New Years Austrian Style

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Silverstadt New Years Boogey

The plan was to hang out at home for the first part of the night.. have some drinks, then head out to Stephensplatz where the annual Wien SilvesterStadt festivities take place. After getting hold of a program schedule the day before and seeing how elaborate the plans were, 11 different stages of all kinds of music and dances scattered in a 2 mile radius of the city, we decided to head over there in the afternoon check the stages out.. then come back at night to welcome the new year.




I am so glad we went! The second stage we walked up to was the "Rock" stage.. it was more like 80's music and we were blessed with a special performance by two gentelmen.. and we are so thrilled to be able to share this unique demonstration of talent and agility with you! (Check out the video to the left, its the filmstrip). You should keep in mind that these two gentelmen did not know each other..the guy in the suit decided to join the party, and was trying very hard to imitate the one of a kind moves of the guy in jeans.. it was a special treat.
After seeing how rediculesly expensive alcohol was at the street vednors (7 Euros for a small glass of Champaign).. we decided to come home, chill for a while and head out closer to midnight.




The fireworks and celebrations started very early in Vienna.. from noon onward you could hear fireworks going off.. By the afternoon there was literally one going off every 30 seconds.. When we walked down to head back towards the festivities, we notcied that someone had decided to blow up our mailbox with a firecracker..oh kids these days.
Armed with bottles of whiskey and 2 mini bottles of Champaign, we took the subway back to Stephenzplatz around 10p. To our surprise (and the surprise of the train full of people heading to downtown) the train conductor decided to skip the Stephenzplatz stop and keep going to the next station.. We figured out later.. since Stephenzplats was getting so crowded, the trains were skipping that stop.. So we did a little detour and got back on track.




Stephenzplatz and the streets surrounding it had turned into a sea of partiers. Vendors were selling lots of pink pig hats (haven't figured out the significance of pigs and new years yet).. and there was an overwhelming number of people sporting the pig hats. We ended up in a disco stage (not a big surprise), and literally danced, or more like jumped our way to the front of the stage. After several versions of "I will survive"'s and "It's raining men".. the new year was 10 seconds away.. 10..9..8..3..2..1...Happy New Year!!! We popped our champaign bottles and decided to shower everyone around us with it.. instead of drinking it.. it sounded like a brilliant idea at the time...We danced in the streets of Vienna for couple of more hours..We even did the intoxicated version of the Waltz.. and danced to Sinatra's New York, New York..




We started heading home at the first small hours of 2007.. and for the first time since being in Vienna.. we got lost in the subway system... This was a combination of not being 100% sober.. and the trains not stopping at the main station.. after about an hour.. we made it home, safe and sound.

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Photos

The crowds in Stephensplatz
Notice the couple with the pig hats

David converting??
nah.. just cold

Comments

[Dad]

dave da dancer
I love the pics-- and the video!! I wish you had some video of David dancing to " its raining men". I love it -- is that his dancing expression? Glad you guys had a good time. We miss you. Maybe we should sign the street dancer up for dancing with the stars. Or maybe Dave? Love ya Dad

[Mom J]

Happy New Year
What...no black eye peas and hog jowls???? xoxomomoxox

[Raf]

party!
although our new year's on Quartz was no where near yours, we got pretty tossed out here in winnetka in memory of you guys and wished you were all with us. Jaden says hello and Nelly just farted. Happy New Year