I finally figured out what Dachlawine means. As I walked down the sidewalk I kept encountering these long red and orange poles leaning up against the buildings. My first guess was that maybe they were for people to be able to break the ice outside their businesses. Actually, it is a warning that one should not walk so close to a building. You will see why as you observe the avalanche about to fall from the building on the left.
Now I am a little paranoid about walking down the sidewalk at all!
The beginning of January we took a four day train trip to Prague. It is a beautiful city and we had a great time in spite of the cold and snow. We actually celebrated our 38th anniversary on January 1st in Prague. We stayed in the Marriott Courtyard which provided a fantastic breakfast. Breakfasts in Prague are much like Vienna's. There is a large variety of cheeses, meats (including smoked salmon) and yummy breads. We look forward to returning to Prague in the warmer months.
THE BUILDINGS ARE AMAZING!
The Dancing House or "Fred and Ginger", named for the shape of the building's two towers, which look vaguely like a couple ballroom dancing.
The Charles bridge at night. We walked across in the daytime-it was so cold, but there were artists doing caricatures of people and others selling their wares.
This was taken looking down on the town from the castle area.
Astronomical clock that chimes every hour as figures of the "12 apostles" parade by in the windows above the clock.Stained glass window in the cathedral at the Castle.
And yes, we ate at the new Prague Hard Rock Cafe. It was a warm place to be in out of the cold!
The Funicular railway that went up the mountain to the Petrin area. It's actually going back down in this picture. It was quiet and serene as we walked the snowy trails back down into town.
New Year's Eve celebrations in Vienna are a little over the top.
There are no organized fireworks-they are going off all over the city by individuals. We are told it is illegal, but the police seem to just turn their heads the other way on this day. We felt we needed to go downtown to "experience" this evening. We rode to the City Hall (Rathaus) area around 5:30 pm. When we got off the strassenbaum all we could see were wall to wall people. There were live performances and lots of dancing ( rock 'n' roll, disco and old-fashioned waltzes). The New Year's Trail was long and pointed the way from one attraction to the next.
Everything stops on the stroke of midnight as the 'Pummerin' bell in St. Stephen's Cathedral booms in the New Year. Toasts are made and gifts are presented in the form of lucky trinkets (pigs, ladybugs, etc.) that are carried around in purses and pockets all year long. There is also the tradition of fortune-telling with lead: a small piece of lead is heated over a flame and plunged into cold water. The shapes that form as a result are then interpreted. A rounded heart, for example, is a sure sign of winning everybody's heart in the coming year. Following a visit with friends we went to Greg's office on the 13th floor of the UN building around 9:30. As we were watching out his window a guard came by and asked if we would like to go to the roof above the 28th floor. So, the guard, Greg, and I watched in amazement from the best view in town. If we closed our eyes we could imagine what it might be like in Baghdad. It was very eerie. New Year's Eve in Vienna is a loud and merry time (a little too merry!) We were glad to be safe in our apartment before midnight, leaving the loud partying to others. Not much sleeping, though, as the fireworks continued until after 3:00 AM.
PIGS, PIGS, EVERYWHERE My friend, Avis, who collects pigs would be in "hog heaven!"
Pig marzipan candies
Even pig hats
After midnight, many people serve up special New Year’s Eve dishes like lentil salad and pigs head. The first is supposed to bring financial blessing for the coming year, while the second means a fat and therefore lucky year.
