Winter Wonderland

It seems as though if I am not on a trip to another country I end up in London! Today was no different!! To continue my Christmas filled weekend, it was off to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park with Sally and my Australian flatmate, Sophie. It was a huge state-fair like park with rides, games, activities, shops, and lots of food. It is set up similarly to Busch Gardens in that it is organized by country. The rides and games were all European Union themed which was really cool and there were flags and traditional Christmas decorations from each country. 

Our first stop was to the outdoor ice rink. Ice skating was a lot of fun though a tad difficult due to the fact that it was 55 degrees outside so there was a nice thin layer of water over the ice making it rather slushy and a bit hard to skate. It was also shaped like a square with a stage in the middle so beginner skaters were on both the inside and outside making things a tad harder. We ended up leaving a little early from our 1 hour skate time since we were burning up! 

We then headed to the Magical Ice Castle which was a huge tent that has tons of ice sculptures. On the way over we stopped at the Spanish food stand and got some yummy authentic churros!!

Once we got to the tent we got all bundled up and went into the ice show. The sculptures were beautiful and medieval themed, even including the sword and stone which you can try to pull out! There was also a small Ice Bar where I finally got my much needed hot coco! 

  

After the Magic Ice Castle we stopped by the Carousel Bar and rode a few rides before heading to Covent Gardens to do some window shopping and meet Santa's reindeer! As we got off the underground we decided that we did not want to wait for the lift(elevator) and climb the stairs instead. This was definitely not the best decision, 193 steps is a lot more than it sounds, but we made it and got to the outdoor market to see all of the christmas decoration and the reindeer before they closed. 

Since England is pretty far north, it gets dark very early and as we began to head back to Hyde park at 3:30 the sun was beginning to set and we were able to see all of the Christmas lights turn on. The lights are amazing and each area and/or street has its own "theme" for the lights that are hung down them. 

As we got back to Hyde park it was packed and after a bit of looking around at all the lights and riding one last ride before heading back to Oxford. 

Oxford Christmas Festival

Today was the start if the Christmas season in Oxford! To kick off the holidays, Oxford had a Christmas Festival full of free activities and cultural enrichment for all ages. It also was the start of the Christmas lights being turned on throughout the city, so a couple of my flatmates and I decided to go check it out!

We started the night off getting some dinner at a burger place, which was already putting out holiday promotions! We then went to the Ashmolean, the art/history museum.

At the Ashmolean, there were many different stations and activities to do throughout. We were able to see various carol and choir groups singing christmas carols in different styles, there were games set out for all ages, skits being performed, and my favorite: Christmas crafts from around the world!! We tried to see as much as possible, though it proved difficult since there were so many different things to see and do and so many people there. We ended up watching the Russian Christmas carols, the Christmas sing-along, and the Cabaret. We also made German and Mexican decorations for our kitchens!! It was a very productive evening and a great start to my holiday season!

 Diwali decorations/activity

 German Christmas Decorations!!!

Mexican banner

Cabaret singer

End result of the Ice sculpture that was being carved outside

Russian Carols

Very complicated sing-along...

Segments of the Cabaret

lycklig födelsedag

Happy Birthday!! Today was one of my flatmate's birthday!! We had a nice little British themed party and sang Happy Birthday in English, German, Polish, and Swedish!! It seems as though birthday customs are very similar in other countries as they are in the US. One difference is that apparently it is only the US and Australia that lick the ends of candles to get the cake off! We also learned the Swedish superstition that if your piece of cake falls over on your plate than you are not going to get married. Due to this superstition it is common for everyone to cut their own piece of cake instead of one person cutting and everyone passing the plates around.