New Year's Eve

The Viennese really know how to do New Year's Eve!  Starting at 2:00 in the center of the city there is a New Year's trail with different stages that have performances all over the city.  We went down to Stephansplatz by about 3:00 and the waltz lessons were in full swing.  We spent at least an hour dancing the waltz with a few hundred others and it was great fun. Also worked up quite a sweat despite the chill in the air.  When we were too tired to dance anymore, we had some Gluwein and then walked all over the city, stopping at all the different stages.  At the Opera House they were projecting the opera out on screens to those of us outside.  At St. Stephen's cathedral they had the New Year's Eve service simulcast on the jumbotrons.  And all around the city there were street musicians playing all different kinds of music.  By the end of our 5 hours of walking around we had heard classical, jazz, rock from the 50s to the 90s, various kinds of folk music, Austrian accordions, flute and folk music of the Andes , Irish melodies...you name it.  The pink pig motif is big here on New Year's - many were wearing pig ears, pig hats, all the drinks are served in the pink pig mugs, and we even saw one guy dressed up fully in a pink pig costume.  We were impressed at how civilized and orderly it all was -  folks were having fun, but no one was rowdy, the streets were not full of trash or litter, it was just a really good time.  Now mind you, we left about 8:00 because we were frozen and tired so maybe it gets more rowdy near midnight.  We can hear fireworks going off in the distance from the apartment, but we are back staying warm and waiting for midnight.  We did not have the stamina to stay out in the cold that long!  Lots of fun though and a great, festive way to welcome in the New Year!q