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Eurofurence 16 Was a Hit!
15 years ago
Now that my body's recovered from the time change I feel I can put together decent enough thoughts to talk about this year's Eurofurence.
Once again, the convention rocked. If you can afford a flight to Germany, I highly recommend putting this con in your "to do" list.
I will admit that the new venue -- a four star hotel in downtown Magdeburg -- just doesn't quite have the same charm and character as the Ringberg Hotel high atop the mountain in Suhl. But the EF staff made it work for the most part, and will no doubt take that first year experience to ensure that EF 17 -- also at the Maritim in Magdeburg -- will be even better.
And even though I say "Ringberg is better," what makes the new venue great is the location: there's only so much you can do in the hotel, so it's wonderful to be able to stretch your legs during the inevitable downtime. Don't like the inflated prices of the hotel food? You've not only got excellent German, Italian, Asian, and, yes, American restaurants right next door, but there's also shopping across the street -- a supermarket ensured that snacks and drinks were right at the ready.
Hopefully Maritim will finally catch on to the fact that there were far cheaper food and drink options right outside their door and do what it can to keep con goers on-site for all their drunken mayhem needs.
For those who miss the Hotel Ringberg or wanted to find out why the EF hotel for the past three years was held in high regard, a semi-organized party made its way on the Monday after the con closed to Suhl. This, I guarantee, will be an open invite tradition that will continue until this gathering will grow too big for the Ringberg to handle. It's so much fun to simply hang out and unwind in the lobby lounge, enjoying the company of those you just saw a few hours ago.
Shoutouts: Thanks to
coyotesnack for helping find a place for my big green butt a week before the show, and 
kralle for supplying said space. Thank you 
Nachtfuchs for stuffing me into his jeep for the three hour roadtrip to Magdeburg, and 
tanidareal for letting me torment her cats. Azrael and Jumpy, thank you for helping myself and Gideon down off the Ringberg mountain, and get through the language barrier in Suhl. Cheetah, Loewi, and all the rest of the Germans that put up with me for two weeks or bought me drinks...thank you as well!
Once again, the convention rocked. If you can afford a flight to Germany, I highly recommend putting this con in your "to do" list.
I will admit that the new venue -- a four star hotel in downtown Magdeburg -- just doesn't quite have the same charm and character as the Ringberg Hotel high atop the mountain in Suhl. But the EF staff made it work for the most part, and will no doubt take that first year experience to ensure that EF 17 -- also at the Maritim in Magdeburg -- will be even better.
And even though I say "Ringberg is better," what makes the new venue great is the location: there's only so much you can do in the hotel, so it's wonderful to be able to stretch your legs during the inevitable downtime. Don't like the inflated prices of the hotel food? You've not only got excellent German, Italian, Asian, and, yes, American restaurants right next door, but there's also shopping across the street -- a supermarket ensured that snacks and drinks were right at the ready.
Hopefully Maritim will finally catch on to the fact that there were far cheaper food and drink options right outside their door and do what it can to keep con goers on-site for all their drunken mayhem needs.
For those who miss the Hotel Ringberg or wanted to find out why the EF hotel for the past three years was held in high regard, a semi-organized party made its way on the Monday after the con closed to Suhl. This, I guarantee, will be an open invite tradition that will continue until this gathering will grow too big for the Ringberg to handle. It's so much fun to simply hang out and unwind in the lobby lounge, enjoying the company of those you just saw a few hours ago.
Shoutouts: Thanks to
coyotesnack for helping find a place for my big green butt a week before the show, and 
kralle for supplying said space. Thank you 
Nachtfuchs for stuffing me into his jeep for the three hour roadtrip to Magdeburg, and 
tanidareal for letting me torment her cats. Azrael and Jumpy, thank you for helping myself and Gideon down off the Ringberg mountain, and get through the language barrier in Suhl. Cheetah, Loewi, and all the rest of the Germans that put up with me for two weeks or bought me drinks...thank you as well!
I agree, I liked the venue, though I've not yet been to the Ringberg so I can't compare.
For my first time going to EF, it was a real enjoyment - and the convenience of everything nearby was awesome! :)
Sad I missed it this year but planning to go next year for sure. Would love to join you guys for the suhl trip, I really liked that hotel.