Holiday in Cambridge, Day 1

[wiseheart]

Okay, these will be extremely long entries, I'm afraid, so that's why I'm putting them behind the tag. Nothing evil there, just being considerate towards the people on my friendslist.

Anyway, as you know Mum and I went to Cambridge, with the express purpose on my side to see altariel1 and the_wild_iris, not to mention Cambridge, which is beautiful. It was a journey where I got all I had hoped for and more, but boy, the way there was arduous!


We've tried everything in our power to avoid flying, as you might now. It didn't work. So, on Monday, which was June 19, we boarded a plane on Ferihegy 1, and the horrors started. I think it's no news to anyone who's at least spoken to me once that I'm deadly afraid of flying. It's a very unnatural thing for a human being to do, you know. If God had intended for us to fly, we'd have wings, right?

Yep, I know Dr. McCoy said similar things about beaming in Star Trek. Which still doesn't mean he wasn't right, you know? But I digress.

Aside from the flying itself, I've panicked about finding two neigbouring seats on the plane (on EasyJet, you don't have numbered seats), about finding the ticket office in Luton for the coach to Cambridge (which I did, including a very friendly young man behind the desk, who had endless patience with the hysterical foreign lady), about finding our B&B once we arrived in Cambridge, about having accommodations at all, as I still don't trust this wacky Internet booking business, about... well, about just everything. I'm a panick-y sort of person, and the older I get, the worse it is getting, too.

Fortunately, everything went very smoothly. Our B&B was a pretty place, the lady who owns it incredibly friendly, and we loved just everything, including the small towns and villages we got to see during our coach ride from Luton to Cambridge.

Shortly after our arrival, altariel1 arrived, too, and it was a very happy reunion, finally getting to meet in person, after six years or so of online friendship. We went to a lovely little café, the name of which I have shamefully forgotten, where they sell books, too, and people read, drink, chat, play board games - or even sleep in a corner. It was very funny, Mum loved it.

A little later the_wild_iris joined us, and we launched into long and energetic discussions about writing in general, Tolkien, Babylon 5, Star Trek, Buffy, Angel, Brother Cadfael, the Prydain Chronicles and a lot of other topics. Oh it was so wonderful to finally meet people who share my little personal obsessions!

When Mum was getting glassy eyes from all the chat she didn't understand a word of, poor dear, we went into town and across a lot of beautiful colleges, churches and other wondrous places. As a first impression, all that beauty was truly overwhelming, Mum and I could barely sleep in the first night because of all the excitement.

Also, I got the fifth chapter of The Prydain Chronicles from the_wild_iris, so that now I have the entire series together. I just hope they'll reprint the later books, too, the ones I've never seen so far. *rubs hands gleefully*


Okay, there'll be more tomorrow, there's more than 30°C over here still, and my brain cells are completely fused - such as I have to begin with. *g*

Comments

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

Glad your trip went smoothly and that you had a good time :o)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Mira! It was a fantastic time indeed, especially as I've known these people for years via Internet and never hoped to meet them in the flesh.

I just wish I could meet you Americans, too, one day. But after that traumatic flight experience I really doubt I'd set foot on an airplane any time, soon,

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear you had such a nice time, and that everything went well (including the flying experience, which I only relearned recently after decades of refusal. You're right. It's not natural.)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

No, it isn't. Actually, I haven't panicked half as much at the first two occasions - perhaps getting older has something to do with it???

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

Could very well be the case. I didn't panic either the last few times.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

I told you you'd have a great time! I'm glad my prophetic powers were accurate for once.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Heh! You can take over for Malbeth, the Seer...

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

I think Malbeth's job is safe, as to be honest, it wasn't much of a prediction. How could you NOT have fun hanging out with altariel1 and the_wild_iris?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

And Alawa! don't forget Alawa!

But you're right, of course. Those all are people to have great fun with. They told me how much fun they had with you on one of the conventions, so I truly hope one day we get together and 'paint the town red', too.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

You got to meet Alawa too!? I'm so very jealous!

We did have a great time at Tolkien 2005; I'm sorry you couldn't be there to join us. But the world's a small place; no doubt we'll meet in the flesh some day!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yep, I met her. I didn't even know she lives in Cambridge, too, but when Una asked her, she was willing to meet me - poor woman, didn't know what to expect - and we had a great time, too.

I hope we'll met some day. But as long as it'll mean flying, I'm afraid you won't be able to count on me. The traumatic experience was enough for me for the next decade or so.

Should you decide to pay beautiful Budapest a visit, of course, I'd be happy to be your guide. earonn trained me what to show a first-time tourist. *g*

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

Be careful - I may yet take you up on that offer!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I certainly hope so. :)

[jilba.livejournal.com]

Sounds like both you and Mum are are having a truly lovely time!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, we did!

[jilba.livejournal.com]

Great, and I'm enjoying the rest of your entries too.

Prydain!

[jen-rock.livejournal.com]

You're a fan of the Prydain Chronicles too? I have friends who are into fantasy who've never even heard of it. Although some vaguely rememeber that horrible Disney attempt at "The Black Cauldron," which really tried to merge elements from all seven books into one crappy 90-minute movie. Ugh.

I think it was one of the first fantasy series I ever read. "Chronicles of Narnia," was the absolute first but they're children's books compared to Prydain. I have the collected omnibus of all seven books and I've lent it out a couple of times to friends who always liked it. Anyway, I was just excited to see someone mention it. Keep having fun in Cambridge. (I keep thinking of the Cambridge here in Massachusetts rather than the original one but I'm sure the English one is more interesting.)

Re: Prydain!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yep. I read the first five books in German, back in the early 1980s, and loved them. Now, thank to the_wild_iris, I own them in English original, which is a lot more fun.

I only hope they'll reprint the remaining two books as well - I never read them and would be very interested to do so.

Re: movies
It has been my experience that most filmed versions of popular books (especially in the fantasy genre) usually go awry because the director thinks himself smarter than the original author. Look at the LOTR movies! As long as Peter Jackson followed the books, they were fairly good. From the point on where he started to get "creative", the whole project was washed down the toilet.

AS for Cambridge, alas, that is over. I only was there five days, one and a half of them swallowed by the journey itself, but it was terrific nevertheless.

[lhun-dweller.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on a grand adventure!

And a special salute to you AND your Mum for deciding the adventure was more important than keeping your feet safely on the ground.

Rather Baggins-like of you, eh? [wink and a big hug]

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Well, perhaps, but as I've said somewhere above, next time I'll rather swim across the Channel than fly again.