In 2006 I stood by the lake in the town centre of Riva Del Garda, watching the sky light up with fireworks being sent up over the lake.

New Years Eve, La Festa di San Silvestro, as its known in Italy, is celebrated with a special traditional dinner, fireworks, music and dancing.

The tour group i was looking after, well 2 groups, had just enjoyed an 8 course Gala meal at the Hotel Liberty, with music and dancing; although as some of us had come to see in the New Year with the locals by the lakeside, we missed the Panetone and Prosecco!

After the main firework display had finished, fire crackers could be heard in the back streets and streamers were being fired from party poppers by New Year revellers making their way either home or onto the local night clubs, to enjoy the start of 2007.

We made our way back to the hotel at around 1am where the music & dancing was still going on.


We were lucky to travel at all on this tour as the UK had experienced extreme fog and Heathrow had many cancelled flights, we were delayed but only by around 25 minutes and were looked after by BA at Heathrow with tea / coffee and cake and on board by the cabin crew.