All the fun of the fair

The coincidence this year of May Day and Ascension day has brought a bumper load of celebrations to Santiago. I had four couchsurfers staying on Thursday night, Mayday night, and we headed out to the old town at around 10 pm for dinner. The crowds were huge and the events going on around the city, varied, from Celtic music (there are strong links between Galician and Celtic culture) to puppet shows and traditional feasts!

The Alameda, the large park in the centre of the city, from which you get perhaps the best view of the Cathedral (I much prefer it from afar), is currently home to a large fair, with all the candy flossy goodness that you get with such things in the UK. I headed back to the fair yesterday evening and took advantage of the lightshow to get a few pictures.

Click for larger versions, plus more to follow when time allows.

Anyway, in general things are very very busy at the moment. We're trying desperately to get the current paper finished and I have another three projects waiting for my attention once this is done! Plans for the summer with plenty of travel adventures being set up. Currently things are getting organised for a summer school, a workshop, and at least seven talks in four other countries plus new collaborations in the mix. Should be enjoyable!

Summer storms

Where best to be during a spectacular summer storm but on the roof of a 30 story building. For a couple of hours last night the sky to the North West of Beijing was alive with sheet lightning dancing in the clouds. The sky directly above me was clear and for once we could see a few stars. It's taken me almost two years to realise that one of the most stunning views in the city can be found from the building just next to mine. I sneaked in at about 10 pm, went up to the 28th floor and then took the stairs to the roof where students hang their clothes and do calisthenic exercises. The storm continued to bubble silently so I quickly shot about 300 photos, desperately trying to get the lightning, trying everything from many half second exposures to a few at 15 seconds plus. Getting back I had many photos of the lights of North West Beijing but few of the lightning itself. The one I did capture below (click for larger) was, I believe, a 5 second exposure. I'll be experimenting more over the summer:

and a few more of the view from the top:

Including the centre for microgravitational research: