Simply a Moment - March

The temperature is minus 7. I know this because before we went in through the security doors, the doorman told us. And yet, I'm not cold. The metallic blue cape sits comfortably around my body, the fur of the hood is snug against my head. My hands are protected by the thermal gloves that are attached to the side of the cape.

We are in a compact room in which the walls are made entirely of ice. The bar is made of ice, the seats are made of ice, the tables are made of ice and there are ice sculptures.  There is an electric blue tinge to the lighting and there is upbeat music coming from the speakers. Loud enough to add a funky atmosphere but not too loud to affect conversations. We are part of a small group of people allowed in. Only 30 at a time. There are constant small flashes of lights as people take photos of themselves in such an unusual location.

My hands are holding a rectangular block of ice which has had its inner core drilled out to make a drinking receptacle. It contains a Galactic Frontier. A mix of blueberry infused Tanquaray gin with cranberry, pomegranate and lychee. It is delicious! The edge of the block has a slight indentation in it where the warmth of my lips has slightly melted the corner as I have sipped my drink.

I can slightly feel the cold of the floor through the soles of my boots. This being a surprise visit as part of my daughter's birthday gift to me, I had been unaware that I would be spending time in sub-zero temperatures! Had I known, maybe I would have chosen differently! But it's just a slight feeling of chilliness, not uncomfortable or unpleasant. My daughter is handing her phone over to a couple of girls who are standing near us at edge of the room. She asks them if they will take our picture and in return she will do the same for them.

We stand a little closer together, mother and daughter sharing a fun and unusual experience. Only she would think of taking me to a place like this. Truly a unique, loving moment - literally frozen in time.