Ringing in the New Year!

Ever since we moved here, we've heard one thing: Naples on New Year's Eve is crazy.  Since we spent last year back in the States with family, we took the opportunity to really take in the evening from our balcony this year.  And my goodness, it didn't disappoint!

In case I haven't stressed it enough, Italians (Neapolitans especially) LOVE fireworks.  Love them!  It's traditional to shoot off fireworks for the birth of a child, to commemorate the hour of their birth (even if it's 10 AM on a Tuesday), or because you had extra fireworks and want to celebrate.  Throughout the day, we heard the familiar blast of fireworks for test runs.  I should have known then that no one was holding back.

As the sun set, some of our neighbors started mini-displays with bottle rockets and sparklers.  By 8, that number had increased.  By 10, they were going off every 10 minutes.  At 5 of midnight, we grabbed several bottles of prosecco and our coats and made for the porch.  When midnight came, the skyline of the Bay of Naples lit up.  But in true Italian style, it was really around 12:05, that grace period between on time and late when the fireworks started for real.  Below is a video of 10 seconds of the crazy.  This went on for nearly 2 hours!  Explosions over our porch, out on the horizon, behind our building, below our building.  Seriously, there was not one single place that we could turn and not see the familiar sparkle of light and feel the shudder of each boom.
 

And so here we go, into another new year with resolutions and goals and plans to fill our post-Christmas blues.  With one year and some random number of months left of our time here, I'm trying to find the adventure, the possibility, and the wonder of each day that we have here.  Whether it be that my fruit lady doesn't let me actually touch the produce or in having a stroll through the park by my house.  There is potential in each day and I'm determined to find it. 

Cheers!  Auguri! 
Lynne
xoxo