I shall never forget the day the circus came to town.

It was around 5pm. The four of us were already in pajamas because mom believed that outfits affect behaviors. Dad suggested that we should go see the set up of the circus. We were supposed to stay in the car and just look…

Yeah right. As soon as we saw the elephants walking in line, trunks holding tails, we were out of the car in no time. Pajamas and scolding adults didn’t stop us from acting like wild monkeys. We were all giggly being able to stand next to elephants and horses. We were touching tiger tails that were hanging out of their cages! Thanks to an uncle who gave me a camera not long before, I actually have some grainy pictures remembering that moment in time. Oh, you should see the silly smiles on our faces. 😉

Circus Rose Marie Malter in Oudenaarde is much smaller than the one I’ve experienced 3 decades ago. But even though there were no wild animals nor death-defying acts in this family-owned circus, I find the experience really fun and entertaining. I believe that circuses, big or small, are magical places.