A few days ago, I and four other bloggers (James, Jamie, Julie and Krystelle) were approached to spend the day out on behalf of My Switzerland, which is an organisation promoting tourism for Switzerland. The idea was to bring little pieces of Switzerland to London, and so last Saturday we were all taken to participate in a series of events. First up was a chocolate making class where we learnt about the basics of chocolate and then got to making some of our own to take home. Yum.
VIDEO FROM THE CHOCOLATE MAKING CLASS:
It was tremendous fun. Quite messy but so enjoyable. Must say I was quite proud of my chocolates, considering it was my first ever attempt!
Next stop was to the ICEBAR just off Regent Street which was quite an experience. Like the chocolate this was a new experience for me. I had heard so much about the ICEBAR over the years but had never been. Before you head into the bar, they actually throw a special coat over you to keep your body from losing too much heat. Inside it was incredible. The glass we drunk out of was made from pure ice. You could actually feel it melting as your lips touched the glass. The bar counter itself was also made from glass. It was so cold (naturally) inside that you could see your breath as you exhaled. So much fun.
VIDEO FROM THE ICEBAR:
Finally we headed down to the outdoor ice rink at the National History Museum which I was very excited about, because it always puts me right in the mood for Christmas. I am terrible at skating and had only skated twice before – in my entire life! I spent the first 10 minutes holding onto the sides before pushing myself to become more independent, and then spent the remaining 40 minutes unaided which felt tremendously good – I still remember how good that felt. All in all, I only fell over once and immediately got up. Then we all retired to the coffee bar upstairs where we met two representatives from My Switzerland who wanted to meet us and discuss some upcoming projects they have planned in London for the general public.
Between the 15th and 29th November 2012, there will be 5 massive Swiss ice blocks appearing across London celebrating Switzerland’s winter season and will be filled with prizes.
The Ice Blocks will appear at the following locations:
Thursday 15th November – One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, E14 5AB (Adjacent to Jubilee line tube)
Thursday 22nd November – Broadgate Fulcrum, EC2A 2BQ (Liverpool Street station Broadgate Exit)
Saturday 24th November – Westfield Shepherds Bush, W12 7GF (Overlooking the ice rink)
Tuesday 26th November – St Pancras International, NW1 2QP (In front of the Eurostar departure gate)
Thursday 29th November – Southbank Centre terrace, SE1 8XX (Overlooking the riverside walkway and the Xmas market)
Frozen into each block will be an object representing a region, surrounded by 75 Swiss flag cards, each printed with a unique code. The block will be a multi-sensory, interactive installation, inviting the public to physically connect with the ice and listen to the sounds of Switzerland travelling through the ice, all whilst learning about some of the finest skiing destinations in the world. If members of the public manage to free one of the Swiss flag cards by melting the ice around it, they will win a fantastic prize such as chocolate, skiing equipment, flights with Swiss International Air Lines or even an amazing winter holiday to that region. On hand at each ice cube ‘drop’ will be instructors from the Swiss Ski and Snowboard School who, as well as answering any questions about the winter in Switzerland.
For those who cannot get to the events, a fun game for iPhone and Android phones has been created where players have to melt their own block of ice as quickly as they can using friction, a hot spot and even their breath. You can download their totally addictive ‘Melt The Ice’ game for iPhone and Android for more chances to win. See MySwitzerland.com/winter2012 for more details or head straight to iTunes and Google Play. You can also follow the events on twitter by using #swisswinter hashtag.
You can find out more about it all by clicking here.
Anastasia & Duck
Oh, I got invited to this too! Looks like it was fun, if rather messy…