Michael's Meanderings

Read for a while, then at 10:10 left the hostel and walked to the taxi rank near the Notre-Dame Basilica ad got a taxi to the airport. The 20minutes journey has a flat rate of 28$ and I arrived at 10:40. Found the KLM Self Service kiosks and printed my boarding cards, boarding doesn't start until 17:25 so I expect a few hours before i can check my baggage. (None of the KLM counters are currently manned!)

Sat reading an ebook for a while (found a power point) until 14:30 when I used up my last 10$ bill for a BK whopper meal. Then checked my bag (without queuing) and then went through security, for which queuing was required.
Looked for cigarettes for D without any luck, then to gate B57 where I found a power socket to use until we had to board the plane. Read until 18:00 when we boarded flight KL0672, took off about half an hour later. Served dinner soon after take off, I had a chicken and rice concoction. Saw "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" on the multimedia center, managed just over and hour of sleep, then breakfast was served. Landed at Amsterdam 00:42/6:42.

Bought duty free (EU duty paid) whiskey and cigs. Plugged laptop into mains at Internet cafe and read ebook for awhile. Then to gate to wait to board flight VG0221 to London. Took off at 11:10 and landed 11:50 / 10:50 at City Airport. Got through Passport control and collected my bag then out to the DLR station by 11:25 and then to London Bridge, where I was able to get the 12:00 south arriving home just after 13:00. I tumbled into bed and slept to 19:45!

The internet connection supplied by the convention expired before I could update yesterday, so this is from home.

So Sunday started with breakfast, but I'd left my brain behind and was in the the dining room when I realised I'd left my breakfast voucher in my room! Anyway after eating a full english breakfast back to my room for a while. Then the first panel item of the day was a fascinating discussion of the unreported jobs in fantasy. The one you don't hear about except when the hero comes from them.

Then to the Filking track where Sib Machat had her second GoH concert this time with less LotR filk.

A really interesting discussion of cutting edge science, ie the stuff that wasn't even published yet, with some great stories from Henry Gee and Dave Clement (the story about the second set of jaws in moray eels acting like the Geiger Alien was chilling)

Back to filk for the main concert, mostly only one song per person, but it was an hour and a half of solid performances.

The official close was at 16:00 but it was followed at 16:45 by "I'm sorry I haven't an SFing, Filking, LARPing Clue". Two teams made up of three out of four GoHs competed for points, in the style of a certain radio game show, including Mornington Crescent, Charades, Just a minute, which continued to 18:00 when everyone remaining disappeared to find dinner.

I found mine at the Castle Inn, where a steak and chips, with plum tart and ice cream was a not unreasonable £5. A similar meal at the university (with more veg) was £9.

Tried to update blog and discovered the account had expired ;-( read a bit the at 20:00 lurked around the filk room to see who would turn up, Ju, Rika and Valerie arrived but we adjourned to the bar for a while. Then decided to go down the the Froud Room and setup. So about six of us started a circle, and as time passed the numbers went past twenty! I did start dropping to sleep so left at 23:00 and was in bed by 23:10! This was the first night I'd actually stay up for filking! The circle did close at 00:15

Monday morning I finished packing off for breakfast the checked out before 9:00 (as instructed) and ordered a taxi which I shared with two others, reducing the cost per person to £2.60.

Bob was also traveling to King's Cross before going on to Montreal for Worldcon. So we took photos at platform 9 and 3/4 which is now no longer located in the correct geographical position (being not at platform 8 and 3/4)! Thence to the tube station where we split. And I was home by 12:30.

I packed my new back pack, and watched some TV recoded while I was away. I hope there is enough space for the weeks recording. D had replaced the porch roofing while I was away and is to due the drain tomorrow.

Since I'm going to be up at 4:30 tomorrow, as I have to catch the 9:25 from City Airport to Amsterdam and thence to Montreal I'm be going to bed soon. Next posting from Canada (or possibly Holland!)