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Saturday night Suzanne and I managed to snag Laura and go out for a girls night. First we went for Thai food at this amazing restaurant (worth the wait) that was decorated all tropical with palm trees and tikki posts. Our goal of the evening was to make it to the Ice Bar.
The Ice Bar is just as the name says. A bar made of ice! It is located in the lobby of a hotel, and is fairly small (I can't imagine paying to keep a larger place cool!). It is kept at -5 degrees Celcius and the bar is made of ice, the tables, the walls, the benches, and even the glasses in which the serve the drinks. All of the drinks are made with Absolut Vodka - being that it is one type of alcohol that will not freeze in such low temperatures. Upon entering they give you these sliver cloaks with hoods lined with faux fur. The hostess explained that they weren't really for our warmth, but rather for their protection in that it keeps our body heat from melting the bar!
We found out this bar is just an extension (or rather a promotion) for the Ice Hotel, farther north in Sweden. This seemed rather unappealing to me. The picture showed rows of "beds" (which were essentially retangles of ice) covered in reindeer furs which I can't imagine is very uncomfortable.
It all was a bit bizarre, and pricey, but over all worth the experience. Its a novelty and I am glad I had a chance to check it out, but going again wouldn't be worth it.
THE VASA MUSEET
We have had a string of bad weather these past fews days, but still managed to go out and about. Today Suzanne and I went to a cafe in the morning with Laura before she had to get back to the kids, and then we headed to the Vasa Museum.
The museum is essentially one large room built to house the Vasa - a war ship from the 1600s. Apparently King Gustav's ego overrode the logistics of the architects and he told them to build it bigger and bigger still. So on its maiden voyage, the Vasa made it just out of the harbor and the keeled over and sunk! There is stayed for 333 years, virtually unthought of until a man came along in search of it. It was approx. 30 meters below the surface which kept it safe from ice flows, stormy currents, and passing boats. Furthermore, this area of the sea is known for its muddy bottoms that can cover and preserve things such as boats. SO in the late 1950s the Vasa was found, and then they hauled her out of the water in the late 1960s.
It was very cool to see this ship that is probably 90% original and fairly sturdy. Unfortunately we can't walk on it, but when the archeologists went through to clean off artifacts they found the boat sturdy enough to walk on and work on!
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Mom
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baby its cold INSIDE!
The story of the ice bar is amazing. I quite agree that it sounds like a lot of hype. I am glad that my daughters are insightful enough to tell a gimmick when they see one. The photo sure is pretty. Happy to see you. Good luck on your next adventure. Mom