in elevation along the way. It gives drivers access to hundreds of miles of ski and snowmobile trails, not to mention stunning views of the Payette River and a local landmark, the 106-year-old Rainbow Bridge.

The route starts out in the sage-covered foothills of Boise (population 198,638), but, by the time it reaches McCall (pop. 2,592), visitors can expect 4 to 6 feet of snow on the ground, says Delta James, a business and community development specialist living in Donnelly, Idaho.

"It follows the river, and it gradually becomes more wooded, so they'll see the snow-covered trees, pine trees, tamaracks, aspen trees, and they'll see the river in wintertime, which is really beautiful," James says. "It'll have snow piled on tops of rocks and things like that, so gradually they'll see more and more snow."

A perfect excuse to make the drive: McCall's annual Winter Festival, famous for its parade, snow sculptures, craft fair and music. The event, to be held Jan. 30-Feb. 8 this year, attracts thousands of visitors.

A New Look
If Idaho is a bit too far out of the way, try General's Highway in Sequoia and King's Canyon national parks in California, part of a region that sees 1.5 million visitors each year (most of them during the spring and summer). Seeing General Sherman, the largest tree in the world by volume, takes on a whole new meaning during the winter.

"Seeing giant sequoia trees in the winter with snow is a fantastic experience," says Jody Lyle, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service. "People tend to think of the trees in warm weather and all of that, but seeing them in the quiet snow is great."

The same applies for the Bryce Canyon, Zion and Arches national parks in Utah. While most people picture them as hot desert landscapes complete with jutting monoliths, the upper elevations get more than 100 inches of snow a year--and provide a haven for winter wildlife like elk and eagles.

"You cannot miss the Utah parks," Lyle says. "It's a spectacular landscape to see in the snow."

Prepare for Powder
The best way to get the most out of a scenic winter drive is to prepare for it--and that starts by calling ahead to check road conditions and for temporary road closures. Another good thing to know: Most parks have entrance fees, which usually apply per car and last for seven days.

Follow recommendations on whether or not to carry traction devices, and pack a flashlight, small shovel and matches in case a three-hour tour turns into something more taxing. (Mountainous regions and national forests get spotty cellphone service at best.)

"You might want to also keep a blanket or blankets, one for each person in the vehicle with you, or warm clothing--something that you can use if you do get stranded," says Ted Plank, road supervisor for Boulder County in Colorado.

Also be sure to build in time for photos or even stops at popular spots like Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream factory along Vermont's Route 100 and the Tony Award-winning theater along Massachusetts' Mohawk Trail.

Idaho's James suggests making time to grab lunch at Kit's Riverside Restaurant near Horseshoe Bend and to visit the local hatter, Randy Priest, at his Silver Tip Hat Company in Donnelly (pop. 147).

"You can go in, and he can make you a custom cowboy hat, or you can at least go in and learn about the process," James says.

 

Wherever you take a snowy drive, the main thing to remember is not to stay confined to the car. Do what the locals do, from watching snow-dusted bison in North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park to taking the annual polar bear plunge in Seward, Alaska.

 

"[People] live there because of the scenic quality and the recreational opportunities," James says. "I mean, that's why we live here."

And that's what visitors should take time to experience, if only briefly. In Depth: America's Best Snowy Drives


Romantic getaway in Mexico
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Romantic getaway in Mexico

If you're going on your honeymoon, you want to be treated like Royal-ty.

And that's exactly how every guest feels at the Real Royal in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Newcomers at this adults-only resort are greeted by friendly staff and handed a mimosa within seconds of arriving at the resort.

After a quick check-in, you're free to explore the grounds of the Royal, which are in immaculate condition, thanks to an unparalleled workforce of 665 employees.

Royal general manager Beat Muller takes great pride in the work his employees provide in order to make your vacation one to remember.

"We have more employees than other resorts because we want to make sure our guests are comfortable," Muller says.

"We love God, our families and our guests. That's the main way we look at it.

"We want every person to feel welcome."

Mission accomplished.

Even at the Spice restaurant, which is a magnificent buffet of every food imaginable, the young staff hustles to meet the needs of every diner.

There are numerous restaurants to choose from, featuring the best menus from around the globe.

It's impossible not to find one great meal after another. My wife is a vegetarian. I eat meat almost exclusively. We both found fabulous food at each of the resort's six restaurants.

It's probably impossible, but if you can't find what you're looking for, the chefs will prepare it.

Guests are also encouraged to try the restaurants across the street at The Gran Porto Real, the resort's sister hotel.

The Royal resort in nearby Cancun is also available to vacationers.

The Playa del Carmen resort was expanded from 312 to 459 rooms last year to keep up with increasing demand.

"This is one of the fastest-growing cities in Mexico," Muller says.

All Master and Presidential Suites include free international telephone calls and a free test drive of a Mini Cooper. Oceanview rooms come with a Bose music system and an iPod.

And the resort is located right off of cosmopolitan 5th Ave., a popular shopping destination.

While some resorts have been known to use cheaper brands of alcohol, that isn't the case at the Royal, which proudly displays all of its high-quality liquor at its many bars. Each room also has its own dispenser featuring four different kinds of alcohol, as well as a stocked mini-bar.

The convenient swim-up bar and massive Lobby Bar are two of the most popular hangouts.

Guys, it's probably not advisable to spend your honeymoon watching football. But let's face it. If there's a big game on, we gotta watch it.

Maybe you 'accidentally' stumble into the enormous Lobby Bar -- where there just happens to be three huge screens. You won't be alone here.

Later in the evening, the Lobby Bar plays host to a different entertainment act every night.

If you want to push the envelope even further, there are numerous pro golf courses nearby -- the Playacar Golf Club, Puerto Aventuras, Pok Ta Pok, Cozumel Country Club and the Melia Cancun Golf Club, to name a few.

You may be able to get away with a round or two if you send the wife to the European-inspired SpAzul.

The spa offers a full range of treatments, including facials, massage therapies and body waxing. A separate steam room, sauna and whirlpool are also on site.

Twenty-four hour room service is available.

And if you're taking advantage of the Jacuzzi, which is found in every room, you won't have to worry about scrambling to the door.

The Royal's 'magic box' allows resort staffers to deposit your order in a secure closet that you can access at your convenience.

There's plenty of activities during the day -- both on and off the grounds. There are numerous adventure tours to choose -- from touring the ancient ruins at Tulum to swimming with the dolphins in Cancun.

Check out Mexico's finest vacation destination at www.realresorts.com or call 1-800-543-7556 to book a reservation.


World’s 20 tallest & biggest
Preparation and maintenance can reduce winter’s toll on your vehicle’s interior
South America’s sexiest beaches

World's 20 tallest & biggest

The Tower of Babel, whose top was meant to reach unto heaven, was destroyed by an angry God, who wished to punish human hubris and reserve the best views for himself. 

As we humans have, inevitably, built our way back into the heavens, we have also continuously competed over the record for the world’s tallest building. That record is currently held by the Taipei 101 Tower in Taiwan. Built in 2004, the Taipei 101 rises to 1,671 feet easily beating out the Ancient Babylonian Ziggurat scholars name as a possible source for the Biblical tower (which stood around 300 feet tall). But Taiwan has little time to gloat. The Burj Dubai Tower is scheduled for completion in 2009, and its height—a closely guarded secret—is rumored to be over 2,200 feet.

See our slideshow of World's 20 Biggest and Tallest. Complicating matters is the definition of “tallest building” itself. Until 1998, the Sears Tower in Chicago (1,730 feet) was considered the tallest building in the world. Then along came Malaysia’s Petronas Towers, whose antennae, in a direct slap at Midwestern supremacy, extended 30 feet higher than that of the Sears Tower. (The Patronas Towers building without the antennae is, in fact, smaller than the Sears). Finally two organizations—Emporis, a real estate data company headquartered in Germany, and the imaginatively named Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat located in Illinois—stepped in to clarify matters.  The term "building" is now defined as a “continuously inhabited structure,” thus creating the new category of “tallest free-standing structure,” a title currently held by the CN Tower in Toronto. Architectural height is now measured in four separate categories: Height to Architectural Tip (including spires but excluding antennae); Height to Top of Roof (excluding spires); Height to Tip (including everything) and Highest Occupied Floor (a measure of the tallest building with continuously occupied floors). Currently the Petronas Towers has been superseded in all four categories. Problem would seem to be solved, though the dispute rages on in cyberspace, where the CN Tower, for instance, still proudly refers to itself as the “tallest building in the world.” Of course Worrell’s Seafood Restaurant in Wilson, North Carolina, also claims to have the “World Tallest Replica of the World’s Tallest Lighthouse” in its parking lot, so clearly you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet. Nevertheless, here are 20 interesting record-holding places to visit throughout the world.

See our slideshow of World's 20 Biggest and Tallest.



South America’s sexiest beaches
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South America's sexiest beaches

South America’s sexiest beaches are not limited by which hotel you choose to stay at, which island you have access to or which beach club knows your name. If you are looking for exclusivity, this is not your place. However, if you are seeking boiling-hot beach culture, barely-there bikinis and staggering scenery, you have come to the right place.

“If you want to come to a beautiful beach to not just sit around, but also to have a lot of fun and to meet beautiful people, then you should come to South America,” says Rio de Janeiro local, surfer and, of course, soccer player Tiago Mello Silva.

Even the most highly regarded and world-famous of South American beaches—Brazil’s Copacabana and Ipanema or Uruguay’s Punta del Este—are part of a broad, welcoming beach lifestyle that feeds off of the energy of the thousands of beachgoers from all walks of life. But what truly makes South American beaches such iconic and sexy places is not just the vibrant beach cultures, but the fact that those characteristics are combined with natural beauty nonpareil.

See our slideshow of South America's Sexiest Beaches.

South America is a land of raw natural splendor and physical extremes. It is widely known that the land is home to the world's longest exposed mountain range, The Andes; the largest river, the Amazon River; and the largest rainforest in the Amazon Basin. Less known is the fact that the Amazon rainforest is in the same continent as the Atacama Desert, the driest desert outside of Antarctica; the low-lying Amazon River is not so far from Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, and the formidable Andes range runs near the continent’s seemingly endless coastline. The coastline, most of which falls between the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, is brimming with excellent beaches. Only two South American countries, Bolivia and Paraguay, do not have any coast. The waters are relatively warm and swimmable year-round off of every bit of the continent except for the Southern extremes of Chile and Argentina.

These powerful physical characteristics supply the foundation to the sexiness factor of South American beaches and inform the sexiness of the frequently extroverted and vivacious cultures. Brazil has the longest coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, with some 7,491 miles of waterfront real estate. The country’s beaches range from remote spots only accessible by dune buggy to world-renowned hot spots backed by massive cities like Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian scenery and beach culture are perhaps the most famous of the continent and among the most famous in the world. In Brazil, the beach is not just a place to go for recreation or relaxation; it is a way of life and a deep thread embedded in the national culture.

See our slideshow of South America's Sexiest Beaches.

Uruguay is home to Punta del Este, a sandy peninsula that has long attracted an international fan base, from President John F. Kennedy to the swarms of Argentine nationals who seek the warmer waters and sandier coastline on the other side of the River Plate. Buenos Aires native and perennial Punta del Este seasonal visitor Diego Lalo says, “Punta del Este is part Buenos-Aires-sophistication and part sunny-beach-bliss. It is the perfect balance.” Moving farther north up the coast, Colombia and Venezuela both have numerous gorgeous beach destinations and a sexy culture. Many travelers do not intuitively associate these countries with sexy beaches, but that is simply because Colombia and Venezuela have been off the international tourism radar until recently. Ecuador, Peru and Northern Chile are also becoming increasingly popular as beach destinations, surfing destinations and sexy world-class beach spots. Even southerly Argentina—home to much of the storied, yet chilly Patagonia region and Aconcagua, the highest peak in the continent—brings some sensuous beaches to the table. 

It should be noted that there are few major topless or nude beaches on the continent. While women, particularly in Brazil, wear tiny bikinis and men often wear Speedos, people tend to like to leave a little bit to the imagination.


World’s 20 tallest & biggest
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Orleans kicks off Carnival

NEW ORLEANS - Roll out the king cakes, plastic beads and Mardi Gras masks. Carnival season has begun in New Orleans.

Jan. 6, the 12th night on the biblical calendar, marked the beginning of the 153rd annual pre-Lenten celebration. Before it wraps up Feb. 24, almost 100 parades will have rolled in the area and thousands of riders will have thrown tonnes of glitzy gee-gaws to what organizers hope will be huge crowds.

"The celebration is pretty local for a couple of weeks," said Mardi Gras historian Errol Laborde. "But the parades kick in just before the end of the month, and then it's pretty much nonstop."

Mayor Ray Nagin acknowledged the start of the season with the city's annual king cake party, slicing up dozens of pastries covered with purple, green and gold icing, and each holding a tiny, plastic baby. Tradition has it that the person getting the baby in their slice of cake must supply the next king cake.

King cakes, believed to have originated in France around the 12th century, are eaten throughout Carnival season, but on 12th night, or the Feast of the Epiphany, they mark the arrival of the three wise men bearing gifts 12 days after Christmas.

In New Orleans, with its tourism-oriented economy, the rowdy celebration represents both fun and business.

"This is a time of year when everybody can kind of get together and do their own thing and make money at the same time," Nagin said. "So we're looking forward to it."

Unlike last year, when the NBA All-Star game and the Bowl Championship Series title game were added to the city's usual lineup of the Bayou Classic, New Orleans Bowl, and Sugar Bowl, this year Mardi Gras will stand as the solitary big money draw between the Sugar Bowl and Jazz Fest.

A study by a Tulane University economist in 2000 showed a steady growth in Mardi Gras attendance and spending over a decade. Although that dropped after hurricane Katrina in 2005, the event has been rebuilding since then.

Mardi Gras generates more than US$1 billion in spending each year, said Mary Beth Romig of the Greater New Orleans Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Similar but smaller celebrations are held along the French-influenced Gulf Coast.

Despite the financial downturn nationally and a sluggish tourism economy, hotel bookings for Mardi Gras are ahead of last year's pace, said Mavis Early, executive director of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association.

"We are very happy with Mardi Gras bookings to date, and we expect to have the best year yet since Katrina," Early said.

Billed as the "Greatest Free Show on Earth," there is no charge to those attending the parades, but for those riding on the floats, the cost can be high. The riders shoulder the cost of all "throws" - the strings of beads, toys and trinkets showered on crowds along the parade route.

At Randazzo's Camellia City Bakery, one of more than a dozen bakeries that ship king cakes nationally and internationally, orders for king cakes began coming in before Christmas, said saleswoman Cindi Picou, and will continue through "Fat Tuesday."

"We'll send out more than 2,000 cakes in the next few weeks," Picou said Tuesday.

As the season kicked off Jan. 6, the group Phunny Phorty Phellows was scheduled to take its traditional streetcar ride up St. Charles Avenue, signalling the official start of the season.

The Phorty Phellows, an historic Mardi Gras organization, this year was hosting the king and queen of Zulu, the traditional black Carnival organization that is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

"The Phorty Phellows is a low-key event," Laborde said. "It's just one streetcar full of people, but there are people along the route who set up tables and have buffets and champagne to mark the passing. It's a symbol of the opening of the season."