Sunday, September 06, 2009
Greenbelt report
So, we arrived at Greenbelt and I realised that I'd packed raincoats for everyone except me. In fact, I had ridiculously removed my raincoat from the car boot as we were loading luggage into it. I'd also forgotten suncream, and neglected to bring matches, a mirror, or a chopping board.
Fortunately, there's a rather well-equipped general store where I could buy matches and a plastic poncho (hooray). I wore the poncho most of the rest of the time, rain or shine, simply because it cut out the rather cold wind. I couldn't quite bear to wear it to bed, but I did wear a t-shirt, a long-sleeved top, my red fleece, Abstract's black fleece and my own long black cardigan. Plus two pairs of socks. Was I warm enough? No, not really.
As ever when camping, that was my big problem. I was cold nearly all the time from six o'clock onwards. And, honestly, there's a limit to how many jumpers you can wear. From about day two I started wistfully mentioning caravans and campervans to my family, but I'm not sure they paid enough attention.
Despite that, it was lovely to be at Greenbelt. I concentrated my talk-going activities on the issue of Israel and Palestine, and heard the Palestinian non-violent activist Sami Awad speak, as well as the Israeli non-violent activist Jeff Halper. I also went to a talk by Michael Ward on the "Lewis Code" (his theory that C.S. Lewis used medieval beliefs about the planets on which to base his seven Narnai books). Abstract and the older girls went to a bunch of concerts - Royksopp, Schlomo and the beatbox orchestra, and Athlete - and Gloworm bought two sock monkeys and a bunch of carved wooden cats. The girls also had a lovely evening at Caris magazine's "girls' night in", hearing singer Shell Perris.
I also drank a lot of coffee and we all ate pies from Pieminister. Which, in case you'd like to know, does home delivery! For a price (you have to buy a box of at least twelve pies), but oh my goodness, I swear it would be worth it. The food stalls were super-helpful when it came to Sparkler's friend's nut allergy, too. I didn't need to stab her with her epi-pen and dial 999 even once.
1 comments. Please post yours!
I hate being cold too, but I'm very rarely cold when camping. I layer up, but if I wore as many layers as you're describing there I wouldn't be able to move! Do you have a particular problem with the cold all the time or is it only when camping?
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