This is a great parade, a fitting ceremony to mark a great achievement. It honors the workmen who did the job, and what must obviously be (at least I hope so) some folkloric and medieval themes.

Is it silly, bizarre, strange? Sure, but it certainly wasn't boring. It was memorable and outrageous and just think of the usual alternatives: high school bands, marching soldiers, over-decorated floats with overdressed beauty queens doing the royal wave and stuffy dignitaries in convertible limos. Sure, strutting high school girls twirling batons in skimpy costumes are nice, but at my age, its time to stop obsessing about that anyway.

I've always thought of the Swiss as a decent, but rather dull people. This spectacle hints there may still be some strange fish swimming in those murky waters.