It’s Christmas Time in the City
The streets of Vienna were simply gorgeous during the month of December. Thanks to warm coats and boots, we spent several beautiful evenings strolling the major shopping streets of Wien’s 1st District. At the risk of sounding too bossy or sentimental, we must insist you sing the song “Silver Bells” as you look at the photos on this post. Remember Irving Berlin’s lyrics to this 1940 holiday favorite? If you replace the words “hear the snow crunch” with “really cold rain falls,” the lyrics absolutely depict Vienna at Christmas time.
And while you are crooning carols, you may as well sing “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). The first and last stanzas are especially poignant for us since this year we’ve been fortunate enough to hear ringing church bells across Vienna, including, to our delight and great surprise, a 15-minute bell concert as we were standing in front of St. Stephen’s cathedral on Christmas eve at 4:15 p.m. “I heard the bells on Christmas Day their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, good will to all. // Till, ringing singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day, a voice, a chime, a chant sublime, of peace on earth, good will to all.”
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