(no subject)

Leeds has been exceptionally good to me. The people of the IMC, starting with Axel and including everyone have been even better. It was the warmest and friendliest academic conference I have ever attended. I am beyond tired and have eaten too much, but I am very, very happy. I have lots of follow-through to do, but when it happens you will hear some possibly very interesting things. Watch this space. Even if some of the very interesting things don't eventuate, I have met some cool people who do fascinating things and I have learned so much and I want, very much, to keep in touch with both the people and the learning.

Medieval history and speculative fiction are both my worlds. The reason my career was at a halt when i was trying to choose between them was because a choice was impossible. I had different happinesses in London and in Leeds, but have been walking around with an idiot grin in both places every day. And there are a whole bunch of people with overlap. I spent tonight talking geekishly in a bar. For those of you who were in that group who went to Troy with me, every single person in the group shared my reation to the movie. We talked abotu Dr Who and superheroes and Robin Hood and why spec fic and medieval hsitory have this curious overlap. We talked about vegemite and oyster cards and doing dissertations. We talked about students and teachers and Roger Zelazny.

I need to sleep, so ask for teh slide show when you see me next. My camera went on one journey and I went on another - but that's a different story. Tomorrow I'll be in York, and don't know what my internet access is like. I may not get secure internet again until 24 July, so don't panic if I drop out of sight for a bit.

(no subject)

My York B&B has wireless and I have the key! This means I can check in at least once a day, which is handy. Also, my banking hiccup (in which it looked as if my card might have been stopped) proved to be just that. And I came to York the pretty route, with a vagrant US post-punk medievalist. He did a bunch of heavy lifting and I did a bunch of minding baggage - it was a much easier journey in so many ways. Lots went wrong, you see. For the record, Leeds station listing leaves York off a whole series of trips that end there and they are capable of chaning platforms on one board but not on another. The good thing is that there are trains every hour and that my ticket turned out to be valid anytime today (as did Bram's) so we had time for a cuppa and Bram got chatted at muchly.

I don't have long here, because I'm meeting someone in an hour, but I thought I ought to check in. Also, that I am taking the discrete route and catching taxis instead of walking 1500 metres with luggage until my body starts behaving properly. Travelling is taking its toll. There's nothing to worry about because I am simply taking more care now. Not carrying heavy things. Not walking quickly. And from here on in I have far more control over my time. I was doing exceptionally long hours at Leeds - from 8 am until nealry 2 am most days, almost all full-on. I factored in time for quiet drifting in York, since I know it and knew I would be tired. In other words, I'm doing rather well.

I'm very worried about the bottle fo wine I'm carrying. It's Friday here and it only has until Sunday before it's delivered. That bottle has gone from Rutherglen to Canberra, from Canberra to Sydney, from Sydney to Bangkok, from Bangkok to London, from London to Leeds and now from Leeds to York. it would be terribly sad if it broke en route from York to Durham!! I am handling it with great care at this stage...

And now I must fare forth. I see coffee and possibly alcohol in my future. Today is about meeting Lee and also about reorienting myself on the streeets. I need to think about the relationship of major religious institutions to streets here, since Lincoln yesterday only provided partial answers. (I was referring to Lincoln with slide shows, but somehow that line disappeared and I was too tired to chase it. My camera took one route through Licnoln Cathedral and I took another, and we both had a good time.)

I have forty five minutes to find Mr Harris. The map says that it's almost a straight line from here to there. I can walk very, very slowly. I can stop and get a bite to eat. I can hurry and spend some time admiring the Minster (which I have already admired, but it's one of those buildings which is worth admiring many times.). If I actually leave, rather than doing a melba, then I might be able to achieve all three.

The big thing you need to know is that I have internet in the evenings. I am contactable for a few more days.