A few weeks ago, we noticed that fireworks began appearing in various stores, including bike shops and the hardware store. Soon after, the loud blasts, which could not be distinguished from the sound of gun fire, started in the evenings. It didn't take long to connect the two occurrences, and after a little bit of internet research, we figured out that people commonly shoot off fireworks on New Year's Eve at the stroke of midnight.
The sounds of explosions became more and more frequent as New Year's approached, and continued with frequent regularity throughout the day on New Year's Eve. We were definitely surprised that people would shoot off so many fireworks during the day light, but there were plenty more to come as the night approached.
Around 9 in the evening, the sounds of the fireworks were so frequent, that we decided that we need to head out to observe them and snap some pictures. We saw a small scattering of people shooting off bottle rockets and other fireworks in the street. There were not as many fireworks as we had hoped for, however, and after walking to the Domplein and back, we played a round of Scrabble and enjoyed the wine and cheese we bought for the occasion.
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| Firework Seen Through the Domtoren |
About 5 minutes before midnight, the blasts increased, filling the sky with a non-stop series of booms. At a minute 'til, we headed outside with the camera and walked around witnessing groups of friends and families shooting off an enormous amount of fireworks. Against the fog and mist, the smoke had an eerie affect, and some of the pictures we captured were frighteningly similar to those of car bomb blasts in a war zone. With all the noise, it did seem like we were in the middle of a battle field.
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| Carpet Fireworks and a Man Dressed Like an Alligator |
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| Fireworks Near Our House |
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| More Fireworks Near Us |
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| Family Shooting Off Fireworks at Wilhelmina Park |
The fireworks continued for well over 2 hours with the frequency and intensity of a 4th of July grand finale. It was amazing and surreal. After an hour, we came inside and finished our Scrabble game. When we finally went to bed, we heard the blasts of fireworks continuing through the night. Less frequently, the sounds also continued through New Year's Day.
I hope that you all have a wonderful 2011. I am looking forward to the days getting longer, the weather getting warmer, and a few more trips around Europe. I look forward to having visitors and showing friends and family around our new (albeit temporary) home. I also look forward to eventually returning to our more permanent home to see my family, friends, and my 2 dogs. There is definitely a lot to look forward to in 2011.
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