For those keeping count, there was another fire alarm and evacuation and I heard that there was yet another, but it must have been during my night in Bath, so I missed it. Boohoo.
I think this may well be close to the last post here before I return home; possibly the second or third last, simply because I've been busy and haven't been taking many photos.
To remedy this, here's an exciting one of a letterbox.
And some sciencey cushions
Well, I like them anyway - they're in the university chapel, which itself looks really old, but isn't, and which contains a not particularly impressive looking pipe organ, that is (impressive sounding that is). Here's a snapshot of some of the people in the optics group. This was a going-away lunch for me, Ken and Lesley - they both having been in the group for some years. I felt a bit guilty that I was also sharing in their going-away lunch, myself having only been there a short time.
My research activities here haven't been all that successful and may still end up going nowhere, but I've learned a lot and benefited from being in another group, and having some opportunities to talk at a couple of other universities, so I'm judging the trip worthwhile. This week will be a bit weird because most of the group will be off at the Photon08 conference at Heriot-Watt uni. I'll be one of a handful left and my disappearance from the group will likely be surprise to some.
I think all my accommodation and flight organising is almost complete - just a few more things to book and I can say goodbye to that stress. The sun is out today for about the fourth day in a row - the longest stretch since I've been here, but I've been stuck inside again - I needed to pack and weigh my stuff because my flights to Ireland have stricter allowances. I may still run over-weight. I guess that's all for now.
Antipenultimate post?
Side trip to England
Apparently I neglected to mention that my BEC paper was published in Phys. Rev. A. Although I missed it, it also made the front page of the ScienceNews website for a day, although like myself I'm not sure that anyone noticed.
I visited Bristol U. last Wednesday and did a talk for the gurus of phase vortices. Mark Dennis whom I was visiting took me over to the Clifton bridge as was recommended as the place to go in Bristol. It stopped raining long enough for this activity.
The bridge and view were worth the reasonably short walk.
Then I made my way to the station and took the 15 minute train ride to Bath, spent the night there, and played tourist for a day on Thursday.
This is Bath Abbey photographed from the Roman Baths.
People don't get to use these baths anymore, but some creatures still do
I did two walking tours of Bath - on the night I arrived I did the Bizarre Bath comedy walking tour, which was pretty good. It's basically a comedian/magician guy doing a one-man (and one mysterious hidden helper) show involving no actual history. I also did the free Mayor's guides tour after seeing the Roman Baths - this is the history one and our guide really knew his stuff.
I had a pasty for lunch and some decent coffee too before making my way back to Bristol. Apparently the other thing to do in Bristol is to see the ss Great Britain. On my return, before catching the plane back to Glasgow, I didn't do this ... but I did have a nice ice cream because the weather was nice, and I visited the St Mary Redcliffe church, which contains a very impressive pipe organ. I would like to have heard it - It looked like it should sound really good.
So, now I'm back in Glasgow, it's back to trying to get some physics done. I haven't been terribly successful on this front so far, but there's still a tiny amount of time. I've booked my flight to Ireland, booked a 3-day tour there and organised to talk about my BEC stuff at Strathclyde U. and Imperial college before I return to Melbourne. Still more accommodation and flight organising to do but it's reasonably set now.
Oh, and the wolf cryer cried again last night, but it was only 11pmish, so no sleep was lost.
Back in the swing ... tomorrow
A bit of a gap in the posting there. During the gap I went to the Glasgow show on the 27th. This seemed to involve lots of people doing motorcycle tricks, some impressive horse riding, some people showing cows, others showing their wares in marquees and a section for kids to bounce around on various inflatable castles and animals. I didn't take my proper camera and the pics from my phone camera are of laughable quality.
Then, last weekend lasted from Friday until Monday because Barry and Alasdair from the group took a long weekend off with me and headed up North. I rented a car and drove, with Alasdair as passenger. Barry borrowed a car and brought his friend Ewan. Three other potential long-weekenders pulled out so we ended up having lots of space, and it ended up costing more than would have been ideal, but I think it was worth it.
We headed northwest to Fort William so Barry could meet up with his female German friends who were backpacking around. Here's a weird stone dome near Glencoe - we couldn't agree on what this was for - there's no entrance - I think it's for making charcoal in. Any ideas?
We started walking up Ben Nevis at 5pm and ran out of time to reach the summit. We did reach the cloud level though and there was reportedly no visibility from the peak anyway. We got as far as this waterfall.
Then we camped in the "Braveheart carpark" near Ben Nevis. We returned to Glencoe with the girls, Ute and Marieke, to do the walk to the "hidden/lost valley" also to act as meals for the many starving midges there. There was water cascading down the mountains everywhere. Just left of here is the walk through to the valley.
Which contained yet more water and midges
but also contained nicer wildlife
After this morning activity we drove up to Ullapool via Loch Ness and Inverness without stopping at any touristy Nessie sites.
This was quite a bit of driving. We camped at Ullapool, had a late BBQ and midge feeding session before the next day. This was mainly a walk up Stac Polly, which has great views. Here are a few - the real views are better.
After this, plans went a bit astray. Barry, Ewan and Ute had gone back to Ullapool to collect Marieke, who wasn't feeling up to Stac Polly to take her and Ute up north. Alasdair and I made our own way up, detouring to see some random sites such as this 4-6000 year old burial site,
which was home to several sheep
and missed the others whose plans changed, coinciding with mobile phone batteries going flat and some loss of communications. Anyway, they ended up in a different town so Alasdair and I camped in Talmine,
near Tongue on the northwest coast
Finally, on Monday we drove back down to Glasgow meeting up with Barry and Ewan (who had delivered the girls to Thurso to catch a ferry) at Dunrobin castle on the west coast
then via Pitlochrie and Perth, where we ate before finally arriving home.
Today I got no work done.
