Merry Christmas to All My Readers

...most of whom I know in person anyway and who most likely received a variation of the picture below in hard copy form. The Christmas lights on Vienna's Graben and Kohlmarkt never lose their fascination and the latter in particular never fail to instantly fill me with happiness whenever I walk underneath that elegant canopy of subtly flickering LEDs. 

Driving southwards on Saturday I listened to the radio and heard somebody from our National Tourist Board talk about the recent increase in tourists around Christmas time as Vienna apparently has succesfully established itself as one of the top cities to be for Advent, Christmas and New Year's Eve. I can't really report about New Year's as I generally try to avoid the crowds in the city then, but it definitely is a very, very christmassy city and having seen decorations (or the lack thereof) in many foreign cities, I feel very privileged indeed to live in such a tastefully decorated city and to get to see the view below every (work) day from November to January. I don't know what it is with the UK and electric blue lights, but these are just plain COLD in my book and don't stir the least festive feelings in me. I'm a sucker for soft whites that are reminiscent of candlelight and this is why I think the masterminds behind Vienna's inner city's pedestrian zones got it just right.

Maybe I should talk to Wien Tourismus to use me as their testimonial as I'm so enthusiastic, but I'm really not exaggerating. Look!

(If you're reading this and don't celebrate Christmas: Wishing you a PC Happy Holidays!)