The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Nosher and Isobel are at the "Open Education Challenge" final round in Barcelona. Isobel and Jules' idea - Think With Things - is down to the last 18 and is vying for one of the final winning nine spots to go through to a hectic four-city round-Europe session of mentoring and workshops. After a tense couple of days rehearsing speeches, interspersed with lunch and a nice outdoor music-and-tapas session in the company of David Puttnam (director of Chariots of Fire amongst others) and Xavier Prats Monné, Deputy Director-General for Education and Culture at the European Commission, amongst others. Isobel is more than relieved when Think With Things is indeed selected as one of the winners. There's no time in all this to actually see anything of Barcelona, but we do manage to escape the compound (a sort-of religious retreat-cum-hostel) for a few hours and retire to a local bar for a couple of beers.

Soundtrack for this album:

next album: Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk - 17th July 2014
previous album: St. Peter and St. Paul's School Summer Fete, Eye, Suffolk - 12th July 2014

An unusual overhead view of a taxiing 737, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

An unusual overhead view of a taxiing 737

A Thomson 737-800 trundles on to its gate at Gatwick, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A Thomson 737-800 trundles on to its gate at Gatwick

Isobel peers out over the apron, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel peers out over the apron

Aerial view of an easyJet 737, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Aerial view of an easyJet 737

On the escalators at Gatwick, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

On the escalators at Gatwick

EasyJey actually uses air bridges, unlike some, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

EasyJey actually uses air bridges, unlike some

An easyJet 737 taxis around, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

An easyJet 737 taxis around

Hundreds of trolleys at the real Barcelona Airport, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Hundreds of trolleys at the real Barcelona Airport

Isobel roams around our spartan accommodation block, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel roams around our spartan accommodation block

A craft workshop commences, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A craft workshop commences

Isobel gets down to making stuff, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel gets down to making stuff

Our picture takes shape, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Our picture takes shape

It's a hive of activity, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

It's a hive of activity

Pictures are laid out on the stage, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Pictures are laid out on the stage

The team from Talkso do their speech, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The team from Talkso do their speech

A French team presents a bizarre Barbie sacrifice, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A French team presents a bizarre Barbie sacrifice

OEC signpost, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

OEC signpost

Some paperwork, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Some paperwork

The corridors of Cordola Martí, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The corridors of Cordola Martí

Magnetic letters on boards, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Magnetic letters on boards

People mill around the corridors, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

People mill around the corridors

The lovely gardens of the Cordola Martí commune, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The lovely gardens of the Cordola Martí commune

Weird almost-black flowers, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Weird almost-black flowers

It's time for lunch, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

It's time for lunch

A table is moved around, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A table is moved around

The chilled Tempranillo wine flows, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The chilled Tempranillo wine flows

The gardens of Cordola Martí, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The gardens of Cordola Martí

Isobel chats to former Helsinki acquaintance Teemu, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel chats to former Helsinki acquaintance Teemu

A marble bust, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A marble bust

Stone gargoyle, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Stone gargoyle

A tiled bench and mosaic, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A tiled bench and mosaic

There's time for a break and some TV, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

There's time for a break and some TV

Isobel roams the streets of suburban Barcelona, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel roams the streets of suburban Barcelona

Truck-side graffiti, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Truck-side graffiti

Some anarchist graffiti, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Some anarchist graffiti

An old Mark 2 Astra (Belmont), The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

An old Mark 2 Astra (Belmont)

We escape the compound and eat Padrón chillis, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

We escape the compound and eat Padrón chillis

Crusty 'Fanta' café sign, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Crusty 'Fanta' café sign

Café tables at night, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Café tables at night

An actual cigarette vending machine is filled up, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

An actual cigarette vending machine is filled up

Empty chairs in the Resedencia Cordola Martí, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Empty chairs in the Resedencia Cordola Martí

Back in the workshops, it's day two, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Back in the workshops, it's day two

Day two's lunch occurs, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Day two's lunch occurs

The OEC canteen, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The OEC canteen

1970s corridors, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

1970s corridors

A post-lunch workshop, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A post-lunch workshop

The Greek team show off their 'cube robots', The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The Greek team show off their 'cube robots'

Pre dinner mingling, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Pre dinner mingling

Isobel talks to a potential investor, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel talks to a potential investor

More schmoozing occurs, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

More schmoozing occurs

Isobel and a Challenge participant walk to dinner, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel and a Challenge participant walk to dinner

Our picture again, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Our picture again

David Puttnam, legendary 1980s film producer, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

David Puttnam, legendary 1980s film producer

Apples float in a fountain, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Apples float in a fountain

Conversation in the walled garden, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Conversation in the walled garden

Isobel chats away, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel chats away

Tasty fish-on-a-stick tapas, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Tasty fish-on-a-stick tapas

Nosher's request of 'Lullaby in Birdland' is played, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Nosher's request of 'Lullaby in Birdland' is played

We hang around with fruit on a stick, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

We hang around with fruit on a stick

Isobel with some OEC panel members and participants, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel with some OEC panel members and participants

Photos on phones are shared, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Photos on phones are shared

The funky jazz band do their thing, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The funky jazz band do their thing

Lord Puttnam chats to someone, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Lord Puttnam chats to someone

Isobel does more schmoozing with the EU, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel does more schmoozing with the EU

Some stunning mini cakes arrive, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Some stunning mini cakes arrive

Elsewhere, Luna reads to herself, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Elsewhere, Luna reads to herself

The OEC participants listen to speeches , The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The OEC participants listen to speeches

David Puttnam awaits his turn, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

David Puttnam awaits his turn

The judges hang around, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The judges hang around

Lord Puttnam gives a lively speech , The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Lord Puttnam gives a lively speech

By the light of a mobile phone, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

By the light of a mobile phone

The next morning, the terrapins are out in force, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The next morning, the terrapins are out in force

The 1960s/70s 'cubist' style of the accomodation , The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The 1960s/70s 'cubist' style of the accomodation

The nearby church attached to the 'monastery', The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The nearby church attached to the 'monastery'

Industrial staircase, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Industrial staircase

Nosher and Isobel make hand-made business 'cards', The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Nosher and Isobel make hand-made business 'cards'

Isobel brushes up her pitch, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel brushes up her pitch

Luna makes up a game out of Isobel's 'things' , The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Luna makes up a game out of Isobel's 'things'

Isobel on the stairs, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel on the stairs

More deserted 1970s corridors, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

More deserted 1970s corridors

The OEC challengers assemble for a group photo, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The OEC challengers assemble for a group photo

Nosher and Isobel, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Nosher and Isobel

Isobel waits on the fountain, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel waits on the fountain

Luna has been creative with some fridge magnets, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Luna has been creative with some fridge magnets

People chat after the results, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

People chat after the results

A map of the participants, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A map of the participants

Cubist architecture, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Cubist architecture

Mundane wooden doors, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Mundane wooden doors

More corridors from the 1960s or 70s, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

More corridors from the 1960s or 70s

Isobel waits at reception to check out, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel waits at reception to check out

Isobel in the car park, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Isobel in the car park

Near the airport, it's the Estralla Damm brewery, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Near the airport, it's the Estralla Damm brewery

A Sleazyjet 737-800 on its own on the tarmac, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A Sleazyjet 737-800 on its own on the tarmac

Our plane loads up, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Our plane loads up

Down the side of an easyJey 737, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Down the side of an easyJey 737

An executive jet comes in, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

An executive jet comes in

The actual Barcelonda airport, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The actual Barcelonda airport

Cool Olympic-torch control tower at Barcelona , The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Cool Olympic-torch control tower at Barcelona

A BA aircraft hangar, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A BA aircraft hangar

Back at Gatwick airport, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

Back at Gatwick airport

A massive Emirates Airbus A380 at Gatwick, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

A massive Emirates Airbus A380 at Gatwick

The giant inter-terminal walkway at Gatwick, The Open Education Challenge, Barcelona, Catalonia - 13th July 2014

The giant inter-terminal walkway at Gatwick

Hint: you can use the left and right cursor keys to navigate between albums, and between photos when in the photo viewer

An unusual overhead view of a taxiing 737

An unusual overhead view of a taxiing 737

A Thomson 737-800 trundles on to its gate at Gatwick

Isobel peers out over the apron

Aerial view of an easyJet 737

On the escalators at Gatwick

EasyJey actually uses air bridges, unlike some

An easyJet 737 taxis around

Hundreds of trolleys at the real Barcelona Airport

Isobel roams around our spartan accommodation block

A craft workshop commences

Isobel gets down to making stuff

Our picture takes shape

It's a hive of activity

Pictures are laid out on the stage

The team from Talkso do their speech

A French team presents a bizarre Barbie sacrifice

OEC signpost

Some paperwork

The corridors of Cordola Martí

Magnetic letters on boards

People mill around the corridors

The lovely gardens of the Cordola Martí commune

Weird almost-black flowers

It's time for lunch

A table is moved around

The chilled Tempranillo wine flows

The gardens of Cordola Martí

Isobel chats to former Helsinki acquaintance Teemu

A marble bust

Stone gargoyle

A tiled bench and mosaic

There's time for a break and some TV

Isobel roams the streets of suburban Barcelona

Truck-side graffiti

Some anarchist graffiti

An old Mark 2 Astra (Belmont)

We escape the compound and eat Padrón chillis

Crusty 'Fanta' café sign

Café tables at night

An actual cigarette vending machine is filled up

Empty chairs in the Resedencia Cordola Martí

Back in the workshops, it's day two

Day two's lunch occurs

The OEC canteen

1970s corridors

A post-lunch workshop

The Greek team show off their 'cube robots'

Pre dinner mingling

Isobel talks to a potential investor

More schmoozing occurs

Isobel and a Challenge participant walk to dinner

Our picture again

David Puttnam, legendary 1980s film producer

Apples float in a fountain

Conversation in the walled garden

Isobel chats away

Tasty fish-on-a-stick tapas

Nosher's request of 'Lullaby in Birdland' is played

We hang around with fruit on a stick

Isobel with some OEC panel members and participants

Photos on phones are shared

The funky jazz band do their thing

Lord Puttnam chats to someone

Isobel does more schmoozing with the EU

Some stunning mini cakes arrive

Elsewhere, Luna reads to herself

The OEC participants listen to speeches

David Puttnam awaits his turn

The judges hang around

Lord Puttnam gives a lively speech

By the light of a mobile phone

The next morning, the terrapins are out in force

The 1960s/70s 'cubist' style of the accomodation

The nearby church attached to the 'monastery'

Industrial staircase

Nosher and Isobel make hand-made business 'cards'

Isobel brushes up her pitch

Luna makes up a game out of Isobel's 'things'

Isobel on the stairs

More deserted 1970s corridors

The OEC challengers assemble for a group photo

Nosher and Isobel

Isobel waits on the fountain

Luna has been creative with some fridge magnets

People chat after the results

A map of the participants

Cubist architecture

Mundane wooden doors

More corridors from the 1960s or 70s

Isobel waits at reception to check out

Isobel in the car park

Near the airport, it's the Estralla Damm brewery

A Sleazyjet 737-800 on its own on the tarmac

Our plane loads up

Down the side of an easyJey 737

An executive jet comes in

The actual Barcelonda airport

Cool Olympic-torch control tower at Barcelona

A BA aircraft hangar

Back at Gatwick airport

A massive Emirates Airbus A380 at Gatwick

The giant inter-terminal walkway at Gatwick