Outlandish puppets, fanciful floats, and a parade of Dirty Jennies--men dressed as women--are all part of Aalst's exuberant Carnival, three days of festivities held each February. Located in Belgium's East Flanders province, the historical city of Aalst is also known for a 15th-century Gothic church containing a famous Rubens painting of St. Roch, the patron saint of plague victims and dogs.
