Archive for March, 2010
Hvaler: The Oslofjord’s stunning archipelago
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on March 25, 2010
In Østfold, of course… How did you guess? 
Top 10: Norway’s national parks
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on March 25, 2010
Norway counts as many as 40 national parks (33 on the mainland, and 7 on Svalbard), and deciding on which one(s) to include in your itinerary can be tricky. Here are some of the most popular:
- Jotunheimen: Literally ‘home of the giants’, this is where you’ll find Norway’s highest peaks. Prime hiking territory in summer.
- Rondane: Vegetation is sparse in these barren mountains because of altitude and climate, but this desolate landscape has inspired many artists.
- Dovrefjell: Home to the majestic Snøhetta, and the rare musk ox, a survivor of the last ice age.
- Hardangervidda: Europe’s largest mountainous plateau, home to a large herd of wild reindeer. Arctic plants and animals such as the Arctic fox and the snowy owl can also be found here.
- Jostedalsbreen: The largest glacier in mainland Europe, 80km long. A great place to try a glacier walk.
- Femundsmarka: Between Hedmark and Sør-Trondelag, an area with myriad lakes and streams, popular with anglers.
- Salftjellet – Svartisen: The largest ice sheet in Scandinavia, with polished marble caves and underground rivers.
- Ytre Hvaler: Europe’s first marine national park, in Østfold (jointly with Koster NP in Sweden, on the other side of the border). Home to rare deep-sea corals, as well as seals, reef sharks and colonies of seabirds.
- Øvre Pasvik: The largest area of primeval forest in Finnmark, home to a population of brown bears.
- Nord-vest Spitsbergen, Svalbard: Arctic landscape and rich wildlife, including large colonies of sea birds, reindeer and walrus.
Norway’s first professional orchestra, Halden
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on March 24, 2010
The Norwegian Wind Ensemble (Blåseensemblet)
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on March 24, 2010
The Norwegian Wind Ensemble was Norway’s first professional orchestra, founded back in 1734 (it celebrated 275 years last year). The ensemble dates back to the early days when musicians were first contracted at the Fredriksten Fortress in Halden, Østfold, and the current ensemble is the last one in an unbroken line of professional orchestras since that time. They are known for their focus on early music, and some of the instruments they use are almost 150 years old, which is very old for wind instruments. The ensemble, which currently counts 23 windplayers and 3 percussionists within its ranks, is still based in Halden, and collaborates closely with both the Norwegian Academy of Music and The Norwegian Opera and Ballet. It is the only one of its kind in Norway.
For more info about the Norwegian Wind Ensemble visit www.dnbe.no
A great place to go bird-watching
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on March 23, 2010
Øra Nature Reserve, Fredrikstad
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on March 23, 2010
Øra Nature Reserve lies southeast of Fredriksad, where the river Glomma meets the Oslofjord. The area is known for its rich birdlife – some 250 species have been registered here. The reserve occupies a strategic place in the main migratory path in southern Norway, and is an important resting stop for the migration in the spring and autumn. It was here that mute swans established their first home in Norway. They were observed building nests, laying their eggs and rearing their offspring on Øra as early as 1937. Wading birds and many different kinds of ducks also come here - most common among them are whooper swans, mallards, green-winged teals, Eurasian wigeon, common goldeneyes, wood sandpipers, greenshanks, ringed plovers and dunlins. The area also attracts some endangered species, including rare seagulls.
The reserve is also of interest as the only big marine soft bottom estuary in Norway – the brackish waters in the area attract fish species usually found in both sea and freshwater. And while the inner shallows of the Øra bay are dominated by reeds and sandy creeks, the outer bay has a real marine character, with many islands and skerries further out into the Oslofjord
The area, which covers some 15,5 square km, has been a protected nature reserve since 1979, and a recognized Ramsar Wetland since 1985. It includes, among others, the islands of Hestholmen, Løvøy and Nes Ramsøy. There is a bird-watching tower there, incongrously located by a rubbish heap, affording great views of the area. The best season for bird-watching is from mid-March til May and from mid-August til the end of October.
Østfold in Pictures: Hvaler Church
Posted by admin in History and architecture, Photos and videos on March 22, 2010
Hvaler Church: Possibly Norway’s oldest
Posted by admin in History and architecture on March 22, 2010
Dating back to the Middle Ages (920-1080), Hvaler Church, on Kirkeøy, is one of Norway’s oldest. The church, which is quite large for a medieval church, stands over what might have been a prehistoric pagan site of worship. Archeologists found 804 coins under the choir floor. While many originate from Norway, some are from Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. About three quarters of the coins date from before 1536, with the oldest one dating from 1130. These coins prove that Hvaler’s inhabitants were in contact with the European Continent centuries ago.
Model ship Oscar
Many worshipers came to the church by boat from the archipelago’s outer islands. Hanging in the nave is the three-masted sailing vessel Oscar dating from the 1880s. Model ships are common in Norwegian churches, often given by sailors in gratitude for rescue at sea.
Music in the church
The two-manual, 11-rank pipe organ was installed in late 1955. Because of limited space, not all 945 sounding pipes could fit in the organ casework, but this problem was solved by installing the upper manual pipes and the swell shades in the attic. The grand piano is a gift from Berit S Martinsen, the church’s organist for 29 years, from 1969-1998, while the harpsichord is on indefinite loan to the church.
Altar and baptismal font
The Rococo style altar is from around 1750. Featured on the altar piece, itself from 1759, is Eggert Munch’s oil painting of the crucifixion (he was a distant relation of the famous Edvard Munch, in case you were wondering about the name). The limestone baptismal font dates from between 1250 and 1300. It is likely to have come from Gotland, Sweden. The font is deep because babies were previously baptized by full immersion.
Bell
Dating from about 1200, the Romanesque-style bell, which is 54cm high, 61cm in diameter, and weighs about 120kg, originates from Holland. Because of cracks, it is seldom rung – an electrically operated bell is used instead on most occasions.
An Englishman in Hvaler
Kjølbo farm was once the home of the Englishman John William LeGassicke Goodchild. There he ran a general store, an inn, and for a few years, a bar. Worshipers could freshen up and change clothes there before attending mass in the church. Goodchild also served as Hvaler’s fourth mayor from 1845 to 1847. You can see his grave right outside the church’s main entrance.
Want to find out more?
You will find an exhibition of objects, photographs and text depicting Hvaler and Spjærøy churches history, with a special focus on Hvaler Church’s restoration in 1953-1956, in the building across the road from the church (Drengestua).
Hvaler Church, Storveien 12, Skjærhallen. Tel: 69 37 90 37, www.hvaler.kirken.no
A Norwegian speciality: Rakfisk
Posted by admin in Food and drink on March 21, 2010
Here is another Norwegian speciality that’s not for the squeamish. Rakfisk (literally brine-cured fish) is fish, usually trout, sometimes char, that has been salted and left to ferment in brine for two to three months. It is then eaten raw, on a slice of flat bread, and usually accompanied with raw onions or leeks, sour cream, butter, and boiled potatoes. The first sources mentioning rakfisk date back to the Middle Ages. Back then the fish was buried in the soil in the autumn so that it would be ready for Christmas. These days, however, a barrel is more often than not used as substitute, and rakfisk is eaten all throughout the winter. If you’ve ever tried hákarl (fermented shark) in Iceland, or surströmming (same with herring) in Sweden, you’ll have an idea of what to expect. Pungent it is, and definitely an acquired taste. Not all Norwegians are converts, but 500 tonnes of the stuff are nevertheless consumed in Norway every year. This strange speciality even has a festival dedicated to it – the Rakfisk Festival, taking place in Fagernes, Valdres (eastern Norway, the birthplace of rakfisk) in November, which attracts thousands of enthusiasts every year.