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A friend sent me these photos of striped icebergs a few days ago and I thought I would share them as I think they are so beautiful. Nature never ceases to surprise, delight and often humble us with it’s beauty and force.
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Photos uncredited
STRIPED ICEBERGS
Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes have stripes, formed by layers of snow that react to different conditions. Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with melt water and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a green stripe.Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked up when the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the sea.
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Slim Photo Spicy Unna Soaps
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The GLA-55 Harman Kardon Speakers with the Iceberg Casing $999
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The icebergs brought to mind Alfred Lansing’s book Endurance, which I read a few years ago with great enjoyment.
“Ernest Shackleton defined heroism in 1915 when his ship, the Endurance, was trapped in ice and then destroyed on its way to Antarctica. This tense week-by-week, month-by-month reconstruction charts the incredible journey undertaken by his crew of 27 men through 850 miles of the southern Atlantic’s heaviest seas.” Publisher
This is seriously one of the best non-fiction adventure books I’ve ever read. You will marvel at the phenomenal will and spirit of Ernest Shackelton. You will be humbled by the fortitude and courage of this man and his entire crew. Lastly, and most importantly, you will be so happy and thankful to be nestled in your nice cozy, dare I suggest flannel? sheets while reading the incredible account of these poor fellows who were reduced to sleeping in soaking wet, slimy, rotten seal skin sleeping bags for months…in total darkness- ugh!! (and I get cranky if my pillowcase fold comes undone!) Did I mention their jammies were wet wool? WET WOOL! This unbelievable story is a true inspiration.
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Naturally, thinking of those gnarly seal sleeping bags reminded me of the two ice hotels I’ve been keeping an eye on for awhile. One, ICEHOTEL (how did they come up with the name?!) is just outside of Sweden and the other, Hotel de Glace (there they go again) is in Quebec. I believe there might also be one in Northern British Columbia. The hotels are entirely made of ice.
Here you sleep on a bed constructed of ice blocks layered in reindeer hides and fur. The bar is ice, your glass of vodka is carved from ice (which begs the question- do they still put ice in the drinks?) I also wonder how the showers and bathrooms work. Or would you, COULD you even shower there?? Oh wow…I think I just talked myself out of it. God bless the Shackleton Expedition!
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Photos from Hotel de Glace and The Ice Hotel
Glacier pillow from Conran
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A few years ago we were lucky enough to take our boys on an Alaskan cruise and experience glaciers and icebergs (and Bingo!) firsthand. Our younger son loved it because he could roam the ship freely without a chaperone and order as many poolside slushies as he wanted with his “credit card” (Student Loans have nothing on him). Our older son loved it because, well, he loves everything, and I loved it because besides the Bingo I got to attend a lecture on what to do if you get attacked by a bear. The important thing is you must react very differently depending on if the bear is brown or black. One you play dead and one you fight and scream like hell and try to punch them in the nose. The sad part is I can’t remember which is which, so I guess if it ever happens I’ll play dead first and if that isn’t working I’ll know…wrong colour.
More studying, less Bingo.
Slim Paley photo ………………………………..Iceberg (glacier? and what’s the difference again?!) in Alaska
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Slim Photo This I know is a glacier because I had to take a scary helicopter to stand on it and yes, the colour really is that turquoise
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Tamara Comolli Jewelry
Tamara Comolli is a jewelry designer I met in Greece over the summer who is as beautiful as she is talented (Thank God she was super nice too) She has several shops dotted all over Europe, as well as Asia, and Stateside in Florida and Southhampton, NY. Select Neiman Marcus stores carry Tamara’s divine collection as well. Tamara describes her style as luxuriously casual. I find it simply chic and fun and of course it was impossible to resist the glacier connection here. I adore these icy cool aquamarines! To see more of Tamara’s collection click here. (Click around- there is a lot to see; wonderful turquoise, sapphires, diamond pendants on leather cords, the Hippie Glam Collection, and I’m loving the “Chocolate Chronograph”watch…but I digress…chocolate is indeed another post!)
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Lastly, my mother sent me this adorable sequence – Once again, Nature bringing a smile…in a week where she hasn’t been so kind in other parts of the world.
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Photos by Norbert Rosing
OK, really lastly, I know this isn’t a pretty photo, but I took it from the helicopter on the way to the glacier- doesn’t it look like a flying dragon carrying some sort of cartoon character by the arm, in it’s claw? Just me? Please tell me you see it.
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