ckd | Back from Farthing Party

Even though a portion of my flist was also there (and not posting as much because of it), it's still time to bankrupt my pants.

No travel troubles either way; I knew I was off to a good start when my shuttle to the hotel pulled up just as a group of familiar-looking folks were entering. That let me get in on the Biodome expedition, followed by dinner at a Hungarian restaurant with

mrissa and

timprov, particularly appropriate since I'd been reading Dzur on the flight up. (No Great Weapons were in evidence at this dinner, however.)

Of the event itself: I thought the Good Reads panel went pretty well (it's always a bit unnerving to wind up the moderator of the first panel on the program); from there on to Sunday's * Panel (and the not-really-a-Dead-Dog-Party party that followed) it was all good. As always, it's never long enough, though each year I've managed to be able to stay longer than the one before. (By Worldcon, I should have some actual vacation time available....)

And, being Montréal, all the meals were at least good, and usually better than that. It's a mild shame that almost all the places I know are up on St. Denis rather than near the Palais des congrès; that'll make things a bit less convenient for Worldcon. I guess I'll just wind up having to go find more good restaurants. Heh.

Some culinary highlights: Hungarian sauerbraten; Suite 88[1]'s raspberry sorbet, strawberry and pepper sorbet, and that melted white chocolate[2] in a dark chocolate cup they brought out as a free sample for our group; the Asian fusion place's crispy spinach (even if they never did bring out the salmon tartare); Une Crêpe's "Germaine"; and Le Triskell's wonderfully tasty shrimp and scallops crêpe.

Next cons on the schedule horizon, with vague probabilities: Arisia (Jan. 16-19, ~100%); [ETA: Vericon (Jan. 23-25, ~100%);] Boskone (Feb. 13-15, GoH

papersky, ~100%); possibly one (as yet undetermined) out-of-town con (March-May sometime, ~75%); Fourth Street Fantasy (Jun. 19-21, ~75%); Readercon (Jul. 9-12, ~100%); Anticipation (Aug. 6-10, ~90%).

[1] After the Sunday night dinner expeditions had split off, ours had speculated on whether we'd see another group walk by en route to Suite 88 as we were eating. We didn't, but when we walked in they were already there.

[2] White chocolate is normally an abomination. This stuff almost made up for the existence of every other piece in the universe. No, I don't know how they did it.