One Month Until Christmas
Time to brighten up the winter darkness with Christmas lights! I walked into the city centre this Sunday afternoon to take part in the annual ceremony of turning on the lights.
I left home around 4:30 pm. It had been grey and gloomy all day, and now darkness was beginning to fall,too. The house above is one I pass on the way, and I noticed they too had started their decorations. (I'll be putting my own window stars and candles up in the week to come.)
Music corps playing outside the old 'Moulin Rouge' cinema building; before leading the march to the main square.
A new set of lights in a tree nearby there were turned on.
Blurry photo of the crowd following the band towards the square... I decided to linger behind and take a little detour along side streets for more photos instead of getting caught up in the crowd.
A snowball kind of light-sculpture replacing a summer fountain.
Catching up with the crowd in the square
Tree in the park across the river
Decorations on the bridge across the river to the park
Looking back at the shopping mall from the other side of the river
I left the bright lights of the city behind, and took the bus back home.
I do love starry or twinkly lights and your city is beautiful. love the window dresses also and number 9 the round lighted balls, maybe a fountain.. only 4 weeks and that makes it 5 weeks until the year turns to 2020, which is futuristic to me.. as a child the year 2020 was way in the future with space ships, and here we are with space ships
ReplyDeleteYes... Hard to believe that man setting foot on the moon is ancient history already (50 years ago)!
DeleteI love the big tree, and the big heart. If your detour took you by the water, it was well worth it. Those are my favorite pictures. It is so cool how the people follow the band, it just is so neighborly and cozy.
ReplyDeleteYes, the turning on of the Christmas lights in the city has become quite a nice tradition. According to the local newspaper today, around 1500 people were present in the square.
DeleteThe glittery balls strung above the snowball sculpture are my favourites here, but I also love the trees and the "gates" on the bridge. It all looks very Christmassy already, and I know you'll decorate your own place very nicely, too.
ReplyDeleteIt is the opening of our Christmas Market tomorrow night, something I always look forward to, and of course we'll be going this year, too.
Meike, I'm not usually out in the dark much (as I normally have the option to do my shopping etc in the daytime) - but this event has come to be part of my Advent/Christmas traditions (if the weather is not too bad). I was back home by 5 pm, but to me it felt like midnight ;)
DeleteI guess with it being cold there and not warm like it is here it's only natural you want to put them up now, we usually wait until 1st week of December but I have to admit I like seeing lights up.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely tradition to brighten the nights before Christmas. To me your city has always seemed a great place to live, this is just another example. Love the water reflections.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the first Christmassy post I've read. It's certainly the first one to make me think about Christmas and decorations etc. I don't really have any enthusiasm for decorations this year. Perhaps I will when I come back from my upcoming trip to Glasgow.
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