More snow!

A couple of more inches fell overnight and the temperature will stay below freezing for the better part of this next week...

Winter is definitely here.

Season's first snow...

Back in Dublin.

We woke up this morning to lightning and thunder, yes, lightning and thunder. And this was the result -- snow! Much less of it now that there was this morning but it's below freezing now so at least this much will be with us for another day or two...

Happy Thanksgiving...

We'll be having guinea fowl instead of turkey, butternut squash instead of stuffing, and tiramisu instead of pumpkin pie but we will be celebrating a traditional Thanksgiving nonetheless...

To all of our family members who are not able to be with us today (or us with them)... please know that we are together in spirit.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Viking Ship Museum

In honor of my Scandinavian ancestors...

Three Viking ships (two fully intact - the Gokstad and the Oseberg) from the 9th Century are proudly on display here. Quite intimidating when you truly pause to think about the impact and far reach that the Vikings had in conquering and populating the western world...

West to North America, east to Russia, and south to Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean...

The Vikings were somewhat unique in terms of history's conquerors in that they often chose to create settlements in lands of conquest rather than plunder and pillage and leave...

Ibsen Museum

What a great museum...

We actually visited twice as we arrived too late on Saturday to be able to visit the apartment where Ibsen spent his last decade or so, so we came back the next day to see the apartment itself.

Well worth the visit. I've seen a few writer's museums and I can't think of any better than this. He was a truly prolific writer and produced a great body of plays such as Hedda Gabbler, The Master Builder, An Enemy of the People, When We Dead Awaken, Ghosts, Peer Gynt, A Doll's House, and of course John Gabriel Borkman, which we just saw in Dublin a few days ago.

Between 1850 and 1899 he wrote 27 plays, which is at least one play every other year or so.

He never went to college as he didn't do that well on his qualifying exams.

He did much of his writing while in self-exile in Italy and Germany during the years 1864-1891...

He is a playwright whose plays are well worth getting to know...

Norsk Folkemuseum

Noway's largest museum of cultural history. An open (outdoor) museum as you can see. A bit of Norwegian history and everyday life...

More Oslo

- Norwegian sculpture

- Every major city in the world has at least one Irish pub. We stumbled upon this one on Saturday...

Oslo

- Oslo harbor

- Downtown Oslo

- Christmas decorations on display

To Oslo, Norway for the weekend. Happy Birthday Karen!

John Gabriel Borkman

My wife's birthday is on Saturday and we took the opportunity to see this play at the Abbey Theater. Alan Rickman as the title character and Fiona Shaw as his long suffering wife.

The Irish media has made much of this play due to its timely revival (Borkman, a banker, was once a "great" man and is now ruined after a financial scandal and jail). It last played at the Abbey in 1928 and will next travel to Broadway...

There is something about Ibsen that makes his work almost timeless. His acute understanding and insight into the complexity of human relationships, his respect for and frequent showcasing of the strength of women, and his inclusion and focus on the changing society around him keep him relevant as a playwright today.

They say he is the most performed playwright in the world... after Shakespeare...

This was a sold out run and a rewarding theater experience.