Those 'S' shape designs look just like traditional serpentine streamers. And the little gold beads? That's a perfect touch of that royal Mardi Gras vibe, like the jewels on a king's crown.

The Mardi Gras revelry in this city is known the world ... After the parades, rubbish can be knee-deep in the streets, and beads and streamers hang from trees like the Spanish moss native to ...