Quite a week

Last Sunday we left Lord's Point and spent time trimming the Christmas tree with David, Susan, Christopher, Maris, Kathryn, Mikey, and Finch the dog.

Kathryn and Mikey - sorry there's not more of the tree - and David cleaning up

 Monday saw us on a long plane ride across country to Sebastopol, California, to admire another Christmas tree, open gifts,

Alexis and Ethan

enjoy staying in a house when men occupy the kitchen ...

Jack doing dishes, Mark mixing crepes

Ethan scrambling eggs 

and have fun with Mary, Mark, Alexis and Ethan

Old Faithful Geyser at Calistoga

Swim team practice - Alexis swims drills

While Ethan chats to the coach while waiting for his session

A day at San Francisco Fine Art Museum to see the David Hockney and Bulgari Jewelry special exhibitions (sorry, no pics)

A visit to the local air museum at Santa Rosa

And the jigsaw puzzle we worked on all week and finally finished

Some pieces are missing - we couldn't find them ANYWHERE

Now, this Sunday we've moved down the coast to Laguna Beach and Karen and Steve's Christmas tree ....

In and out, back and forth

There's really only one door on my route these days - plus my car door of course - as I reorientate, realign and repack for the next journey, taking us to San Francisco, Laguna Beach and finally Sarasota (leaving early Monday).










I've also looked outside without using the door - at the cold ocean view (better today now that the temperature is above freezing)

and at the neighborhood kids enjoying the hill at the top of Charles Street,

One journey I won't need to make again is to orthopedic surgeon Dr Reach.  He discharged me on Thursday,  saying he could do no more (for this injury).  Now only time will deal with lingering effects like a "heavy" big toe and swelling ankles.  I'd hoped for an ultrasound picture to share, but he had left his machine at home - and besides, I wasn't an interesting case for research purposes!

What's new?

I'm at different coordinates:
Now @  41⁰  20^’  5.49” N;  71⁰  55^’ 12.6^” W;  Elevation 9m
Formerly @ 57⁰  41^’ 30.63^” N;  11⁰ 58^’ 54.97^” E;  Elevation 69m

Daylight hours are longer:
Now: Sunrise ~ 0715; Sunset ~ 16:30
Formerly: Sunrise ~ 0915; Sunset ~ 1530

The temperature is colder:                    
This morning @ LP: 14F  or -10C and snowing    
This morning @ Gothenburg: 39F or +4C

I'm doing my exercises again, email continues, the laundry is done, Christmas shopping is not.

In and out

I've been here 8 days working at the University of Gothenburg

The doors to the central administration building -- I didn't go there but passed it many times

During this time I have passed through the front door of all these university buildings -

The front door to my apartment building with flats for visiting professors

The door to Ovre Fogelbergsgatan 6, the home of the Graduate  Research Institute (GRI) and Ulla 's and my office

Vicktoriagatan 13, former home of the Business & Design Lab and Ulla's and my office.  The front floor is being changed to allow for disability access, so I went in the back door to check if I had any mail left there.











The other doors are much more imposing -

The school of Design and Crafts (HDK).  

I was there for the Christmas Fair and to meet colleagues from the Business & Design Lab who now "sit" there (I.e., have their office there)

The red door to the "Glass House" in the courtyard of the School of Fine Arts, and where the faculty meeting was held on Thursday

The door to the School of Music and Drama, where I went for a concert by the University Orchestra









And two doors I have walked through many times -

The School of Business, Economics and Law

And the business school library 

What a lot of walking I've done!

I'll be pleased to walk through the door of 15 Charles Street - 
tomorrow if the weather cooperates, if not, when?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Here are some scenes from around town

Christmas trees waiting to be sold outside the local supermarket  - but no one is interested in buying yet!

However, street decorations are up downtown

And a tree stands in the centre square

while  people gather round a warming fire while listening to (recorded) non-Christmas music

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, I'm preparing more egg nog for a party here on Friday

I hope your holiday preparations are going well

Everyday wanderings

In contrast to my life as a visiting professor as chronicled on Facebook, much of everyday life involves more ordinary pursuits.  Take today, for instance, which was a quiet one for me.

I spent the morning in the apartment doing various adminsitrivia and writing tasks.

Then went  out in the warner air that precipitated fog from the subliming snow and took the number 18 bus to the Varland stop on "The Avaneyn" (Avenue).  Here the snow has vanished completely

This is the main shopping street so I accomplished my errands: Booze from the government-run liquor shop

More money from the bank

 a few staples from the Coop (next door to MacDonalds - never been into this one)

 and top up my bus and tram card at the Seven Eleven.

By then it was time to head for the school of design and crafts (HDK or "Hor d co") to been Ulla, Marcius and Mina  for - you've guessed it - a lunch meeting.

Afterwards, I popped into the library to check in the current location of the stacks,

before Ulla and I headed for her office (and site of yesterday's successful glogg, egg nog and safranpancakes party) for an afternoon of writing followed by a quiet supper and evening in the apartment..

Oops, I forgot to do my exercises ....AGAIN!

Sunday wanderings

We set out in the snow ....

Stopped at the Christmas Fair at the School of Design and Crafts

went shopping for items for our Open House tomorrow when we ware serving "Glogg, American Egg Nog and Safronpancakes", and returned in the slop and rain (no doubt to be ice tomorrow morning.

After a vista from Ulla's nephews and their partners - hoping for safronpancakes but they weren't made yet wasn't made yet, we set about cooking

With the result

Three saffronpancakes

Two bowls of egg nog - glogg from the store

Finally, we've ordered a taxi to take us to the office tomorrow morning!

New territory underfoot

My first night in Gothenburg coincided with the arrival of "Sven" - the worst storm in 20 years.  The wind howled all night and rain blew horizontally at the apartment building.  I snugged down in bed and slept soundly - waking onFriday to a clear day with a dusting of snow on the ground.

But since the temperature has hovered around freezing ever since, the cobblestones are icy and walking takes concentration.

Never mind - I've walked the mile to Ulla's - and my - office at the graduate Research Institute, to the Concert Hall for a a wonderful performance of Christmas music, where we had a worm's eye view from the front row

And back again to the apartment.

Today we walked, then ran for the tram,

then connected to the bus (Ah! no walking for a while) that goes on the ferry to Ockero, where Ulla and Kaj have their summer home.

We walked round the bay to make arrangements for a conference next May,

then on to Ulla and Kaj's house to inspect the roof for damage to the tiles in the wind, and check that all is well with the family from India who is living there this winter.

After a delicious lunch we walked back to the bus and finally up the street to our apartment.

My bed is my only walking destination for the rest of today - thoughI will surely dream of all the Christmas trolls I've seen "walking around"!