Holiday decorations

Last night a friend and I went to the Las Vegas Strip to catch a performance of Ô, a Cirque du Soleil show at the Bellaggio. The trip there was an adventure, since there had been little or no publicity about a marathon occurring yesterday afternoon and evening — a marathon that required the complete closure of the Strip itself! Ack! After driving in circles for a time, we finally parked a few miles away and caught a cab to Caesar’s Palace (the cab driver knew about back access roads), then walked to the Bellaggio. Unfortunately, we had to forego our dinner reservation, as we had no way to get there in time, but we did have a lovely dinner at the Bellaggio prior to the performance.

The show itself was amazing. Of course, they don’t allow photography of any kind, but suffice it to say that this is a show that is definitely worth seeing. The performers manage fantastic feats of swimming, diving and gymnastics, all with complete control and grace.

While we were at the Bellaggio, we went — of course — to the Conservatory to see the Christmas decorations. The Conservatory is redecorated every season with gorgeous floral displays. This one was breathtaking! Here are some photos of that.

  
 This is, naturally, the centerpiece of the display. The tree — a real one — goes right up to the ceiling and is decorated with white lights (my favorite!) and surrounded by giant hanging bells.

Near the tree and under the bells are giant tree ornaments lying on a bed of poinsettias. In fact, there were multiple varieties of poinsettias all through the Conservatory, as well as some carnations and other flowers.

The tree and ornaments were guarded by these enormous toy soldiers.

Nearby were a family of three polar bears covered in white carnations. This is Baby Bear, and Mama and Papa were nearby. There was also a large toy train going round and round in a different vignette, but I couldn’t find a good spot to get a photo of that.