With my extreme lack of sense of direction (hey, I have other talents), I pretty much always have to Google the name of the place I get invited to for a lecture. Oostende, Belgium. “I wonder how far off in the neighbouring country that is”, I thought, when I received an e-mail from Patrick Jaecques – chair of the Astro Event Group. Although I thought the name suggested it would be on the east side of the country, it turned out the be located over on the west coast. Near a beach!
I do know I’m rather lucky to get chances like this and I enjoy these trips from the moment I leave my house. Patrick had told me they were organising Space Night, to promote astronomy, for a wider audience. He assured me that the evening would be free for those attending and I later found out they had worried – after seeing me on TV – that I was very expensive! (Ha, between you and me: I’m not). I do think this astronomy outreach business is important too.
The evening before I left I tweeted: “There’s something about those cold, windy and very wet cycle routes to the supermarket… that makes me feel I’m alive”. Patrick asked me months ago and I knew it would probably be cold at the end of October, but then again I don’t really believe in bad weather. When I found my hotel the next day (thanks to Google again), with an ocean-view room, the Sun was shining…
Seas make me quiet. Sometime I see so much beauty around me I could actually cry. I know I’m a weird kind of animal, with probably too much time to think while travelling. So anyway, those were some of the pictures I took on this journey. I thought the name of the restaurant was quite fitting (Queen!) but I forgot to make sure I had time for food (I do know how bad that sounds). The Space Night venue was within walking distance though and the people were lovely – as usual really.
I told them about my thingy in space and about the project through which I found it. Some told me afterwards they had already heard of the Zoo, and they liked my explanation of it. After the break Prof. Christoffel Waelkens spoke about 50 years of ESO (see how I slowly turned into a proper amateur astronomer?!) Later he told me he had heard of my discovery, as he had attended one of Zookeeper Karen’s talks! Small world eh.
The professor and I got a few cool books (some more goodies for the amateur astronomer!) and I was asked to sign a couple. Maybe I should write a book myself one day. If only so I can say I already did when people ask me, or tell me I should. (Or so people will stop asking me to sign other people’s books, ha ha!) I was also told I’d have a good chance of winning a Nobel prize one day (!) and then a few people asked if I’d mind a picture. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is my life too.
Of course I didn’t mind and these were the pictures sent to me. On the way back it was still sunny. I heard a little girl on the train say to her parents that there were so many nice things to see outside. I smiled as we drove from the Dutch speaking part of this country, into the French speaking part and on to another Dutch speaking part of it again. The Netherlands had gotten quite cold, but I still felt warm inside. Life is good.
2 Comments
Mooie foto’s van het strand. Vooral die ene met dat zonlicht op het water en zand… niet zo moeilijk voor te stellen dat je door zo’n omgeving wordt geraakt en er even stil van wordt
Nice article and some lovely pictures