Forward...into the past!

Sunday is wind-down day: there are no panels, people are checking out...very quiet after the wildness of Saturday with the Pawpet Show, the big dance, Panels.


EF2013Sunday

Sunday is also a great day to finally get a chance to slack out and talk with people. I love this low-key day. In previous years I've gone to the zoo, explored the city, visited Kaiserfest.

For the first time I joined the big expedition to the Schnitzel Temple! This is supposed to be the best schnitzel in town and a large group makes a trek there on Sunday for lunch. Schnitzel Temple serves a 1kg (2.2lbs) schnitzel that-- if you finishi it and the sides-- gets your picture on the wall. I was amused by the several dogs that were on the wall: did they eat an entire schnitzel to get this honor? Very amused.

The dead dog party was well-attended and, again, a fine time to sit back and catch up with friends.

On Friday the convention was in full-cry: people and costumes everywhere. Friday was the day of the International Snack Exchange: one of my favorite events of the con (and one that merits its own post).


Full Flickr Set Here

We had dinner at a nearby Hungarian restaurant. I've noticed that ethnic restaurants evolve to fit their host countries. This Hungarian restaurant (which got good reviews) had a decidly Tuetonic styling to it. And the food was as good as the reviews (very).

Today was also the day of the fursuit parade. This year was less-organized than in past years where there was a distinct path, line of costumers and beginning/end. This route was longer and had cut-offs, so costumers were all over the place (and security scrambled admirably to do their work). Apparently the Mayor came out to meet the 'suiters and extol the city's love for the convention and the furries. The police even called out extra forces...to protect the costumers! So many citizens had turned out to see the spectacle that the police had to use crowd control to direct traffic and keep the parade on-track. As I said-- I'll miss Magdeburg!

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.



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:

I had given thought to hitting Norwescon this year, but it looks unlikely: just too busy.

However, Norwescon usually has -great- programming and I always find one or two panels to attend that are memorable. I perused the programming grid: this year I didn't see anything that piqued my interest...until this:

A Boy, His Dog, and Their Sheep
Sunday 12:00 PM Cascade 12
This presentation will include the past, present, and future of sheepherding with border collies, including a discussion of the personality, instinct, and training of the dogs. Featured panelist will be a border collie named Rodeo.
Jim Kling (M)

Um. Are they -trying- to entice me-- specifically?? Of all the program items I expected to see, this wasn't on any list. A panel with a live border collie? Sheepherding? Definitely a first for me to see at an sf con. -Almost- tempting!

Has anyone heard of Howl Con?
? Is anyone going?



I'm wary of werewolf-themed get-togethers. I remember reading about some of the early ones, where invariably they involved a lot of liquor and foolishness (usually a number of underagers getting dangerously drunk). One memorable moment at one of these was when one well-known member got stupid-drunk, then continued to leap over the bonfire until he finally tripped and fell in. Not my kind of fun.

At the other end of the spectrum are the hug-wolf cons: a bit too spiritual and poofy for my tastes.

Any info would be appreciated!

Complete Flickr Photoblog Set
[This is the picture set of the convention. I've separated out the costumes (mostly) and food pics again. Those will be in their own sets.]

The convention was fantastic. Every year it gets bigger and every year they manage to pull it off and run the most enjoyable convention I attend.

The charity this year was "Far From Fear", a German organization that does for the Spanish Galgos dog what Greyhound rescue does for greyhounds over in the US. I had never heard of the Galgos dog breed before: they are a Spanish sighthound that is actively used for hunting and coursing. After a few years, they are either killed or bred to death. This organization works with their Spanish colleagues to have "retired" dogs shipped to Germany, where they are found permanent homes. The dogs are very much like greyhounds or whippets in form and personality, but sized somewhere in-between those two breeds and with very long, slender tails. They had several at the convention: while a couple of them got uneasy at the noise and crowds, they were all very shy and (if you were gentle) friendly dogs.

The GoH was Peter S. Beagle! It was a pleasure listen to him speak about himself, his writing and his love for music. Small cons like this are ideal venues to hear your heroes speak: the panels are intimate and cozy. He was very approachable and enthusiastic about everything around him.

Best sign at the con:

(On the door to the fire escape.)

Check out the photoblog to get a better idea of what the con was about.

Complete Flickr Photoblog Set
[This is the picture set of the convention. I've separated out the costumes (mostly) and food pics again. Those will be in their own sets.]

The convention was fantastic. Every year it gets bigger and every year they manage to pull it off and run the most enjoyable convention I attend.

The charity this year was "Far From Fear", a German organization that does for the Spanish Galgos dog what Greyhound rescue does for greyhounds over in the US. I had never heard of the Galgos dog breed before: they are a Spanish sighthound that is actively used for hunting and coursing. After a few years, they are either killed or bred to death. This organization works with their Spanish colleagues to have "retired" dogs shipped to Germany, where they are found permanent homes. The dogs are very much like greyhounds or whippets in form and personality, but sized somewhere in-between those two breeds and with very long, slender tails. They had several at the convention: while a couple of them got uneasy at the noise and crowds, they were all very shy and (if you were gentle) friendly dogs.

The GoH was Peter S. Beagle! It was a pleasure listen to him speak about himself, his writing and his love for music. Small cons like this are ideal venues to hear your heroes speak: the panels are intimate and cozy. He was very approachable and enthusiastic about everything around him.

Best sign at the con:

(On the door to the fire escape.)

Check out the photoblog to get a better idea of what the con was about.