Posts Tagged Østfold
Gamlebyen ducks win photo competition
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on December 2, 2010
I’m chuffed. One of my pix won this month’s photo competition on The Guardian travel website. The theme for November was ‘crowds’, and this picture of the ducks in Gamlebyen was the winning entry.
The resident population of ducks in the Old Town of Fredrikstad is a popular local attraction. In winter the moat freezes over, and the ducks, no longer able to find food there, relocate to the quayside by the River Glomma, where they wait for handouts from visitors and locals alike. They make quite a sight – particularly against the white background of freshly fallen snow.
‘This is a nice simple image which made me smile. The picture would work even better with the top distractions cropped of. I’d like to see just enough to know where the road ends and the hedges start, but anymore is just distracting the eye from the fun part of the photograph’, said judge Nathalie Meyer. Well, I kind of agree re. the cropping, but this is a travel photo competition, so I figured it was important to give a sense of the place too. These are not just any ducks – they are the Gamlebyen’s ducks! Great ambassadors for Fredrikstad don’t you think? 
See all the shortlisted entries at http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2010/dec/01/been-there-photography-competition#/?picture=369197741&index=15
Deep-water cod from Hvaler
Posted by admin in Food and drink, News on November 29, 2010
Cod caught off the coast of Hvaler, deep in the waters of the Oslofjord, has been named as best sea raw ingredient of the year at Det Norske Måltid 2010, an annual competition aiming to find, and reward, the best Norwegian products and ingredients nationwide. The jury at the Norwegian Gastronomic Institute in Stavanger, led by former Bocuse d’Or winner Bent Stiansen, were impressed with the deep water cod, which is typically caught at depths of 300-400m, because of two distinctive characteristics: its firm texture (the fish swims in strong currents) and its marked crustacean taste (it feeds on prawns).
Want to try the deep-water cod for yourself? Order direct from the producer – Fjordfisk AS, Utgårdskilen, Hvaler. www.fjordfisk.no (Norwegian only)
For Østfold products nominated last year see www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/12/top-5-%c3%b8stfold-producers/
Top 5: Most romantic places in Østfold
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on November 16, 2010
- Going back in time in Gamlebyen: Take a walk along the quaint cobblestone streets and on the leafy ramparts before retreating to one of the many cosy cafes for a drink and a cuddle. Little wonder Gamlebyen’s recently been voted as one of the top 10 most romantic destinations in Norway by travel magazine Reiser & Ferie!
- Trip on the Halden Canal: There is something about gliding on the water on a hot sunny day, a light breeze in your hair, a glass of bubbly in your hand, the two of you leaning against the railing, watching the wake. Want to impress your date? You could do worse than a trip on the Halden Canal.
- Dinner at Curtisen: Good food, good wine, and a historic setting full of atmosphere – surely the recipe for a very romantic evening. Restaurant Curtisen, in Halden Fortress, is just the ticket.
- Finding your own secret creek on Hvaler: With hundreds of islands, islets and skerries, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Sea, sex and sun on Søndre-Sandøy (?)
- Sleeping under the stars in Vestfjella or Rakkestadfjella, Indre-Østfold: Want to get away from it all? Here you really can have a whole forest all to yourself! Set up camp by one of the hundred little lakes in the area, and you can even go for a midnight dip with your loved one
The Bjørnstad Ship
Posted by admin in History and architecture on November 13, 2010
At 4.5m long and almost 1m high, the Bjørnstad Ship (Bjørnstadskipet) is an impressive sight, gracing a big vertical rock face a short walk from Haugeveien in Skjeberg, just outside Sarpsborg. This is one of the largest single Bronze Age rock carvings to have been found in Europe. It is flanked by two smaller ships on each side. The small vertical marks on the ship represent the crew, while the big figures at each end carry weapons (and might represent gods). People in the Bronze Age were used to travel, and the rock carvings show how important ships were to them as a means of transportation – as well as for fishing.
How to get there: The Bjørnstad Ship can be found by Haugeveien. Follow Fv583 through Skjeberg, about 3.5km from Hafslund Chapel. The exit towards the car park is signed from the road. From there it’s a 500m walk along a signed path.
Design Forum, Fredrikstad
Looking for clothes a little bit out of the ordinary, preferably in bright colours, and made of quality, natural materials? Then head to the Design Forum, a chain of Norwegian shops with 22 outlets in Norway – including one in Fredrikstad. Here you will find original, fun clothes by Scandinavian designers such as Desigual (my favourite) and Blæst, as well as other popular European names, including Save the Queen, Aventures des Toiles and Lilith. Gorgeous shoes by Camper, El Naturalista and Think (among others) and a good selection of accessories ranging from jewellery to woolly hats. The Design Forum also sells its own range of clothes, produced in Denmark with environment-friendly materials. Only marginally pricier than some of your high street chains, but considering the quality on offer, well worth that little extra.
Bryggeriveien 1A. Tel: 69 31 55 55, www.designforum.no