The end of January has finally arrived and winter is about to remind us that it is not over by a long shot. We are preparing for a big storm arriving from Texas, of all places. I prefer winter storms from the arctic with cold, dry north-west winds. The storms from the south usually have nasty east winds that are damp and biting and they often include freezing rain along with the snowfall.
I had some interesting comments on the
Ice Fishing post and once again thank Andre for allowing me to use his photos.
Mouse, who is living in France, wrote about her experience of ice fishing on a Finnish lake, complete with reindeer skins for warmth.
Ice bed
She reminded me of a very unique hotel near Quebec City in Sainte Catherine de la Jacques Cartier. It has recently opened for the 2008 season, and if you have not had enough cold yet, you may want to book a visit before it melts in April! Here is a description from the site
Unusual Hotels of the World.
Since 2001, the Ice Hotel has become an unparalleled and world-famous winter experience. It takes 5 weeks, 500 tons of ice, and 15,000 tons of snow to craft the Ice Hotel with its ceilings as high as 18 feet, walls covered with original artwork and furniture carved from ice blocks. The Ice Hotel has many rooms and theme suites, a magnificent chapel, the astonishing N'ice Club reception room and nightclub, decorative fireplaces, a Nordic-style relaxation space complete with 3 hot tubs and 1 sauna, and the famous ICE BAR, where cocktails are served in special ICE glasses.
Bar and Disco
is a Flickr member who has a magnificent collection of photographs of this hotel including a group taken this month at the grand opening of the 2008 season. I have included three of them here. If you are planning on coming to the
Quebec Winter Carnival (which opens tomorrow), you may want to pay a visit to
Hotel de Glace Quebec , even if you don't stay the night.
Ice bed
Bar and Disco
We have visited Quebec City twice--it is one of my favorite cities.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we have not been there in winter.
Hmmmm--think I'll pass on the Ice Hotel. Merci.
Brrrrr... can't even mentally go there. :c)
ReplyDeleteI'm with Donna and Jayne. Very pretty, but no thanks :o)
ReplyDeleteWe took a winter vacation to the old part of QC in February 2006, it was below -20c the entire time, but we had a blast anyways, no crowds! Just us and an Austrian ski team that we kept running into.. they braved the cold as well :-)
ReplyDeleteNext time we will tour the ice hotel, in the mean time winterlude is about to start.
Ruth,
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Quebec City. My daughter has and she loves it. One day I do want to go. The City is steeped in history. However, I plan on going in the spring or fall.
Thanks for commenting on today's post on my blog about Black History Month. When I was a child in the 50s, Dad took us for our first day trip ever. We went to Niagara Falls. While there, Mom took us to the bathroom and there on the door was a sign, "Whites Only" Even as a child of about 6, I knew this was wrong and commented about it. Mom hushed me. Before that, I never realized that prejudice existed. Thank God that this type of segregation now longer exists in our country.
Blessings,
Mary
KGMom- It is a very unique North American city with a lot of European charm. I would like to tour the hotel, but that ice bed...not for me.
ReplyDeleteJayne- It has a lot of positive ratings, but I notice people are wearing their parkas all the time.
Mary- I thought you were a northerner at heart!
Peter- I have been to QC twice in the summer. If this hotel is open until April, they must count on -20C temps all the time. I would like to go to Ottawa or QC's winter carnival sometime. I have to skate on the Rideau Canal.
ON Mary- My daughter spent a week at Quebec City this past October and her pictures were lovely in the fall season. It really is a spectacular city the way it is situated above the St. Lawrence River. And the old town is so interesting.