Wanderings

Birmingham September 2008

Another IMS meeting, another city. This time closer to home, at the Lakeside Conference Centre Aston University.

Birmingham September 2008

Visit to UNED in Spain (the Spanish equivalent to the Open University). Spent one day in the UNED offices in Madrid and one day at one of UNED study centres in Pontevedra in Galicia. Then grabbed a couple of days to be a tourist in Segovia and Madrid. And contrary to popular opinion it does rain in Spain - this is my second visit to Spain in the last year and I've got wet both times! Barcelona in the rain

Spain September 2008

Suffolk August 2008

Another week on the Suffolk Coast - again staying in one of the National Trust apartments at Dunwich Heath, and spending most of the week in/around the coast and the RSPB reserve at Minsmere. Saw avocets, bittern, marsh harriers, lots of godwits plus common, Sandwich and little terns.

A couple of weeks earlier than our previous visit.

Suffolk August 2008

Silverstone July 2008

The Silverstone Classic at Silverstone Race Track in Northamptonshire - everything from early Bugatti's through to F1 cars from the 1980's.

Silverstone July 2008

Lords Cricket Ground July 2008

Saturday of the First Test between England and South Africa - England took 10 SA wickets and enforced the follow-on - their last good day until the series was won by South Africa.

Lords July 2008

Shetland June 2008

Another week back on Shetland - about as far north as we can go without needing a passport (although BA get very grumpy if you don't have one flying from London to Aberdeen - has independence gone further than I realised?). This time we rented a splendid cottage at the Pool of Virkie - and for the first time did see the tide in at the Pool. A few good days birdwatching, and a little bit of retail therapy to help prop up the local economy.

Shetland June 2008

Travel Map

Travels to June 2008
Travel Map June 2008

Ann Arbor June 2008

That makes six US trips in the last 12 months. This time to the summer thunderstorms in Michigan. Travelling west involved long flights delays and missing luggage. University of Michigan is a huge establishment dominating Ann Arbor - also home to both Borders bookshops and Domino's Pizza. Did visit Borders, but didn't have any pizza!

Flying east back to the UK was much more relaxing - and all on time.

Michigan June 2008

Austin May 2008

Another IMS Global Learning Consortium meeting - and my 5th visit to the US in the last year. Austin is a great city to visit - an interesting mix of sights and sounds reminding me of trips to various parts of the US over the last couple of years. I was very tempted to pick up a car at the airport and go off driving - but did stick to the original plan of clocking up even more airmiles with United! A short stopover in Denver on the way home providing further encouragement to redo the Rockies loop from Autumn 2006.

Austin May 2008

Bath April 2008

As a change from cars and planes, this was a weekend by train (must try and do a few more less carbon-heavy trips this year). Weather was unseasonably warm, and the city was very crowded but the service in hotels and restaurants wasn't very good. Bath rather gave the impression that it didn't really care about it's visitors!

Bath April 2008

Kuwait April 2008

Back on planes again. Running a workshop on Virtual Learning Environments for the Arab Open University. Airport-Hotel-Hotel-Hotel-Airport. Pictures from the Crowne Plaza and Movenpick Hotels in Kuwait, which pretty much all I got to see this time. Next visit I'll have to try and fit in some tourist time! I did at least manage to avoid overnight flights in either direction - thank you Kuwait Airways!

Kuwait April 2008

US West Coast February 2008

It's weeks since I've been across the Atlantic!

This trip involved a few warm days at the coast in Southern California talking about elearning standards, and a couple of rather colder days in Redmond (with a tourist day in Seattle before flying home).

Long Beach February 2008

Seattle February 2008

Cornwall January 2008

I don't think I'll be doing quite so much travelling in 2008. However, it seemed a good idea to get the first trip of 2008 in early (and with rather less carbon footprint than some of the recent trips). Have just spent a few days in the Old Coastguard Hotel in Mousehole in Cornwall - the Mousehole Christmas lights are fantastic, and the weather was suitably stormy too. British seaside resorts are at their best in the Winter!

Cornwall January 2008

Palo Alto, California December 2007

One final trip to round out the year. A couple of days in staying in Palo Alto and attending a workshop at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in Menlo Park.

Palo Alto December 2007

Antarctica November 2007

Over thirty years after first thinking about going to Antarctica - and at the second attempt this year, I have now done my first visit to Antarctica. In addition to visiting the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, I also got to spend some time in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. My advice to anyone planning a trip to Antarctica - go for longer. It's a long way from the UK to Ushuaia where most of the boats operate from, and by the time you've crossed the Drake Passage, you only get a few days in/around the snow, ice and penguins.

An initial selection of photos is linked below (I've put up initial selections from a number of trips this year - and not been good at going back to update them, probably has something to do with number of days I've been out of the UK this year).

Antarctica

South America

Wildlife

Orlando November 2007

At the SLOAN-C conference in Orlando. 48 hours in the alternative reality that is Orlando.

After this trip (which included my 28th & 29th flights of the year) Virgin Atlantic definitely get the credit for the best economy long-haul service I've used this year!