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2001-06-20 - 9:36 a.m.

The next morning I got up and had a hot breakfast with my roommates (after some obligatory bruise and ache comparing), and we went back up to the site. People were just beginning to get up and mill around prior to a workshop by Gwilym, a fencing master imported for the occasion.

We had some consultation and determined (it was about 10 am now) that we'd like to leave by noon if possible, 2pm at the latest, so we could catch some castles or other sights on the way home (we were going to stay overnight half way so we could do this, and arrive home Monday). This seemed reasonable, and my stuff was already mostly packed (due to moving to the hotel) so I hung out with Sigmundr from Ireland talking skaldic poetry, fighting, etc. About 1:45 or so, there was a mad flurry to begin packing.

Those of you who know me know that I like to, well, stick to a plan. But I was actually being remarkably relaxed - we weren't in a massive hurry or anything. We parked Steve in a chair (his back was killing him and he did *all* the driving) to supervise the packing, and with much creaking and groaning (from the weary warriors) we broke camp.

The aforementioned ladies (see "spoiled brats" from yesterday's entry) mysteriously vanished during this time and much of the tent-striking and van-loading was accomplished by people who hadn't stayed in the tent and some by people who were just passing by - it wasn't even their stuff. *This* managed to piss me off seriously - I'm no more excited about load-out than anyone else, and I had friends I'd have liked to visit with too. Grrrrr.

But eventually we got on the road (somewhere around 4:30) and drove down towards Carlisle (just across the Scottish/English border). After much hemming and hawing, and looking at our watches, we decided to stay somewhere down there, and Dan actually knew of a Youth Hostel, so after some rummaging, we found it.

This was my first Hostel experience and it was a pretty good one. There was some amusing chaos getting organised, getting supper in beautiful Haltwhistle (The Centre of Britain), a wild picnic in the hostel dining room, and some serious sleepover antics later in the evening (with various people needing to be tucked in, etc.)

Unfortunately, Hadrian's Wall was still closed due to Hoof and Mouth disease, so we ended up driving *back* up an hour into Scotland to go to Caerlaverock Castle. I was a bit distressed by the organization here, but the castle was *exceedingly* cool so I can't really complain about that. Thereafter we drove home, arriving in London around 8 pm. Dan & I decided we were done dealing with other people so we opted to take the tube back towards home, with a stop at Waterloo for a couple of pints and some time to whinge about travelling with the very young, spoiled, homophobic and sluttish types we'd been travelling with. We are, of course, above reproach in all things....

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