S Novem Godom!

...or as they say back home, Happy New Year!

Last night I went to a party at the apartment of my Austrian friend Riki to celebrate New Year's Eve. It was a change from the francophone group I spent Christmas with, in that here nearly everyone was German! Luckily for me, they of course all spoke english well and were a very friendly and interesting crowd, confirming my earlier favourable impression of Germans! We hung out at that cozy flat on the Moyka Canal until just before 12, when we all trooped over to Dvortsaya Ploschad to celebrate the New Year with the crowds.

Wow, that sure was the strangest New Year's I've ever experienced - loud, happy, drunken Russians everywhere, a carpet of empty or broken "Sovietskoye" champagne bottles, riot police milling around unfestively in black armour and shielded helmets, and all manner of impromptu fireworks displays going off in every direction for HOURS - even the police were firing them off! It was the most chaotic, unorganized, very Russian holiday event I've ever seen - what a fantastic, festive mess! Everyone was having lots of fun, plus the snow was really coming down just as the New Year dawned, which made the lit-up square and Winter Palace that much more magical. I dont think I'll ever have another New Year's quite like it!

I've posted photos from New Year's, Christmas, and a bunch of random Petersburg shots on my Picassa photosite - take a look! (the link "My Petersburg Photos" on the right will take you right there!)