Posts Tagged Gamlebyen
Latin rhythm in Gamlebyen
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Photos and videos on January 18, 2011
José Leguina: Gamlebyen, Tangood
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on January 18, 2011
Cool! Gamlebyen, Fredrikstad’s Old Town, now has a band, and a CD, named after it. And not a bad one either you’ll find, if like me you are partial to a bit of Latin music. Of course I had to feature the man behind it, José Leguina, on this blog. So I asked him to tell me a bit about himself 
I was born here in 1974, and have lived most of my life in Fredrikstad, the last three in Gamlebyen. My father is Spanish and my mother is Norwegian. I have two boys, so when I’m not playing music, I hang out with them.
I got my first guitar when I was 10, but didn’t start playing until I was 17. I started playing in a hardcore band called My Right Choice 15 years ago. Soon the musical inspiration from my childhood took over, however. Simon & Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, Elvis, Bob Marley, classical music and of course different types of Latin music became my references when I wrote my songs.
I’ve never called myself a singer or a guitarist. I just wanted to create little melodies and play along with friends. I have a full-time job – and I’m very happy with that. I work as a culture consulent and my office is located in Gamlebyen as well. Which means I hardly have to leave this place!
I have had a single out before, ‘Songs for Sunday morning’, and an album, ‘Whatever’, with a band called Sunday Morning. This new project is called ‘Gamlebyen’ and our first CD ‘Tangood’ is in the shops now. Basically we are just a group of friends who wanted to make a CD. We rehearsed a couple of times, and just started recording. The official release was yesterday (17 Jan 2011), so we don’t know much about sales yet.
It’s hard to say what I love the most about living in the Old Town. Maybe watching my son going down the ramparts with the sledge in winter, or sitting on a bench watching all the people on the market in the summertime. And of course Månefestivalen*, or just taking a beer with a friend in Tamburen**. I can go on and on…
Gamlebyen, Tangood is available from good record shops in Norway, and from www.platekompaniet.no, 169Kr for the CD, or 79Kr for a MP3 download (10 songs)
* Månefestivalen (Gamlebyen’s most popular festival, taking place in the Old Town every year in late July)
** Tamburen (the bar at the back of Restaurant Major Stuen, a popular place with outdoor sitting in summer.
Gamlebyen Model Railway, Fredrikstad
Posted by admin in Travel and practical stuff on January 14, 2011
It boasts three kilometres of tracks, 110 locomotives, 600 carriages/wagons and some 3,000 buildings spread out over an area of 270 square metres. The Gamlebyen Model Railway has become one of Fredrikstad’s most popular attractions, welcoming over 9,000 visitors since opening in September 2010. The project is the labour of love of a local journalist turned businessman, who bought the building in the Old Town a few years ago to house what he hoped would one day become Scandinavia’s largest model railway. And although Arne Børresen had to borrow 9 million Norwegian kroner to finance his venture (an investment that will take a while to recoup), Gamlebyen Model Railway has struck a chord among rail enthusiasts of all ages. Plans for extension are afloat, which will almost double the size of the operation – and turn Arne Børresen’s dream into a reality. So watch this space.
You will find pictures of the Gamlebyen Model Railway at www.gbmj.no (Norwegian only).
Voldgaten 8, Gamlebyen, Fredrikstad. Open weekends only, Sat 11am-4pm, Sun noon-4pm. Admission 30Kr.
Nissenatthuset, Gamlebyen
A great place to stock up on Christmas decorations and stocking fillers, with a wide selection of baubles, table ornaments, glassware, candles, old-fashioned sweets and a lot more. Affordable prices and super friendly service make this a very pleasant shop to visit, whether you want to buy anything, or just browse. They also store some cool Ugly Children clothes (among them the popular lice and milk designs, see www.uglycc.com for more info) and gorgeous hand-made soft toys. Look out for the big Santa sitting outside on a bale of hay, just by the main square in Gamlebyen, Fredrikstad. Open daily now until 22 Dec, 10am-4pm (23 Dec until 3pm only). www.nissenatt.no (Norwegian only)
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
Did you know? About Gamlebyen
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on October 24, 2010
- Gamlebyen is one of Norway’s most popular man-made attractions, visited by hundreds of thousands every year. But the Old Town also counts 300 permanent residents.
- The statue in the middle of Gamlebyen’s main square is that of Frederick II. The Danish king founded the town, which is named after him, in 1567, although he never actually visited Fredrikstad!
- Gamlebyen was ravaged by fire several times throughout the course of its history. The town burnt to the ground no fewer than five times in the first two centuries of its existence, the last time in 1764.
- 200 canons once guarded the Old Town, which was until as late as 2002 still used as a garrison town. Today around 80 canons (most of them replicas of the original weapons) can still be seen on the ramparts, although their use is no longer military, only decorative.
- Local businesses in Gamlebyen include shops, restaurants, cafes, galleries, a post office and a museum, but also three schools, various offices, a doctor and a dentist surgery, and even a funeral parlour.
- Gamlebyen’s latest attraction is its model railway. The work on a local enthusiast, who took five years to build it, it is one of Scandinavia’s largest, with almost 3kms of tracks. And it’s already a huge success – visited by 5,000 curious rail enthusiasts in the first month of opening alone.
- In cold winters the water in the moat around Gamlebyen freezes over, turning the star-shaped moat into a huge ice rink, much to the delight of local children.