Similar to New Years Eves in New York (1992), New Orleans (1998), and San Francisco (1999), we had to get psyched up to weave our way through crowds, stand in line, get hearded like cattle by police, navigate overcrowded subways, and get our bag searched like a hundred times. Luckily we had Opera House NYE Gala tickets that got us swiftly into the Opera House with 90 minutes to spare. We had a few glasses of Champagne and a few snacks and were able to plan our quick and direct escape route to be able to view the 9:00 PM and Midnight fireworks. We had a primo view both times. The fireworks started and ended from the Harbour bridge but the bulk of them came from three locations along the harbour. There were many boats beautifully decorated with lights as well.

The Symphony and Opera performances were extraordinary. Susan and I had great seats overlooking the entire orchestra from the side. The sound was incredible. The music went until 11:00 PM and the party went until 1:30 AM with live music from the 20's thru 50's including some great Samba. We walked to the subway among only a few stragglers and were back in the hotel very quickly.

That's the update for now. Happy New Year!

/Rick