Norway has some pretty interesting competitions, like the Ugliest City (always a tie between Drammen and Hammerfest), the Ugliest Train Station, the Ugliest Port, the Ugliest Dialect (Bergen won last year), and, of course, the Ugliest Dog. Here is one from Tromsø: The Ugliest Building.  I wonder who would want to win that title?  Some [...]

Since the Viking age (at least) it was typical to have a layer of dirt on houses and buildings as the dirt insulated from the cold Winters and warm Summers.  Grass was grown on top so the dirt wouldn’t fall off and I guess to also beautify the building.  The Sami even mounded their houses [...]

I’ve always had a fascination with bathrooms and being pregnant four times I’ve been able to see a lot.  However, standing in a Norwegian bathroom feels a little odd.  Some don’t have windows, some have the shower right over the toilet and some are large enough to fit a whole bedroom in.  But what certainly [...]

Norwegian houses are very charming with their wooden panels and slate roofing. It is typical for a house to be painted a strong colour such as red, blue or yellow, but white is the most popular.