Sapporo Snow & Ice Festival 2012

The Traktor-Tourists left the powder for a day to visit the Sapporo Snow & Ice Festival. Like myself, they had been there more than once over previous years. It truly is an amazing festival spread out over many blocks of Hokkaido's largest city. The snow carvings are immense while the ice sculptures are finely detailed artworks.

But a visit to the Sapporo Snow and Ice Festival is not just about viewing the works of art in any scale. It's about the trip there and back, the food and the people. You become immersed in a melting pot of city workers, shoppers, tourists, snow, ice and the food. From the photos that Traktorman has sent me, I note that he has not concentrated so much this year on the snow art but a pot-pouri of scenes.

First thing about a trip to Sapporo is getting the footpath cleared

Snow carvings are on a huge scale, which this photo does not give credit

The food is unusual and colourful

The ice sculptures are exquisite

And back to the food, much of which is specially prepared just for the festival

Even some ice art entails more food

Evening arrives early and the candlelit snow art becomes visible

And then, there is the food

Karen walks amongst the displays of ice candles and snow candles

Sapporo:- old and new. Quite a magical city at night during Festival time

Rosco and Traktorman have been sending more skiing photos so another report will only be days away.

I felt the first touch of Autumn in Thredbo yesterday. That cool breeze with a bite even though the sun was shining. Feels like Summer may be over before it even started.

Today's Grump (and there are many to choose from): The banks, the greed, the super profits, the immorality of it all. When the average Australian is suffering in these tough financial times, the banks must have their record profits, the CEOs and boards their bonuses and the politicians their pay rise. There is a limit as to how much the banks can take. When we have no more to give they will collapse (as many have overseas) and then the shareholders will lose all. Do we really wonder why there are riots on the streets of Greece?