Flashback: And then Seanan went to LONDON. Again.

[seanan_mcguire]

Leaving Wroughton was sad. I didn't want to leave Wroughton. Talis rode the train with me to London, because she is a wonderful Talis, and that made me a little happier about leaving. We sat in Waterloo Station and had lunch (bagel for her, pasty for me) before riding to Wimbledon, my final destination, where Talis turned around to go home and I caught a cab to Teddy and Tom's.

Teddy and Tom are good friends of mine, met originally through the filk community, who live about a mile's walk from the Wimbledon Station. Their home makes the perfect base of operations for me when I'm in London. Normally, I sleep in the upstairs guest room. This time, due to concerns about my foot, Teddy had set up the camp bed for me in the sewing room downstairs. Tom was home when I arrived. He let me in, showed me where to put my things, introduced me to their newest second-hand cat (Edward, who creaked like a rusty gate and deigned to allow pettings), and unleashed me on Wimbledon, where I promptly reacquainted myself with the important things, IE, where the grocery store was, and how to get to the station. Teddy came home that night, and there was ever so much hugging and joy. There was also an Extra American, Cynthia, who was staying a few days, and would be sleeping in my usual bed. A full house!

Speaking of beds: the front legs of the camp bed did not lock properly, and the bed dumped me on my head three times in the night. Good times!

The very next day was my publisher visit with Orbit UK and Corsair, who publish Mira and Seanan in the UK, respectively. We had a lovely lunch at an Italian place that was very tolerant of the loud table that wouldn't stop talking about spiders. And then it was time for my very first ever appearance at Forbidden Planet, the largest science fiction bookstore in the United Kingdom. So many books were signed! A wonderful man brought me cheese! Sarah and Hisham joined us for dinner! And we made plans to meet up with Anna and Emily on Saturday, for lunch and goodness.

(There is a cheese shop near Forbidden Planet. You'd best believe I went there and bought cheese. So much cheese.)

The next few days were pleasantly non-eventful. I spent time with Teddy, Tom, and Cynthia; we went to the grocery store and bought a leg of lamb; we bid Cynthia a fond farewell. (It turns out she lives in Berkeley and is the cousin of a good friend of mine who passed away a few years ago. I sent her home with my swimsuit and some yarn, as part of my constant curation of my suitcase.) On Saturday, Anna and Emily came, and we enjoyed a cheese party for lunch, followed by roast lamb for supper. We also went to the local Toys R Us, where I found the new Wydowna Spider doll. Bliss.

Sunday, Teddy and I went to a ball-jointed doll meet, followed by meeting my friends Ephemera and Fawn for rose lemonade at an adorable miniature cafe. We talked for a very long time, and it was lovely.

Monday I met up with my foreign sales agent for lunch and a chat.

Wednesday I flew to Germany, which will be covered in my next flashback. All told, a lovely visit to London, and I'm so glad to be going back next year.

Comments

[harvey-rrit.livejournal.com]

You realize there are people who cannot encounter the phrase "cheese shop" and retain anything resembling a normal frame of mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3OQECSDoQ

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I do indeed.

[anne_d]

"Gromit, that's it! Cheese! We'll go somewhere where there's cheese!"

There can never be too much cheese.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[harvey-rrit.livejournal.com]

It
breaks
my
mind
that Wallace and Gromit are responsible for saving the makers of Wensleydale from going out of business.

Their picture is now on the label.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Hee. I love the fact that you're friends with Teddy and Tom. Interwebbing circles...

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I've known them for YEARS.

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

Somehow I read the one sentence as "Monday I met up with my foreign sales agent for lunch and a cat." I find it entirely believable.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

It's always best when there are cats.

[taldragon.livejournal.com]

"A wonderful man brought me cheese!" <- he's thrilled (and highly amused) for the mention.
(i'm his girlfriend)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

You are an excellent girlfriend and have phenomenal taste in men (who have great taste in cheese).

[taldragon.livejournal.com]

I... was not expecting this praise. but thank you so much! *hugs the praise happily*

[oreouk.livejournal.com]

That reminds me - thank you very much for the cheese!

I didn't get to actually eat it because Teddy forgot to bring it to the garlic and cheese weekend and then I (thought I) broke him so he missed a singing lesson where he was going to drop off the cheese and then Tom ate it because he thought it was their cheese. But still, thank you very much for the cheese!!

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Unwatched cheese doesn't last long! ;)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Hee.

Sorry not to have seen you much.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I can't remember now, and am rushing out the door (well, practucally) - did you go to Amsterdam on this trip? Or, have you ever been? Because OMG CHEESE. CHEESE, CHEESE, CHEESE. And they know, of course, the right way to say "gouda" and the gouda there is like the amazing sharp slap in the mouth that tastes so damn good with an apple slice, and it's not just gouda they have, it's ALL THE CHEESE, ALL THE TIME.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I did not, alas.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Glad you weren't hurt by the unstable bed! (And I really want to know where we can get rose lemonade...)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

It's available in North America! SO GOOD.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

So did you actually go back home between Loncon3 and Wimbledon or is this one big extended tour? Sounds great. Especially the cheese. Have you ever tried three year old Gouda - not the Old Amsterdam which I'm told is 18 months and which is nice - but OHMYGOD! the three year old, when you can get it, is wonderful. I've been told about a five year old, but have never had the opportunity to try it. The three year old is hard and slightly granular with a wonderful sharp taste. Just a small amount gives you a huge cheese kick. And at the opposite end of the scale is a French Brie-like small wheel of cheese called Rondeau de Champagne, which a friend once brought us from France. The taste (once you got it past your nose) was out of this world, like a very rich Camembert, but I've never been able to find it in England.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I did not.