The Bells, the Bells! And that’s just the Bell’s whisky!
In the words of the world’s most famous binman, that great sage Coronation Street’s Norman ‘Curly’ Watts:
‘Who told the Scots that they owned New Year?’
Being of the Scots variety myself I’d just taken it for granted that it was ours.
So like the rest of us Caledonians I partied over the TWO (count them) public holidays.
But what of the other places around the world where they hold New Year’s parties too.
All Greek to me
Athens: They’ve been waving their togas around and clinking vessels of wine while we were still scratching ourselves and drawing on walls.
And they still are up at the Acropolis (although I can’t swear to the togas bit).
But there are few better backdrops for a New Year’s fireworks party than Athens’ most iconic landmark… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrlU10r2zOA
I know all about the Acropolis having endured a modern-day Odyssey to get there in the autumn of last year (still sounds funny to write that).
Read all about it as you plan your travel itinerary for this year… Acropolis later and http://www.athensattica.com.
I can’t recommend Lufthansa http://www.lufthansa.com and Aegean Airlines http://www.aegeanair.com highly enough after they got me out of a jam. Which is why it was an odyssey.
Never sleeps
New York: The Big Apple is a film set at any time of the year and we all know the tradition of the ball drop in Times Square (and I thought that was all behind me as a teenager).
But regardless of what you might be told it’s not just us tourists who pack out the square on the last day of the old year… my own NY rellies do too.
Of course the neon lights, billboards and skyscrapers are worth seeing any time of the year.
And if you do then check out my pal Tom’s Beacon Hotel, the jewel of the Upper West Side. He loves all visitors but especially the Irish…. https://www.beaconhotel.com
While check out the New York websites and avail of the City Pass too for the best way around the great city… http://www.nycvb.com and http://www.citypass.com
The great thing about Ireland and the States is just that… but also the pre-clearance.
A dam good party
Amsterdam: The Son and Heir’s pal Amsterdam Andy, although he hails from Bray he’s been given the moniker (by me) on account of working there now.
I’m well jel.
The Rembrandtplein is one of the best squares in a city where there is no shortage of them.
Mainly on account of the sculpture recreation of the Nighwatch https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/pictures-of-amsterdam/which you can place yourself in for a photo… of course we did.
If you’re feeling flush then fork out for the Dylan Hotel which is where George and Amal stay…. you deserve it https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/george-and-amal-hotel/
Visit http://www.iamsterdam.com.
There’s another Scotland
Glasgow: I know all about Edinburgh having lived ten years there and Daddy’s Little Girl being born there.
And I also enjoyed more than my fair share of Hogmanays (don’t ask me why) at Merkat Cross in my student days before the whole action was moved up to the Castle and Princes Street.
But while Edinburgh prides itself on its New Year celebrations, its great rival Glasgow has a party every weekend.
The George Square party in 1990 was legendary as it heralded in the Dear Green Place’s year as European City of Culture.
When two likely lads stood in Princes Street in Edinburgh with a signpost saying ‘you are only 55 miles away from the European City of Culture.’
Stay at the http://www.carlton.nl/en/hotel-george-glasgow. In typical first-footing welcoming style they will leave you a bar at the top of the hotel in your private lounge too!
And visit http://www.peoplemakeglasgow.com, the website which does what it says on the tin.
Vegas, baby
And only because my year is revolving around my IPW American Travel Fair trip http://www.ipw.com to host city Las Vegas http://www.lvcvb.com.
It’s the ultimate party city at the ultimate party time of the year.
A travel colleague was in touch as soon as the bells had rung to talk about what we were going to do.
I don’t know but I’ll be on the lookout for Cami, a Utah transvestite who I might just have proposed to.
But what stays in… well, you know the rest.
Stay at the Palazzo at The Venetian http://www.venetian.com. And read all about my adventures in https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/vegas-strip-the-light-fantastic/
Because if you can’t get around the whole world at New Year or any time of the year (and I am trying my best) come to Vegas.
Where the world is on your doorstep… Paris up the road, Venice here and even ancient Egypt too.
I love it… fly out with British Airways, I did http://www.ba.com.
And I’ll be giving it plenty in 2020.
