, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

We never did buy an iPad. I'd called it "an iPod for the over forties", and soon enough I realised we aren't yet sufficiently over forty, as we can still read tiny iPod fonts. At the same time I started to refer to the MacBookAir as, "the thinking man's iPad". See appropriate photo of men thinking.

It is such a good feeling when other people take your ideas and run with them... the new MBA has an 11 inch version! If only we still had that extra budget to use up; I'm sure they would have been allowed in the rules...which must mean they are boring and useless?

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Ely Cathedral - the best thing in the Fens. As you can see, there's not that much competition for things that rise above the horizon. Must remember to call one of our next daughters Etheldreda.

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A cute pub, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

A cute pub near Cambridge that we passed many times on our morning cycle rides. Not missing the British Beer yet. We drank so much. So much that even William Stoat was impressed. However, I think he didn't spot the "trick" which enables this 5.5 foot weakling to down 4 pints a night.

On the wagon now. Last drink was the Premium Economy perk, Baileys, somewhere over Russia.

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Magenta berries!, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

In order to get round the problem of the poor production of red and purple by digital cameras, Nikon have taken the bold step of genetically engineering previously red and purple vegetation to alter the colour more towards magenta. These berries are a particularly fine example.

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seaside, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

This is my favourite photo of Ayr beach from our trip in late August, but somehow the dogs and recession got blogged first.

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An Apple, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Turns out we had to come back to Japan for the Apples; not Newtonian, but Jobsian. Her name is "mini".

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Underground, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Back in Japan. While recovering from jetlag, perhaps there is a chance to blog some pictures from our trip that flounder unblogged on flickr. Fitting with the theme of recent travel, here is the inside of a train on the London Underground, possibly the Circle LIne.

The most exciting thing about our return - our home computer (late 2006 Macbook) wont boot. Not from its own disk, an external clone or a system DVD, with or without battery installed. So that must mean a hardware-ish fault? It did work in target disk mode, and the disk is fine (of course it is backed up anyway). This is wonderful, as now I can go to lovely Yodobashi camera and enjoy purchasing the new mac mini. It will look so cute in our living room. Shall I get the 2 disk server version?That might be quite exciting. Squeak.

...I hope someone isn't about to tell me how to fix the old one...

Only issue is the HD one. We have a VGA projector that we use to screen movies. Will probably have to invest in HDFury/. Anyone tried it?

The second most exciting thing: James' computerised automatic plant watering system appears to have worked and none of the plants are dead, despite a scorching hot summer.

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Jenner, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Jenner's paper didn't get accepted first time around, but according to Wikipedia, he was undeterred, did more work, and got it accepted a year later. And so now we are all not dead from smallpox. hurrah.

But that story is just by the way. The reason I took the photo was because the phoning woman's posture reflects that of the statue.

[Londinium, UK]

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James and Dirac, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

A special bonus post for those worrying about Isaac's architecture. The institute is arranged internally in order to very obviously force reticent mathematicians to interact at every possible opportunity, even when they are just popping to the loo.

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Isaac Newton Institute Cambridge, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Last day at Isaac today. It has been quite an experience...

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Caucasian Wingnut, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

I really thought we'd blogged the best tree name in the world before, but it seems not. We have seen one or two of them in Japan, but there are rather a large number of Caucasian Wingnuts in Cambridge Botanical Gardens.

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Queen's, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

We're not in Cambridge anymore, Toto...

...yes, we went off to see the wonderful wizard of Ox.

[Photo is of my other old college, Queen's in Oxocubeland.]

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pitcher plant, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Saturday was meant to be sunny so we went to the botanical garden in Cambridge. By mid-afternoon it was cold and starting to rain so we hid in the relative warmth of the greenhouses. I was surprised how cool and dry the tropical plant house was compared to summer days in Japan. The carnivorous plants were, however, spectacular.

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The Tour Part #8: Exeter

Last stop, Exeter. No cameras allowed in the Hadley Centre, which is a shame as it has by far the best architecture of any of the institutions we visited on our tour. Exeter University, on the other hand, is one of those places that the views are better from than of. This pic is of the Exeter University workshop participants trying to drink their way through an unreasonably large bar tab from Willis reinsurers. It seems this was not the fault of Willis, but rather the organisers failing to realise that workshop delegates have no desire to drink like students. While we had some interesting interactions with other attendees, the workshop itself was unfocused, and I felt rather sorry for those who travelled all the way from foreign specially to attend.

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The Tour Part #7: Cows and Cappuccino

By Saturday we were among the unspeakable, but in pursuit of the edible. Cheese mostly. For a simple country girl like me, who is easily entertained for an afternoon by a couple of animals and a cake stand, the Newbury Show was a bit overwhelming.

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The Tour Part #6: teaching the basics

You often hear University Lecturers complaining that they have to teach the basics. It would appear that things have got particularly out of hand at Bristol University, which was the next port of call on our tour.

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Tantric Poster Session

There is no doubt that the social scientists have worked out how to make workshops varied and interesting. We geoscientists are so far behind we're on another planet. In our world, having wine available at the EGU poster session is about as exciting as things could possibly get. How wrong we are...

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The Tour Part #5: Lancastrian Wildlife

On the Monday it was Lancaster University and the "LEC" (Lancaster Environment Centre). About 30 people came to our seminar, all bright-eyed and enthusiastic. They asked tricky questions, but were also really friendly, and I don't think anyone fell asleep. I want to work there when I grow up.

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