| Girlspytravel |
Sep 27th, 2007 04:03 PM |
VENICE. They have a TERRIFIC New Year's Eve, and although I wasn't there last year, I can tell you, they had a huge fireworks display over the San Marco basin, TWO Brazilian bands that started in Campo Santa Marguerita, then walked and played Brazilian samba from the Campo, over the Accademia Bridge, down the luxury shopping street Via XXII Marzo, and then, with a huge stage set up in the Piazza, they started back up with samba music, and there in front of the stage was a huge table FILLED WITH PROSECCO BOTTLES-yeah, that's right, uncorked for everybody just before midnight! For free! Everybody dancing, and then the fireworks getting started, this to me, is an IDEAL NYE. Special Venetian baked goods for Christmas and New Year's, in fact, on the Venice City Hall website, they will have a whole list of activities planned for what is called in Italiano "Capodanno", New Year's Eve. I would make reservations in advance for a special dinner either on the waterfront, or on a canal, as all the waterfront restaurants will have special NYE menus, very expensive, but with lots of wine and courses-on New Year's Day, a lot of people go for a chilly dip in the water off the Lido.
OR, as an alternative,
ROME-Capodanno in Roma is centered around the Piazza del Popolo-fireworks, nativity scenes next to the church, live bands, over by the Quirinale, classical music (also at other church venues throughout the city)-as in Venice, the big hotels and grand restaurants have a huge New Year's Eve feast lasting for a few hours, but definitely worth it!
My first choice would be Venice, then Rome. Hogmanay in Edinburgh is frankly, too rowdy for me anymore-it's lost its appeal because all the youngsters come up from London and up north, and it's really become just one big drunk fest-not really all that appealing.
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