There is a Hill in Alta
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There is a hill in Alta that we love to climb to catch the sunset over the sleepy little town. Here we are looking to the south towards Kåfjord.
Posted 09.01.2009 4 Comments
Entries Tagged ‘North’
Christmas Star
The Christmas Star flower, more commonly called poinsettia, is found in nearly every Norwegian home during Christmas. Its star-shaped petals and deep red colour make it a popular holiday decoration. It also thrives in low-light conditions, making it ideal for Norwegian winters. The tradition of using this flower at Christmas actually originated in Mexico in [...]
Posted 26.12.2008 1 Comment
Darkest Day
The darkest day of the year is known as winter solstice. It is when the northpole is tilting the furthest away from the sun. It usually occurs between the 21st-23rd of December – this year it happened on the 21st at 1:04PM. The above picture was taken as close to this time as humanly possible! [...]
Posted 23.12.2008 3 Comments
Christmas with the Northern Lights
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The moon appears brighter in the dark winters. It reflects off the water and the snow. It is beautiful in the night sky but it also chases away the Northern Lights. The best time to see Aurora Borealis is around the time of the New Moon, when it is much darker. On 27th December, we [...]
Posted 16.12.2008 4 Comments
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Today herding reindeer is synonymous with the Sami culture. It is recently thought that the Vikings were the first people to herd reindeer.
Many Norwegians know what they are doing when they pick wild mushrooms. This knowledge is passed down the family during mushroom hunting trips. The hard-core mushroom hunters go into the mountain wilderness for days to get the best finds.
The further ‘out of the way’ you go the more common it is to see folk cottages standing by the side of roads, along fjords or in a thicket of trees, minding their own business. 
On any celebration table in Norway you can always find a Norwegian layer cake (bløtkake). What better way to celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day than with fresh cream, wild berries and a little bit of sponge in between.
Many English words actually come from old Norse language – brought by Vikings to England in medieval times. Here are some words you have probably uttered without realising you are speaking Norwegian!
The bunad is a traditional Norwegian costume worn by both men and women. It can either come from established rural traditions or have a more modern design inspired by historical patterns and cuts.