It's bl**** cold out there.....

As I reported last evening, we had an earthquake as we were getting ready for bed. At a magnitude of 4.6, it was not a very big one, but we felt and heard it. It was about 10k away, and only about 10k deep I understand, which doesn't make it a very dangerous event.Just a bit worrying.
The city is so well shored up now that it is unlikely that much more damage could occur, as I said last evening they are trying to save the old buildings, even if it only the facades. This is one such, an art museum, but there are many examples of older buildings which have been closed until they can be properly repaired.

We had a message this morning when we woke up, to tell us that our trip to the mountains, the jetboat, the train ride etc, was off as the agent had messed up and booked yesterday. What a shower! So instead we took ourselves off to the Antarctic Centre, a sort of museum about the south pole. It was good, a few films including one in 4d ( that means they move the seats and squirt water at you!) and quite a few exhibits. Penguins of course, and we also had a ride in a Hagglund, which are the machines that they use to travel over the ice there. It was very like a roller coaster, up very steep hills, and even through water, it floats believe it or not.




We experienced what it was like out there in a cold room, where they simulated windchill down to - 18c, and I can tell you that it is very cold. We only had it for a few minutes, but one can imagine what it must be like to be there.

There is a buskers festival on here at the moment, and Anne and I spent an hour or so there watching a couple of acts. It goes on here for a couple of weeks, and they come from all over the world, and like Edinburgh festival, have quite a number of stages.We watched as a trio of acrobats performed, just sorry that we can't spend more time here at the festival , but we must move on tomorrow.