First Thirteen episode today, and it was good! Not perfect, but really solid and more enjoyable that a lot of the previous season for me. Not sure about the music, but that’s always true. Hope the opening credits come back, presumably that was about time rather than gone for good. Yeah, excited to see where it goes next.
It’s alive!!!
Had to burn everything in cleansing fire because on the internet of 2018 we can’t have nice things. Slowly restoring it all now. Please hold.
Jan 6th
December flew by, as it does. We went to the midnight screening of The Last Jedi, which I actually enjoyed more than John! Although he has since watched it twice more and surpassed me, as is right and proper. And then it was off to Peterborough for Christmas at the Coxon’s. Mince pies, roast dinners, boardgames, and of course the pantomime. This year Dave and James couldn’t make it and George was only there for part of it so everything was a bit less crowded and busy, but it’s always lovely and a nice break, get some reading done, and …
Novacon 47
his was my first Novacon, and I didn’t really know what to expect. John had warned me it was small with a single track of programming, and it was that, but it was also well designed for the space it occupies so despite being around 200 people it never felt constricted or claustrophobic. The Park Inn has seen better days but still manages to be friendly and comfortable, and has the advantage of being on a street with multiple pubs and restaurants in reasonable walking distance for most folks. I didn’t get to see a lot of Nottingham on this trip …
Helsinki Worldcon – Day 1
I got up early Wednesday since the Lounge and the art show were still pending. John got up at the same time and made toast and eggs with fish from the supermarket, plus of course coffee. He did this every day we were there, on most days we had this amazing smoked salmon that I really miss now. We took the tram up to Messukeskus, and while John went to get his badge I headed to the Exhibits Hall. Once again it took a while to find someone who knew how what was what, but eventually I managed it and …
Helsinki Worldcon Day 2
I woke up feeling fine, so after another delicious husband-cooked breakfast we headed out. The previous night John had figured out where to catch the train proper to Messukeskus, instead of the tram. It’s very simple once you know and much quicker, we were onsite in ten minutes instead of thirty. The convention provided every member with travel pass good for the week, which meant there was never any hesitation about just popping into town; free, fast, and frequent is hard to beat. I spent a few hours in the Lounge, had a wander through the Trade Hall and exhibits, …
Helsinki Worldcon – Day Zero
We arrived into Helsinki on Tuesday morning and caught the tram to our various destinations; some headed to the Holiday Inn near the convention center, others to Hotel Sokos Vaakuna by the central train station, while John and I had opted for an AirBnB a fifteen-minute walk from downtown. It was a cute little place on Eerikinkatu, comfortable, with plenty of light, and most importantly; a kitchen. We were around the corner from Hietalahti Market Square, which has an indoor food market and a flea market outside. We had our first meal in Helsinki there, the first of many delicious …
Ferry to Helsinki
The Silja Serenade is apparently a cruiseferry, which is a term I wasn’t familiar with but which perfectly describes her. Sort of a plush ferry or downsized cruise ship whose interior has that casino feel and rows of cabins looking inwards. There was shopping and restaurants, a couple of bars and night spots, and even a casino with a live band, the casino was tiny but the band was exactly as cheesy as you would hope for. Most importantly there was a duty free, so we bought some gin to buffer us against the even higher Finnish liquor prices. The …
Stockholm – Helsinki Worldcon day 1
The Helsinki Worldcon was many years in the making, so it feels a bit surreal that it finally came and went and is now just a memory. Loncon 3 had been my first Worldcon outside of the US and now Worldcon 75 was to be my first one outside of the anglosphere. Having never been to northern Europe I was delighted when Bryan and Mette invited us to join in their plans to fly into Stockholm and then take the (in)famous ferry to Helsinki. Altogether there were eight of us in our little group; Mette and Bryan, our intrepid local …