A Festive Night Out Before the New Year

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.