The run up to Christmas has well and truly begun, so a trip to Winter Wonderland was certainly on the cards. Every year I intend to go ice skating but forget to book, so this year I was determined to take to the ice and at the very least have a go!

 

 

Ice skating at Christmas time always looks so picturesque and merry in films – I’m not sure my clumsy laps of the rink painted quite the same picture. Needless to say, I was not very gracious on the ice. I did not fall once though, which is a considerable improvement on my previous skating experiences!

 

 

Relieved that I had survived the skating without breaking any bones or losing too much of my dignity, a walk around Winter Wonderland was made all the more cheery with a cup of Mulled Wine in hand. For once in my life, I dressed correctly for the temperature – with hat, gloves, scarf and multiple pairs of socks I was nice and toasty. However even with all my layers, I was ready for a Mulled Wine to warm myself up again after an hour on the ice.

 

 

 

I’m not usually one for a pop-up Winter Wonderland, as they tend to be an excessively expensive burst of tackiness. I was highly unimpressed by the one in Hyde Park which is vastly oversold and does not quite deliver the “magic” which it promises. While this may all sound very grumpy and unfestive of me, I do have a soft spot for Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland as it is jovial without you having to wade through the jumble of gaudy merchandise being sold from hundreds of stands. Instead, it’s cute with just the right level of tack and fandangle. Plus, it’s gentle on the purse strings!

 

 

 

 

Having only just regained our stability back on dry land, the rides were awfully tempting! I’m not sure being spun around at high speed with a tummy full of Mulled Wine was the wisest choice ever made…