Journeys›Photograph

A Festive Night Out Before the New Year

·#winter#new-years-eve#ice-skating#family-outings#holiday-lights
A man holds a smiling child outdoors at night, with a building decorated with many string lights in the background.

We spent the night before New Year's Eve 2011 wandering through a crowded mountain village. The entire place was strung up with an incredible amount of holiday lights, with big snowflakes hanging over an outdoor ice rink at the center of it all.

It felt like everyone was out that night. We joined the masses of people watching the skaters on the rink. At one point, there was even a small performance on the ice. In another corner of the plaza, a huge crowd had gathered in front of a stage lit up with bright blue lights for some kind of show.

The whole evening was filled with this buzzing, festive energy. We navigated the crowds, passing by lodges and shops decorated with wreaths and glowing Christmas trees. Mostly, we just took in the sights and sounds of the celebration.

After a while, we headed back inside, away from the cold night air. The evening ended not with a bang, but with a quiet snack of blueberries in the kitchen.

Many people gathered around an outdoor ice rink at night, illuminated by numerous string lights and snowflake decorations.Many strings of sparkling fairy lights and snowflakes hang above a crowd of people watching others skate on an ice rink at night.A smiling adult holds a child wearing a pink jacket, with blurred lights and buildings in a dark background.An outdoor ice skating rink at night, decorated with golden string lights and snowflakes, with people watching a skater.Two people skate on an outdoor ice rink at night, surrounded by spectators and festive lights with snowflake decorations.Many people gather at night in front of buildings with a glowing sculpture and stage lit by blue and red lights.A building entrance at night is brightly decorated with Christmas lights, wreaths, and illuminated trees.A child in pink eats a blueberry from a container on a speckled countertop.

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