It's that time of year again - the weather's getting colder and so all the café-goers of Limoux have retreated inside the cafés surounding the Place de la République.
Instead the square is taken over by a bright carousel and the various guilds forming the age-old Carnaval de Limoux.
Every winter, Limoux hosts the longest carnival in the world. This year it lasts from 26th January until 6th April.
According to a tradition which dates back to the 14th century, millers were released at Mardi Gras from their dues to the nearby Dominican priory at Prouille and they celebrated by walking through the streets scattering sugared almonds and flour.
Fittingly, then, the guild to open the Carnaval last Sunday was Les Meuniers (The Millers). These days the almonds and flour are replaced by copious amounts of confetti, thrown at anyone who gets close enough.
Each weekend, a different guild takes over the square and there are three sorties on Saturday and Sunday: 11.00, 16.30 and 22.00. The evening torchlit procession is the most impressive with extravagant costumes it's usually taken all year to make.
