JAUNTICLES

 Hello again, Blogonauts. Yesterday was about filling our eyeballs...with scenes of mountains, lakes, & snowfields. The train that runs from Oslo to Bergen traces a relatively winding path. The tracks dodge high mountains (where the peaks lie above the tree line) and lakes, streams & waterfalls (all fed by the melting snow). At times we passed through wooden "tunnels," designed to protect the tracks from avalanches. This is an occasion where the pictures are better narrators than I am, so enjoy the photos posted below. The train arrived precisely on schedule, and we disembarked into a torrential downpour of rain. The forecast offers more of the same over the next few days, so when it comes to wandering & exploring, we're damp if we do, damp if we don't. 😁 Blog to you later!

 Hello again, Blogonauts! Still in Oslo on Thursday, we ferried from the main harbor to the peninsula known inexplicably as "Museum Island." We ignored the geographic misnomer and, upon disembarking, set out to explore a couple of the collected of museums.  We started out with the Maritime Museum, which via art, models, artifacts, and narrative exhibits, covers centuries of life on the sea. On display was the oldest boat ever found in Norway, a dugout canoe found submerged in a bog. Also were several examples of smaller viking vessels, as well as fishing boats of varying sizes. Oslo's Harbor from Museum Island Viking Boat buried about 900 AD. (Sorry about the glare.) A "Rudder Head," a heavy weight atop the rudder to help keep it in position. Cabin on a fishing   Display of Norwegian fishing boats. They look only marginally seaworthy. From there we made our way through a drippy drizzle to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. Rather than exhibits contained w...

Hello again, Blogonauts! Oslo is ablaze with blooms, even in late September. The manicured gardens and parks leave the eye agog, giving residents and visitors alike the impression of being almost personally cared for by the city. On Wednesday, we ventured out to Frogner Park , a vast combination of meadows & walkways north of the city center. There, stretching over 110 acres are hundreds of sculptures of human figures, mostly nude, covering the entire human lifespan. Each was crafted by Gustav Vigeland in bronze and granite. The sculpture garden begins with a pedestrian bridge lined with 58 sculptures. Walking further along is a cascading fountain, again surrounded by sculptures. Finally, on the hilltop stands a 46-foot tall granite monolith of intertwined human bodies again surrounded by sculpted human figures. The sculpture-lined bridge leading to the rest of the park I don't think this fellow likes children. The Fountain The Monolith A pair of contemplative fellows The view...

 Hello again, Blogonauts! My first full day in Oslo, the weather was glorious. So I filled it with wanderings through the city center and harbor area, along with a couple of museums. Karl Johans Gate is Oslo's main drag, stretching from the central train station to the royal palace (the flying flag means the King is in residence). Along the way you pass the cathedral, the parliament (the flying flag means parliament is in session), and a cascade of exuberant beggars and guides...and it isn't always clear which is which. Karl Johans Gate, toward the Palace   The street nonetheless was cheery & modern. About halfway along the route lie a broad park with the national theater, several statues of notable Norwegians, and a fountain that in winter becomes an ice skating rink. Parliament Entrance The fountain & park that are adjacent to the National Theater Statue of Henrik Ibsen outside the National Theater The Lutheran cathedral is from the 17th century. Some of it is baroqu...

  The QED Conference had just over 500 attendees. Hello again, Blogonauts! The QED weekend has felt like a sedentary whirlwind: Lots of time sitting  (I began to experience a bit of butt burnout), accompanied by some serious cerebral stimulation and enlightening conversations. All this happened in between episodes of minor mental sedation. This weekend I've drunk more beer & hard cider than I would normally consume in a couple of months. I should always remember: The UK has a drinking culture.   Explaining the process of why folks believe conspiracy theories Describing this three-day event feels like trying to convey an experience using mute hand puppets...I'd feel both silly and incompetent. But here are a few highlights: (1) Sexism in interpreting biological data stretching back to Darwin; (2) Legal struggles to achieve medical assistance in dying among the terminally ill; (3) Discussion of placebo effects and whether it is better explained by confirmation bias; and...

Hello again, Blogonauts! Well, the fleet flyers of Aer Lingus have ported me nimbly across the Atlantic Ocean & the Irish Sea. The first stop this time is Manchester, England. After an early night to help ease my jet lag (followed by a hefty morning breakfast), I headed out to explore the city. My friend Zoë has described Manchester as "gritty." It certainly has an industrial past. The textile mills here reportedly were filled with hives of workers, and the city adopted the honeybee as its symbol to represent the buzz of activity around those factories. Here are a few photos I took while out ambling. Piccadilly Square, seen from the hotel's breakfast room Queen Vicky, with my hotel in the background.     Statue of Frederic Chopin Manchester Cathedral Manchester Cathedral's Pipe Organ, looking toward the Choir. John Rylands Library Combination of old & new architecture Manchester proudly highlights its Gay Village on city maps. Chinatown also gets some of the s...