So Long Brighton, Hello London
Nov. 3rd, 2013 10:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeNot too long after the World Fantasy Awards ceremony wrapped up today, I got myself together and headed off to London, where I will be tonight and tomorrow night before returning to the Bay Area, where it's back to work for the rest of this week and all of next before I go home for the first time in a month. Tipped off by Gary K. Wolfe, (who was also on he was going to London and was going very near where I was going and with whom I shared a cab from the station because of it) I took the First Capital Connect service to London St. Pancras, thereby avoiding a transfer to the tube while toting rather heavy luggage.
I'm using some of my hotel points to stay at the Holiday Inn Camden, which is a very cost-effective use of the hotel points inasmuch as the rooms here cost much more than I'd ever consider spending. And they upgraded me to an Executive room (oversized corner room, lots of space) on my platinum status, even though I'm on points, which was nice of them. Internet access at Holiday Inn is now included for Platinum members. It's not particularly fast internet, but it works. The free-with-points room does not include breakfast, but that just means I don't have to set an alarm to get up earlier than I might want just so I don't miss the meal, and I can sleep in tomorrow if I feel I need to do so. (OTOH, being sleep-deprived when I get to my flight on Tuesday might be in my personal best interest.)
The train trip included some new-for-me mileage through parts of London, but it was all after dark and I could see nothing. I'd been down to Brighton once by rail, in 1995 on the way to France (we changed to another train that led to the ferry to Dieppe at that time), but again, it was all at night when I couldn't see anything.
Tomorrow I have available for a small amount of tourism before repacking my luggage and making some difficult decisions, inasmuch as I have to keep the checked back weight under 50 pounds or pay the substantial overweight fee. I rather expect that my backpack is going to be quite heavy. At least the BART strike is settled, do I don't have to go hunting around for a shuttle bus when I get back to SFO.
I really enjoyed my trip to this year's World Fantasy Convention, probably because I had so few (essentially no) responsibilities. It's a rare convention I attend that I'm not working in some way, and it's often difficult for me to relax at them. Somehow I managed it this time.
I'm using some of my hotel points to stay at the Holiday Inn Camden, which is a very cost-effective use of the hotel points inasmuch as the rooms here cost much more than I'd ever consider spending. And they upgraded me to an Executive room (oversized corner room, lots of space) on my platinum status, even though I'm on points, which was nice of them. Internet access at Holiday Inn is now included for Platinum members. It's not particularly fast internet, but it works. The free-with-points room does not include breakfast, but that just means I don't have to set an alarm to get up earlier than I might want just so I don't miss the meal, and I can sleep in tomorrow if I feel I need to do so. (OTOH, being sleep-deprived when I get to my flight on Tuesday might be in my personal best interest.)
The train trip included some new-for-me mileage through parts of London, but it was all after dark and I could see nothing. I'd been down to Brighton once by rail, in 1995 on the way to France (we changed to another train that led to the ferry to Dieppe at that time), but again, it was all at night when I couldn't see anything.
Tomorrow I have available for a small amount of tourism before repacking my luggage and making some difficult decisions, inasmuch as I have to keep the checked back weight under 50 pounds or pay the substantial overweight fee. I rather expect that my backpack is going to be quite heavy. At least the BART strike is settled, do I don't have to go hunting around for a shuttle bus when I get back to SFO.
I really enjoyed my trip to this year's World Fantasy Convention, probably because I had so few (essentially no) responsibilities. It's a rare convention I attend that I'm not working in some way, and it's often difficult for me to relax at them. Somehow I managed it this time.
