This week on NRK2 (the state public channel in Norway) Wimbledon has been on every night. This might seem normal to any tennis playing country but in Norway there aren’t any tennis courts! No short grass fields with painted lines, no red clay to colour the landscape. Why are there no tennis courts in Norway? [...]
Alta’s highpoint is Komsa Mountain. It may not compete in height or size with Bergen’s Seven Mountains or Tromsø’s Mount Storsteinen – well, in fact, in the post There is a Hill in Alta I thought Komsa was… you guessed it – a hill! but apparently standing 203 metres above sea level still classifies it [...]
The Sami Easter festival has something for everyone. Not only can you get up close and personal with the reindeer but there is a whole array of activities that showcase Sami life and culture. The festival also includes the Reindeer Racing World Cup, the Sami Film Festival (which is held in an ice-cinema), the Sami [...]
Norwegians know how to make the most of a mountain. From snow sports (skiing, snow boarding etc) to summer sports (glacier hikes, para-flying etc), leisure activities (sightseeing, sunbathing) to modern commodities (restaurants, tunnels). Not a mountain is wasted. In fact, nearly every city in Norway is surrounded by high places that give wonderful extended views [...]
From the west, a wall of stone Saints and Prophets will confront you. All sides of the Cathedral are very textured and deserve a long walk around. You’ll see gargoyles and gothic arches, thick wooden doors with rusty floral art and Anglo-Norman/Romanesque bits and pieces ‘stuck on’ that intensifies your ground view. However, the outside of Nidaros Cathedral is even more intriguing when you know the history.
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Even though the males are called bulls and the females cows, the muskoxen are more closely related to sheep than cattle. Make no mistake, though – this is not your average cuddly ba-ba-blacksheep! A grown animal can be 2,5 m long and weigh up to 400 kgs, and their long curved horns mean business.
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.
Celebrate National Fårikål day with us. On the last Thursday of September every year Norway celebrates their national dish with, of course, all you can eat fårikål!
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The sun never goes down during this season but the mountains to the East are so high that the sun still has to raise above them in the morning hours and an artificial dawn-effect wakes the city.
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Runes were the written language of the Vikings.