First Seder

Tonight we attended our first Passover Seder at the home of our some of our friends!  It was a great experience, and we both learned a lot and drank a lot of wine.  I think I could totally be Jewish...

Here we are with Brie, Esther, and Erin -- three fellow Postdocs from the U of A.

And, yes, there is a lamp in the backyard.  Don't worry about it.

Birds of Prey

Today we took advantage of one of the most fantastic activities offered by the Desert Museum: the Birds of Prey show.  Ravens and falcons and owls...oh my!

In case you couldn't tell, the owl was my favorite. :)

"San Diego, first discovered by the Germans in 1905."

One of our favorite aspects of living in Tucson is the close proximity to California.  In fact, even before we moved here, Tanya had a grandiose plan to drive out to San Diego once a month for surfing.  Although that plan never materialized, we did finally manage to make it out to San Diego for a short trip over Spring Break.

What was the highlight of our short trip, you ask?  The breweries, of course!  We visited the Stone Brewery for the second time -- yet managed to be too late for a tour...again.  However, we did get to enjoy a wonderful dinner and a few beers...

...and a few more beers.  The very next day, we paid a visit to the Green Flash Brewery, home of West Coast IPA!  What a great time. :)

Finger Rock Trail

When researching good hikes in the Tucson area, I read that the Finger Rock trail is one of the steepest, most strenuous hikes in the Santa Catalina range.  So I decided to conquer it.

The Finger Rock trail is named after Finger Rock: a rock which is shaped like an index finger, pointing skyward.

However, from a vantage point closer to sea level, the finger is barely visible!  The next shot was taken from the trail head.  (The summit, a.k.a. Mt. Kimball, is the wooded mountain in the distance.)

By the way, the review was spot-on.  The trail is, indeed, steep and strenuous...but the views are spectacular!

That morning was particularly foggy...so the distant Tucson Mountains seemed to float over the city.  Amazing!

But perhaps the best views are from atop Mt. Kimball, where one can see Mt. Lemmon, Oro Valley, and BioSphere 2.

Oh, and by the way...today is Misu's birthday!  Happy birthday, Su Bear!!

Hallo fra Norge!

This month, I hopped across the pond (a.k.a. the Atlantic Ocean) to visit my Ph.D. advisor and his family in Trondheim, Norway.  Since Dave has a visiting position at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, I was able to give a talk in the department's algebra seminar...and thus ultimately feel productive during my globe-trotting. :)

But my trip wasn't entirely business.  Despite the lack of sunlight -- Trondheim is only about 3 degrees south of the arctic circle -- I was able to do some quality sightseeing and learn a bit about the Norwegian culture.  But the highlight of my visit was getting to spend time with the fantastic Jorgensen clan: Sam, Katie, Grace, and Isaac...and their parents!

And apparently my visit was also a highlight to the kids, who took my arrival as a cue to begin devouring a recently-made gingerbread house.  In fact, this photo was taken less than 10 seconds before the entire house was in pieces!  I didn't have much time to brace myself for the sugar-high that ensued after they were finished.  But, once the energy wore off, it was great to spend time with some of my favorite kids!

All of Trondheim was beautiful, but the most picturesque place that I found was this view from the Gamle Bybro, meaning Old Town Bridge.

Actually, all of the buildings in Trondheim are pristine and colorful like these.  The town really does epitomize the word charming. 

Trondheim is also home to the Nidaros Cathedral, which is the traditional location for the consecration of the King of Norway.  The church is incredibly old, with the oldest part of the structure being over one thousand years old!

Toward the end of my visit, I accompanied the Jorgensen family to lunch at the Tyholt Tower, which provides a breathtaking view of the fjord, as well as the entire town of Trondheim.

 

The top of the tower makes about one revolution per hour.  Though it was only lunchtime, the sun was already starting to make its "descent" -- in quotes since the sun never really ascends during the winter months. 

This beautiful sunset photo was taken from my bedroom window -- at around 3 p.m. -- on my last day in Norway.

Ha det, fra Norge!!