Winter Ice Skating
Two Blades & A Rink
Ice skating during the Christmas season is an absolute must. In Canada, it’s a bit of a no-brainer, however because of our winter ice skating isn’t quite as romantic as it is here. Here, sure, you don’t skate on smooth, beautiful and unmarred ice, but there aren’t little Christmas villages set up alongside them and you certainly can’t skate outside beautiful monuments like the Natural History Museum. The only catch, of course, is the price. And for the price the appeal of ice skating becomes an entirely romantic notion, rather than one to do for pleasure.
Because let’s be honest, skating around in a small circle, unable to really speed up either because of a lack of skill or because of everyone else’s lack of skill, isn’t very fun. What is fun is going with your friends, falling over one another, trying to dance on ice even though it’s suddenly become a thousand times harder. Or, alternatively, to go on a date and hold hands and try not to both fall at the same time. That being said, the notion of ice-skating isn’t quite as fun as the experience is. You should go prepared to be absolutely silly, and you must love the location. I was lucky, in a sense. My ice skating adventure was at Somerset House, and the set up was truly beautiful. My ticket, however, was reduced due to my status as a student at King’s, and to be perfectly honest, that was the only reason that I went.
So, if the price has you balking, that’s okay. In the end, it won’t be as fun as you imagine it would be. You can easily have a great time hanging out next to the rink. If you really, really want to go, remember, the sillier you are, the more memorable it will be. Laughing and skating is one of the best combinations out there. Oh, and if you can, try to go fast. There will be a lot of people, I know, but the speed brings exhilaration and that is where the true fun comes from.