furtech: (apache-r0ndo)
[personal profile] furtech
My flight from SFO to LHJ was blissfully uneventful. I had the Wool Omnibus on my kindle (along with other great books), an iPod filled with songs and audio books and a seat near the restrooms. I read two chapters of the Wool Omnibus, then promptly fell asleep for five hours.

Arriving in Frankfurt Airport was like a homecoming. Have I mentioned I love Germany? I'm still puzzled as to why so many people assume one only visits Germany for business...they were genuinely surprised to hear it was for a vacation...Fresh baked breads, pretzels, and so much efficiency.

EF 2013 SFO to LHJ collage

Full Flickr Set Here

I got to Magdeburg proper in no time at all and checked into the hotel. I got lucky again: a handicap room. Lucky because just before the trip I'd wrecked my leg, so these facilities were actually a boon for me.

It's a shame the convention is moving to Berlin. I have grown to like Magdeburg quite a lot: it's a beautiful city, on a river, with a decent zoo. The Ottokaiserfest is the best RenFaire I've ever gone to (open at night!) when it over-laps with the convention. Also, I know how to get there by rote. I will certainly miss the shopping mall and market that is right across the street: there is a giant toy store, electronics/dvd store, drug stores, travel stores and a very large market.
Having settled into the hotel, I marched across the street to get my supplies: German Meusili; Coke Lite; apples; Nic-Nacs and a few other things. Foreign countries are the few places I actually -enjoy- shopping: I like to see the different products, American foods (usually different in some way), foreign gadgets. Of the latter, the winner this year was the banana slicer: so precise-- very Deutsch.

Interesting finds: Sauerkraut juice (did not try).

Also, R0ndo brand coffee! (Bought a slab for the label. Very amused.)

Stopping in at the Pawpet room, I saw new and old friends in various states of disarray. Plus, all the hard-working team behind the show. Great to see everyone again!

PS: Yes, I know this picture (from an ad at the Frankfurt airport) has nothing to do with the convention-- but visually it's probably what most people think the airport looks like when a furry convention comes to town:
furry carousel

Date: 2013-09-14 01:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cheetah-spotty.livejournal.com
"in various states of disarray" - *LOL* :)

Date: 2013-09-14 07:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] c-eagle.livejournal.com
Hilarious photo!

Yep... not sure what to expect in Berlin.... Seen a lot of nice photos of the city so that's nice... but will the con have covered parking, good prices, and other fun things to do like you mentioned)....

Also, I did well in rural areas and small towns, but got a parking ticket in Munich.... so I'm a little skiddish about the big BIG towns.. (did fine parking in Wiesbaden) ...

Then again... don't know when I'll be back, but I'd sure like to go again soon!

Date: 2013-09-15 02:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] porsupah.livejournal.com
Foreign countries are the few places I actually -enjoy- shopping

Um.. y'know, that really reads rather oddly. ^_^;

Oh, it's moving to Berlin? Oo.. that does change things a bit. Not for the worse, I suppose, given Berlin is, from what I'm given to understand, a pretty cool city, but the smaller town feel did seem to carry through into a more fun time, going by others' reports. Still, I suppose every con winds up growing - it's a matter of ensuring the heart remains, even if the specifics must morph.

Cool ad. =:D

As for coffee, I've been very pleased with the single estates from Union Roasted. All done to order, delivered as soon as possible. It's a world away from anything in supermarkets.

Date: 2013-09-16 02:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] furtech.livejournal.com
I call 'em like I see 'em!

Best crew ever!

Date: 2013-09-16 02:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] furtech.livejournal.com
You're a braver soul than I: we did everything by train. German train system is excellent. I'd highly recommend ditching the car and using public transportation.

If you're worried, give it a year and I'll let you know how it went!

Date: 2013-09-16 02:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] furtech.livejournal.com
One of my favorite moments was a hardware store in Frieburg: most of the gardening tools were the same...but I found a couple that are now prized in my garden tool collection. I -hate- grocery shopping at home...but exploring a German grocery store is like a treasure hunt. Figuring out what everything is (cleaner or soft-drink?) and trying new things-- it's an adventure!

As the chairman has pointed out, EF has weathered changes (bigger than this) before and all for the better. One of the biggest changes: going from being in a youth hostel (in a -castle-!!!) to an actual hotel (some predicted it would ruin EF's intimate atmosphere). Instead, attendees fell in love with the hill-top hotel and the very friendly owner. Then the move to a real -city- (Magdeburg) was called the beginning of the end...and now they miss Magdeburg. It'll be fine moving to Berlin (and we need the space-- you can see that from the photos!).

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