Fannish trip (including logistical arrrgh)!

[luzula]

I waited too long to buy my Interrail card, because I didn't realize that it would take so very long to get a physical one over mail. Now my only options are:
- Go to Copenhagen to buy one over the counter.
- Get a #/%#¤& smartphone, which I do not want, so that I can get a mobile Interrail card. I think my mom has an old one lying around which I could probably use, though I would have to get a new SIM card for it. I don't suppose one could emulate a smartphone on a laptop for this purpose...? Probably not in a way that ties it to a phone number. ETA: My roommate also has an extra phone, which he says I can borrow, so that's an option.
(- There is of course also the option to get train tickets separately, but this is two or three times the cost.)

Irritatingly, I could have easily gone to Copenhagen today to get one, since I've been in southern Sweden for my niece's birthday, except that I didn't have my passport with me, which I would need.

***

Er, and on a happier note, I guess this is my announcement that I am at last going on that fannish trip to Scotland which I've been wanting to do since the pandemic began! regshoe and I are going together, and there will be lots of hiking, birdwatching, and going to historically significant locations from Flight of the Heron. Yay! I am also going to visit feroxargentea in England, and spending some time in France with garonne, doing more 18th-century-relevant touristing. \o/

I am doing all traveling by train, since I don't fly for climate reasons, and it's really irritating how you have to go in a sort of U-shape from Sweden to Scotland. Ten or twenty years ago you could have gone by ferry, but this is no longer possible. : ( I guess cheap flights out-competed them. But at least the fannish network provides: I have places to stay overnight in Copenhagen and Paris.

I'll be in London on the 17th of June and the 1st of July, and having some spare time there. So if you have recommendations for things I should do there, or you live in London and would like to have lunch with me or something, do let me know.

Comments

[starshipfox]

The lack of ferry links is so frustrating! My town used to be an important port, and the ferry terminus is empty now -- it's very sad. I hope you have a great trip to Scotland, despite the U-shape!

[luzula]

Well, maybe there will be less flying in the future and more ferries... I shall hope so. Incidentally, my dictation program read that as fairies. : )

[starshipfox]

I would like more fairies too!

[vatine]

Things to do and see in London? Depends a bit on what you find to be appealing.

For extreme location-weirdness, I recommend Rotherhithe (one stop north of Canada Water tube station, on the Overground, which at that point is solidly under ground), where you can find local information boards with text in Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish (there's a Norwegian and a Finnish church right nearby, and a branch of the Swedish Sailors' Church a couple of km away). I mostly went to the area for the purchasing of salty liquorice, from the Finnish Church store, before it was more available in the UK.

For "did I really see that?" I think the tank on a yard is still around. It's pretty much allowed to be graffiti-ed as people see fit, so exact looks probably vary from week to week. Although, Wikipedia says it's temporarily not there.

If you like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you can also experience the slight thrill of "aha, I recognise that!" by ambling around randomly in Camden and Islington, where you are likely to see signs from the estate agent Hotblack Desiato.

If you're inclined to rail geekery, the steepest incline on British passenger rail is smack in the centre of London (it's on the north end of Blackfriar's Bridge, as southbound Thameslink transition from underground to "on the bridge").

[luzula]

Thanks for the tips! How weird that the steepest rail would be in London… not at all what one would have guessed.

[vatine]

My guess would've been Scotland, or possibly Wales. Where, to be fair, they have steeper funiculars. But those aren't really on the main-line passenger rail.

There's also the possibility to pop by Canary Wharf. It is, well, kinda new and all. But, the tube station is basically designed to look like a ship wrapped inside out and upside-down (the ceiling in the station is sort of supposed to evoke the feeling of a keel, and the station entrances are intended to evoke sails). Can't really speak for the Liz Purp (I mean "Crossrail") since I remigrated to Sweden before that opened. There also used to be some old industrial pre-modern-Canary Wharf buildings around.

And there's also a bird sanctuary, with interesting bridge fundaments (and no bridge) between East India (DLR) and Canning Town (Jubilee Line, DLR). OK, so it's probably been 10-12 years since I last walked that stretch, so the bridge fundaments may no longer be there. But Google Maps claims that both Bow Creek and Limmo Peninsula Ecological Parks are still there. Maybe a 5-10 minute walk from Canning Town station.

[oneiriad]

Do you have to go in person for the interrail thing? Can it be an order online send someone to pick up and put in mailbox situation? Or possibly just keep until you visit Cph or something?

[luzula]

I think I have to be there and show my passport. : ( Anyway, I am inclining towards borrowing my flatmate's spare phone.

[feroxargentea]

Re: London, I've not lived there for 25 years, but I'd probably spend the time in the museums -- the Natural History museum, the Science Museum, the British Museum, the Wellcome Institute, which, oh, its current exhibition is "Rooted Beings, which invites you to embark on a meditative reflection on the world of plants and fungi. The exhibition considers what we might learn from plant behaviour, and the impacts of colonial expeditions on the exploitation of natural resources and indigenous knowledges." That sounds like fun! It's the sort of thing I'd drag my wife round, and she'd hate. Or I'd go to Kew gardens, or Wisley. But that's me...

[luzula]

I have vivid memories of the British Museum from when I was a kid and we went on a trip to England. At the time I was geeking out about ancient Greece and Egypt etc and was in heaven seeing all those exhibitions. Also I remember forgetting my backpack in there and having to come back for it, and being passed from museum guard to museum guard to get to it. *g*

I was just checking out the website of the National Maritime museum, for some navigation and Age of Sail geekery. I teach part of a course on the history of navigation, so that would be very cool! But Kew Gardens, that also sounds appealing!

[sanguinity]

Oh, I hope you have a wonderful time! And also that you share many photos!

[luzula]

I really hope so too! I am paranoid that I will get covid just before the trip…

And I promise to post lots of photos. : )

[regshoe]

:)

Oh dear, that is frustrating about the Interrail card! I hope you find a workable solution.

And I second the recommendation for London's museums, especially the Natural History Museum—tons of fascinating stuff in there.

[luzula]

I am leaning towards borrowing my flatmate's spare phone, hopefully it will work! I'll definitely check out the website for the Natural History Museum, but I was also looking at the National Maritime museum, for the navigation and Age of Sail geekery.

[chestnut_pod]

Wonderful news about the trip going ahead! I hope you can find a solution to the railway woes.

[luzula]

Thanks! I am leaning towards borrowing my flatmate's spare phone, hopefully it will work. Wish me luck not getting covid just before I leave (or on the trip), which obviously I am paranoid about.

[chestnut_pod]

✧・ﾟ: *✧・ﾟ:* *:・ﾟ✧*:・ﾟ✧ ‧͙⁺˚*✧・ﾟ: *✧・ﾟ:* *:・ﾟ✧*:・ﾟ✧ ‧͙⁺˚*

î good-luck shower in your area

[luzula]

Thanks! <3

As a devoted watcher of Bron/Brøn

[jesse_the_k]

I'm amazed you need a passport to go from Sweden to Denmark.

May your fannish journey be both squeeful and mossy!

Re: As a devoted watcher of Bron/Brøn

[luzula]

No no, I don't need a passport to go to Denmark, the passport is just to buy the interrail card. I am sure the trip will be both squeeful and mossy - Scotland is a paradise for mosses, what with the oceanic climate. : )

[china_shop]

Have a wonderful time! \o/!

[luzula]

Thanks for the good wishes! I managed to buy an interrail card with my flatmate's old phone, anyway…

[china_shop]

Success! \o/

[lyr]

Have a wonderful trip! I hope you get the rail card sorted out.

[luzula]

Thanks! I did get it sorted out.

[tgarnsl]

Oh, sounds like an exciting trip ahead of you! On the topic of London recommendations — off the top of my head, some less-known ones would be the London Wetland Centre in Barnes, if you like looking at birds (take the tube to Hammersmith and then walk across the poor crumbling Hammersmith Bridge, or else bus, plus if you go into Barnes Common there is a tree there that is one of the oldest in London); the Hogarth House in Chiswick (not far away from Hammersmith either), which is delightful if you like William Hogarth or are interested the 18th century; and the National Army Museum, which is one that not a lot of people have been to, but I found rather good when I went a few years back.

I've asked my partner (a Londoner), so hopefully there will be some additional recommendations :-)

[luzula]

Huh, the London wetland centre looks cool, but on the other hand I will get lots of bird watching in Scotland. The national army museum might be good for fic research - I was in contact with them to get an 18th century captain’s commission that I needed for a fic, and they were nice enough to photograph one for me. It's a bit difficult to see on their website what exhibitions you can actually look at?

I'm also considering the Victoria and Albert Museum for historical clothing, but on the other hand I'm definitely going to the corresponding museum in Paris, so perhaps too much overlap. So perhaps leaning towards the National Maritime museum!

Thanks for the tips!

[tgarnsl]

No worries — I hope you enjoy! I know you’re off tomorrow, but I asked my partner and they responded with this:

If they've got a few days I would recommend travelling out from the centre a bit e.g. to Greenwich (not lesser-known, but there's so much to see), to Hampstead (you've got the heath, the hill garden + pergola, and Kenwood has an excellent art collection and is free). In central London, Sir John Soane's museum is an absolute gem. Not sure how famous the Wallace Collection is, but always worth a visit, and apparently the Courtald's looking great after the recent makeover (still need to take a look for myself). It's many years since I went, but the Cabinet War Rooms (now unfortunately re-named the Churchill War Rooms) were good. As you know, for £5 it's worth seeing something at the Globe. Leadenhall market is getting known, but might yet be a bit off the tourist trail. Also, may not be to everyone's taste, but I do like the Barbican!

Hope that’s helpful :-)

[luzula]

Thanks! : ) I am definitely going to Greenwich tomorrow, anyway, though I haven't yet decided whether to pay extra to climb the rigging of the Cutty Sark...

[nnozomi]

What an absolutely lovely-sounding trip! I hope it's incredibly enjoyable and free of further logistics nuisances; keep us posted during or after on how it all goes, and take good care.

[luzula]

Thanks for the good wishes, I think I've sorted out the ticket stuff. I will definitely post about the trip! : )

[cahn]

(argh, I seem to be missing posts left and right -- somehow I missed this one!) Oh, one more suggestion for Paris -- this has absolutely zero to do with the 18th century as far as I know, so feel free to ignore, but if you happen to be there at the right time in the evening, my favorite thing I remember doing in Paris (more than twenty years ago now, gosh) was going to a concert in the Sainte-Chappelle, which is also my favorite building in Paris. (I guess it might be a concert of an 18th-C composer? :) )

Anyway, it sounds like a lovely trip!

[luzula]

Oh wow, that is certainly… a building! I'll check what concerts they have when I'm there. Thanks for the tip! : )

[cahn]

Hee! I should have appended that I Really Really like shiny things, so... yeah, of course this would appeal to me ;)

[luzula]

Hee! Yes, that building seems like the epitome of a shiny thing. : )