Happy New Year!

2012 was an incredible year. A lot of world events have happened, of course, but this isn't a blog about world events, so you can read about them elsewhere. In my little life, some really big things happened in 2012:

1. Tanya and I got engaged!

2. I decided I want my career to be in environmental research.

3. Tanya and I moved from Australia to Switzerland.

4. I started my PhD at EPFL.

Back on New Year's Day 2012 I didn't know any of this was coming up.

The busses in Lausanne get into the spirit of things.

Yesterday on New Year's Eve it was nice to sit back and reflect on the year that had been, and the sheer magnitude of what happened during the year. Tanya and I thought it was definitely worthy of celebration, so we decided we would Hit The Town and see what was happening in Lausanne on New Year's Eve. We heard on the grapevine that the cathedral was the best place to be, and that the thing to do was to bring a bottle of champagne. So we bought the cheapest bottle of real champagne we could find, grabbed two plastic cups, and headed up the steps to the church, which before midnight was lit a bright blue colour.

Lausanne Cathedral just before midnight.

We got there at around eleven-thirty. A big crowd had formed, and everyone had mulled wine or champagne. Very soon after arriving I opened up our bottle of champagne, which, excited after its bumpy ride up the stairs, promptly sprayed everywhere. I say everywhere but in reality it was quite unfortunately directed at Tanya, who copped the brunt of the champagne explosion. In about two seconds flat, at least half the bottle ended up on poor Tanya. Luckily this whole episode was absolutely hilarious, not only to me and Tanya but to a large number of people around us who witnessed it. We continued the countdown to midnight, dripping with champagne but with some of the remainder in our plastic cups.

The crowd waiting for midnight.

This being Switzerland, I was looking forward to the most exact countdown ever, but in fact there was no countdown! A few minutes before midnight the church went dark, and at midnight itself the crowd went wild. People lit firewords and sparklers, and the cathedral tower was lit red from within, as smoke started pouring out of it. Then the bells started ringing, all of them at once, and church bells across the town joined in. As the red light and smoke in the cathedral tower grew in intensity it took on the uncanny appearance of being on fire. The bells kept ringing for more than a quarter of an hour, and people let off their own fireworks across the city.

The cathedral tower just after midnight.

The celebrating crowd.

The cathedral tower, all lit up with red.

Later I tried to find out why the cathedral tower is made to look as though it is on fire at midnight on the new year. The funny thing is, I can't find anywhere the reason for the tradition. Originally I thought it must be a European or Swiss tradition, but it looks as though it is just Lausanne Cathedral where this happens. There are references online to it marking the passage of the new year, and the Lausanne Friends of The City group mentions that it's been happening since 1904. On news sites it's mentioned in passing, simply as a tradition. I would love to know where the tradition comes from! Whatever the reasons, the red tower put on a remarkable imitation of being on fire, and with people hanging out the windows waving sparklers and lights, and all the bells ringing, it was a spectacular way to end a spectacular year, and to bring in 2013.

The lit up cathedral from the centre of Lausanne, after midnight on New Years Day 2013.