I've seen the light!

It may have been late but it was worth it!

The evening over, I went over to the Elements Zone a second time to seek out the astronomers. I wasn't disappointed. Having met Brian from the Roseland Observatory in Cornwall on our first or second day, I managed to track him and his team down! He was with Francisco Diego, an Astronomer at London University who appears on Sky at Night. Using his telescope he demonstrated the difference between a very old red star (Antares) and a very new blue star (Vega), before showing us some superb double stars. As the moon rose we were treated to a moon one day past full ... and I was able to take a remarkably detailed photo following Francisco's directions! It's incredible and will appear once I have worked out how to transfer photos from the camera!!

The day had begun with a fascinating conversation over breakfast about the political system in Switzerland with all its checks and balances between two houses of parliament and regular referendums. It takes so long to introduce new legislation that it makes for very stable government, or so I was told!

On my way to my duties on the Listening Ear tent I visited a Bedouin tent from Algeria where I entered into fascinating conversation with Benjamin Ibrahim about the importance of getting people of different faiths working together on shared projects, camping together having fun together. He had visited Belfast to learn about reconciliation programmes there to explore the way in whicht that could be applied in the conflict between faiths that so troubles the world at the moment. He had little time for 'theological dialogue' among faith leaders, but wanted to work at bringing people together in shared work and play. A wonderful half hour's conversation.

Today started with conversations at breakfast with someone from Mexico who is a Professor in a Business studies school in one of their Universities. He was describing to me the great Mayan ruins in his part of Mexico, and the geological makeup of tropical Mexico. He described it as a rock made up of sea creatures that had been compacted together in such a way that the water could seep through, creating caves. It sounded like the limestone of the Cotswolds and beyond ... maybe with the movements of tectonic plates there's a connection!

He also described the greatest meteorite impact that is thought to have happened in the world around the coastal area where he lives. IT created a curved bay with caves of quite a different nature!

Just as our conversation was coming to an end we were joined by a guy from Stroud who last year went to Madagascar and visited the project we have had links with through Penrhys.

The conversations about meteorites were really appropriate start to the morning as I went on to spend the morning helping on the Astronomy part of the science section. It was wonderful. A planetarium show with commentary by Chris and Helen of the Rutherford Laboratories and connected with Oxford University was another wonderful experience!

But best of all was seeing Mercury in broad daylight - a very rare, and never to be forgotten sighting! And then Venus. And then the sun itself. The picture I took and will put up eventually of the sun even shows solar flares!! Marvellous. I really can say I've seen the light!

Back to the mid-day show in the arena and then a slow walk back to my duty on the Ocean Hub that will take me through to 10-00. On the way I bumped into Pat and Noel Hopes - Pat is the Cheltenham Distrcit DC ... and Nigel Lindsay who is on our Federation Training Course, has recently been on a CWM visit to Fijii and has built up connections with Scouts in Nigeria.

Now to work!!