Eis on the Maschsee

The Maschsee is a big man-made lake in Hannover. It was created in the 30s as a depression-era public works project under Hitler. And last week it froze. This doesn't sound like a big deal to those of us who are used to frozen lakes, ponds, etc in the winter. But here it is a HUGE deal. There is an official proclamation that the ice is thick enough for people to go on. And there are not just a few people going out on it - most everyone in Hannover seemed to be there on Sunday afternoon. Some were skating, some played hockey, some were pulling kids on sleds, we saw a few people on the ice with their grill, and a lot of people were just walking and sliding around on it. We went with David, a teacher friend from Brian's school, who is from the north of England. He had never walked on a frozen lake before and was fascinated by looking down at the cracks and bubbles under the surface. Since everyone in Hannover seemed to be there, the line for skate rental was way too long to wait in. Brian had some borrowed hockey skates, but David and I just walked and scooted along.

 There were stands selling gluhwein (hot red wine), hot chocolate, sausages, crepes ... and there was a feeling like this icy wonderland might not last.Which it did not. We now have temps over freezing (or 0 in celsius) for the third day in a row. The ice is full of puddles. But here are a few photos to commemorate the event: