Thankfully the owners of a local conference centre have decided to recreate the Victorian excesses of yesteryear by hosting "Ice", a celebration of...well, frozen water. A troupe of artisans from China (irony!) visit each year to shape 35 truckloads of the clear stuff into shapes, figures, architecture, and various other forms that are then housed in a warehouse and kept at a constant 9F (-13C!)
You can pay to visit, of course, and so we took Meg and Ellen. The weather's actually been quite nice recently, so we wanted to ease them into their return to England by dragging them into a giant fridge. And it was certainly fridgey in there, although alleviated by the fashionable matching blue overcoats we were given. You lost the feeling in your feet first.
The highlight of all the coloured and clear sculptures was undoubtedly the ice slide, where blocks had been arranged in an inclined manner for your entertainment and enjoyment. Ice is slippery! We exited through the nativity and made our way to a local bar for cocktails, or "antifreeze" as we call them.
The ice theme this year was "Christmas Around The World". It's cold everywhere at this time of year.
Ice ornaments. You need a bigger tree.
Take a chill pill Meg.
A clog filled with ice carrots for the Netherlands display because...?
Ah, Britain. The two sweethearts in the sculpture display the usual British frostiness when it comes to romance.
Ice tunnel!
Ice slide!
Slip sliding away.
Everyone got in on the fun.
Ice race!
Traditional English dress.
Santa's frosty little helper.
Slowly freezing up.
Don't lick the ice.
The nativity, just as it was 2000 years ago in chilly Palestine.
Frozen shepherd's pie.
And then we went to Ben & Jerry's for ice cream, of course.
