h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Came back earlier from the German Meet. Read up a detailed account in some of the other participants' journals (and probably next week's <./>thepost</.&gt!

Having combined this with a work trip and, of course, ignoring all sorts of transportation devices in favour of driving twice 900km, this means I'm pretty nackered, and rather unsure I make sense. Even less than usual, that is.



So, I was happy to meet again --

Sho, TC, Bel, Stunningfrenchie


and it was a delight to see for the first time --

Wandrin' Star, Gnomon, Zendevil and MazinMadFiddler (who kindly provided a for the head-in-the-clouds like me who didn't carry one )

Glad you made it there and back safely.

How anybody could choose to do such a long journey driving a car instead of taking the train is beyond me, though.

I actually like driving, and it is convenient to have a car to carry stuff and move around. I think the same trip using only trains would have been more cumbersome, especially since there was a border to cross And trains are more expensive in general* , so it's a matter of principle.

But all in all, I wouldn't drive another 900km next week

However, I will try and use trains more often, at least for straightforward journeys.

* ie, when you don't spend too much time and energy looking for the best price. I mean, I think the standard train fare for one person, one way, between Bielefeld and Cologne is more expensive than driving there and back!

You are right, if you can't plan far ahead and hunt for special offers, train tickets are too expensive.

That's true
to toybox.

I am still quite shocked and stunned that I managed to find the EUR29 tickets for my trip!

You could register with the Mitfahrzentrale and give people lifts. They then pay you a little for the trip, but less than what they would pay for the train, and the more of you in the car, the more economical it is.

Anyway, it was great that you could make it - you were a very valuable addition to our party (particularly as it improved the male:female balance)

And thank you for texting me when you got home. I received it just as I was walking home from the station myself.

Glad to be of service

I will check out the Mitfahrerzentrale, thanks for the tip!

Zer gut meat!!!!

I am now in Neustadt, in MiL Internet cafe, it was tres wunderbra to get to see you all

Blueberry sends Bare Hugs to you all. No doubt Stunning Frenchie's new tortoise does also. Hope Gnomon's badger arrived home safely. The bushbaby is almost housetrained now.

So...which of us wins the of "Mostly Harmless Maniac in Mannheim"?



zdt

I'm wondering if people all over Mannheim are blogging that they survived the h2g2 meet...

Hi Terri - how's things in Neustadt? Glad you seem to have survived the trip. Hope the address was right.

Terri Tortoise, aka Aeschylus, sends all her love to her new friends, especially to the plush ones.

I survived Neustadt, despite control freak (but nice) MiL, for phoning P to see if i'd made it home.

It was such a great meet, shall the next one be in Eye Land? I am happy to do the organising, Mal suggests we meet at her house, that should scare any tourists away....

zdt

Maybe we'll even scare