New Year's Eve, Vienna style, or as they call it Silvester.
Visiting St. Stephen's earlier in the afternoon I came upon a stage with a guy blasting out Nessun Dorma! It was a sound check for later in the night. And there was quite a crowd gathered to hear snippets from the artists. I was convinced enough to make that my place of choice later in the night.
I'm staying in a shared apartment just out of the city. Five minutes walk takes me to a tram which goes straight into the city centre then around it in a loop. The centre is quite confusing because it is based around a circle, but for New Year's Eve it didn't matter because every road had something happening. Walking down one of the main pedestrian strips, I stopped to buy glüwein in a mug (souvenir) and sit to listen to some DJ music and watch the passersby. There were some who danced along, one guy who just propped and jived along. There seemed to be people from 2 to 82 heading somewhere or anywhere.
I was surprised that it all started up officially at 2pm but of course it is dark at 4 pm. It was going to be a long night.
One thing caught my eye. There were lots of dogs but many of them were being carried! In bags, slings even a pram. I was surprised to see them given that fireworks were already going off randomly.
There were the usual array of silly hats, probably good to find your partner in the crowd.
Lots of 80s music got the crowd moving: Blame it on the boogie, We are family. Lots of toddlers were being swung around, having a great time.
I arrived back in St. Stephen's square to see on the screen a choir and orchestra. It turned out to be part of a church service, in St. Stephens? It was in German but I recognised the reading. There is a time for all things. Ecclesiastes.
I felt that the ceremony I missed at Christmas had come upon me unawares at New Year.
As the sky gradually deepened the spire of the church seemed to glow.
When he started on his sermon I retreated to a nearby cafe where I felt some food would help me through the night of glüwein drinking.
How could I resist a boar kotolette? It was mainly because the only wiener schnitzel on offer was turkey! The second glüwein suddenly hit me like a hammer and I was glad to be sitting down.
After eating I returned to the square where the service was over and the entertainment had started with a guy encouraging the audience to dance. It was like we have in the park in summer but with lots of waltzing of course. I chose to dance with Beatrice, and while I was doing it a young guy near me offered me a dance. He and his girlfriend, a Serbian couple who had come across to Vienna just for NYE had a long chat with me about their studies, both doing medicine, life for students and other things. When the classical singers appeared on stage, they wandered off in search of music more their style.
It was now about 5pm and the concert was starting. The stage held about 10 musicians and a rotating collection of about 8 singers came out. It was also broadcast on a big screen just next to the stage. They sang a variety of songs: traditional Austrian/German where the crowd sang along or danced, musical theatre, especially My Fair Lady, sung part in English, part in German, and some light opera. Then a military band came out. I listened to a couple of pieces, then decided I needed to sit down somewhere and wanders back up the street. It was about 7:30 by then, and I was wondering if I would make it to midnight.
I didn't. Not in the city anyway. Having returned for more singing, I made it though to 10pm but when the band came on stage again, I gave in to tired legs and cold feet and headed home. Not that I slept. The fireworks, which had been spasmodic all night, became constant by 11:15 and remained that way until after 12:30. I have to admit that I find fireworks a waste of money. I'd rather the money be spent on making the New Year a little better for the homeless. Also, there were lots of people wandering the streets letting them off. I don't know if they are legal or not, but fireworks in the hands of drunk teenagers is asking for problems. Don't I sound old and grumpy!!
Despite not making it through to midnight, I loved the event. The crowds were friendly, everyone seemed out to enjoy themselves, I saw no really obnoxious drunks and felt perfectly safe returning home alone on public transport.
Visiting St. Stephen's earlier in the afternoon I came upon a stage with a guy blasting out Nessun Dorma! It was a sound check for later in the night. And there was quite a crowd gathered to hear snippets from the artists. I was convinced enough to make that my place of choice later in the night.
I'm staying in a shared apartment just out of the city. Five minutes walk takes me to a tram which goes straight into the city centre then around it in a loop. The centre is quite confusing because it is based around a circle, but for New Year's Eve it didn't matter because every road had something happening. Walking down one of the main pedestrian strips, I stopped to buy glüwein in a mug (souvenir) and sit to listen to some DJ music and watch the passersby. There were some who danced along, one guy who just propped and jived along. There seemed to be people from 2 to 82 heading somewhere or anywhere.
I was surprised that it all started up officially at 2pm but of course it is dark at 4 pm. It was going to be a long night.
One thing caught my eye. There were lots of dogs but many of them were being carried! In bags, slings even a pram. I was surprised to see them given that fireworks were already going off randomly.
There were the usual array of silly hats, probably good to find your partner in the crowd.
Lots of 80s music got the crowd moving: Blame it on the boogie, We are family. Lots of toddlers were being swung around, having a great time.
I arrived back in St. Stephen's square to see on the screen a choir and orchestra. It turned out to be part of a church service, in St. Stephens? It was in German but I recognised the reading. There is a time for all things. Ecclesiastes.
I felt that the ceremony I missed at Christmas had come upon me unawares at New Year.
As the sky gradually deepened the spire of the church seemed to glow.
When he started on his sermon I retreated to a nearby cafe where I felt some food would help me through the night of glüwein drinking.
How could I resist a boar kotolette? It was mainly because the only wiener schnitzel on offer was turkey! The second glüwein suddenly hit me like a hammer and I was glad to be sitting down.
After eating I returned to the square where the service was over and the entertainment had started with a guy encouraging the audience to dance. It was like we have in the park in summer but with lots of waltzing of course. I chose to dance with Beatrice, and while I was doing it a young guy near me offered me a dance. He and his girlfriend, a Serbian couple who had come across to Vienna just for NYE had a long chat with me about their studies, both doing medicine, life for students and other things. When the classical singers appeared on stage, they wandered off in search of music more their style.
It was now about 5pm and the concert was starting. The stage held about 10 musicians and a rotating collection of about 8 singers came out. It was also broadcast on a big screen just next to the stage. They sang a variety of songs: traditional Austrian/German where the crowd sang along or danced, musical theatre, especially My Fair Lady, sung part in English, part in German, and some light opera. Then a military band came out. I listened to a couple of pieces, then decided I needed to sit down somewhere and wanders back up the street. It was about 7:30 by then, and I was wondering if I would make it to midnight.
I didn't. Not in the city anyway. Having returned for more singing, I made it though to 10pm but when the band came on stage again, I gave in to tired legs and cold feet and headed home. Not that I slept. The fireworks, which had been spasmodic all night, became constant by 11:15 and remained that way until after 12:30. I have to admit that I find fireworks a waste of money. I'd rather the money be spent on making the New Year a little better for the homeless. Also, there were lots of people wandering the streets letting them off. I don't know if they are legal or not, but fireworks in the hands of drunk teenagers is asking for problems. Don't I sound old and grumpy!!
Despite not making it through to midnight, I loved the event. The crowds were friendly, everyone seemed out to enjoy themselves, I saw no really obnoxious drunks and felt perfectly safe returning home alone on public transport.
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