Zurich Street Party 2008

Yesterday, we experienced something "einmalig"... unique and amazing and bizarre and enriching and just plain fun... the Zurich Street Party 2008.

Basically, once a year, Zurich opens the streets up around the Zurich See and inner city area for Europe's largest street party. People come from all over Europe, and well, the world if you count us and at least some of the millions of others in attendance, to party to some raving techno, people watch, and work up a healthy sexual appetite. You will see why in the photos to come, because I think Zurich Street Parade could also officially be one of the sexiest parties on the planet.

We took the train into town yesterday around 2 pm, thinking we were already too late for the actual parade, but it didn't start until about 3 pm despite the printed plan. So we took a stroll around the See, soaking in the atmosphere.

The Street Parade is known for the techno music first and foremost, but I think it could be a closely tied with the outfits. Not everyone dresses up, naturally, but the outfits are half the fun.

I would describe it like they describe Halloween in the movie Mean Girls. You dress up, but what everyone doesn't tell you is that your costume should be hot, spicy, and raunchy. I mean, what better way to enjoy a bit of techno in the middle of August?!

Basically, if you have a spare wig, fishnet stockings, a boa, leather pants, knee high boots, whip, see-through lingerie or sexy negligee, this is the day to bring it out of hiding and wear it in public for all to see - if you have the nerve... and the body, but actually that is not really a requirement... love your body and live it up... just don't make me wear it! :) Or as one of my work colleagues so cleverly put it... "You should take your husband, because there is more for him to see than you actually... if you know what I mean."

So maybe he meant something like this... maybe?

Lots of fishnets around...

And leather...

And lingerie.

And knee high boots and stockings...

And a lot of T&A...
Hummm...wait a minute... I recognize that A... JACE!

But then again... there was also this... This was Jace's favorite. :) That's some nice A.

And the best and strangest part is that somehow the mixture of over the top outfits, techno beats and summer lovin' temps makes a really awesome party vibe. I only saw one fight on our way home at 2 am, and trust me, I was ready to push someone around by then, too, but in general the atmosphere was safe, friendly and fun. People posed for photos, chatted freely with people around them, and danced and danced. It was great.

... we enjoyed this one, too. She even struck a pose for me! :)

The parade went for a few hours, and while I only caught the first few floats, it was fun to hear the different DJs and see the themes for each float.

A truck/float in the parade.

We were too busy to really watch much of the parade (video tomorrow!) as we had met two Germans from Freiburg who we hung out with the rest of the evening, buying rounds of Heineken and sharing love, and death, and party and life stories over loud music and through rough German and English translation.While looking for a toilet, we ended up by one of the 6 or so stages set up around the city and stayed there from 5 pm until about 11 pm.

The stage near the Limmatquai.

Where was this outdoor urinal when the boys needed it?

The time flew mixing with the other party go-ers, (like the big black dude from the movie Green Mile, or at least his doppelganger named Dexter from Tobago, Borat wanna-be's, our new English and Dutch friends that live in Zurich and tell billionaires how to make more money, and a whole bunch of homosexuals, transvestites, cross-dressers, S&M fanatics, and general riff-raff, like us... that have completely normal day jobs but enjoy a little leather and boas once a year...).

Borats...

Boas...
...and Brits (and Dutch...)

... Oh my....

Around 11 pm, I found myself dancing with a street post or was I on it, I can't recall but the photos will surface I am sure... and it was time to move on.

I think this was the scene of the crime.
It was PG. No worries...

We caught up with some of Jace's work friends and as a group headed for a drink in the clubs.

"Hey... do I know you?"
... sorry, inside joke.

Tomorrow... a few tips for the Zurich Street Parade and a VIDEO!