Sonja Henie (1913-69): An Olympic and World Champion figure skater, Henie helped increase the popularity of competitive figure skating. She won the gold medal for her sport at three consecutive Winter Olympics (1928, 1932, and 1936). Later had a career in Hollywood, where she featured in a number of successful films.

Gro Harlem Brundtland (b. 1939): A Labour Party politician, Brundtland is the only woman to have occupied the post of prime minister in Norway. She is also the former Director General of the WHO (World Health Organization).

Liv Ullmann (b.1939): An internationally known actress, who has also worked as a director. Ullmann was one of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s many muses. Some of the films she appeared in include Shame, Scenes from a Marriage, Face to Face and Autumn Sonata. Ullmann received the Golden Globe for her part as Kristina Nilsson in The Emigrants in 1973. She has also been nominated twice for the Academy Award.

Marit Bjørgen (b. 1980): The undisputed queen of cross-country skiing, Bjørgen won an amazing four gold and one silver medals at the Ski VM in Oslo in March 2011, which came on top of three gold, one silver and one bronze medals she won at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver last year. She is the only athlete to have won so many medals in the history of cross-country skiing.

Sissel Kyrkjebø (b. 1969): Famous soprano whose combined solo record sales amount to 10 million albums, most of them sold in Norway. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Årets Spelleman, the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy Award. More about her at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/11/sissel-kyrkjeb%C3%B8/

Grete Waitz (b.1953): A champion long-distance runner, Waitz won the NYC marathon no fewer than nine times between 1978 and 1988 – more than any other runner in history. She also won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, and a gold medal at the World Championships in Helsinki the year before that.

Karin Fossum (b. 1954): Popular Norwegian crime writer who started her career writing poetry, before changing genre and finding international success with her inspector Konrad Sejer series. Her books have been translated into 16 languages. Among her best are Don’t Look Back, He Who Fears the Wolf, and Calling Out For You (American translation – The Indian Bride).

Sigrid Undset (1882-1949), Norwegian novelist, awarded the Nobel Prize in 1928. Her most famous work is Kristin Lavransdatter.

Harriet Backer (1845-1932), artist famed for her colourful interiors. A pioneer among female artists not just in Norway but also in the rest of Europe, she was influenced by the impressionists. Her most famous paintings include Christening in Tanum Church and Blue Interior, among many others. Another famous Norwegian female artist is landscape painter Kitty Kielland (1843-1914)

Look past icons such as The Scream and Madonna and discover lesser known (but just as fascinating) paintings by the master of expressionism. Personally I have a soft spot for those paintings inspired by Åsgårdstrand, a little seaside village where Munch spent many a summer – Moonlight, Train Smoke, Girls on the Bridge, Melancholy, The Voice, the list goes on. Do check out Munch’s woodcuts and lithographs too, which give a great insight into the man behind the artist. Self-portrait with Skeleton Arm for example is as striking as any of his oil paintings in my opinion. The Munch Museum in Tøyen, Oslo, houses the largest collection of works by Edvard Munch. The good news? Entry is free in winter (1 Oct-31 Mar). Rest of the year Kr95. Opening times vary, see www.munch.museum.no for more info.

Did you know? Edvard Munch’s mother, Laura Cathrine Bjølstad, was born in Fredrikstad, Østfold, in 1837. She married Edvard’s father, Christian Munch, in 1861. He was twice her age. They had five children together, including Edvard, before Laura died of tuberculosis in 1868. She was only 31 years old. Edvard was five. His mother’s premature death, which was followed by that of his favourite sister a few years later, was to have a profound impact on his life and career.

Forgotten gem: Fertility, painted in the late 1890s. Showing a much happier side of Munch’s work, this large scale painting (120 x 140 cm) has mainly remained in private collections in Scandinavia, and made only occasional appearances in a few European and US museum and galleries (as well as at Christie’s auction last year, where it was estimated at US$25-35 million – no buyer was found). A colourful scene depicting a young couple by a tree – a reference to Adam and Eve and the tree of life?

Check out this video featuring a selection of Åsgårdstrand paintings, as well as some black and white photographs of the Vestfold village (Norwegian only)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un4H1p1SmJ8

Much more than a polar explorer, famed for crossing Greenland on skis, and for his attempt to reach the North Pole on board the famous ship Fram, Fridtjof Nansen was also a pioneer in many fields. He was a talented sportsman, scientist, statesman, and humanitarian, who was also awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1922. His achievements put Norway on the international map, and his legacy endures to this day. Here are a few facts you might or might not know about this exceptional man.

- Nansen was an accomplished scientist – he obtained a PhD in zoology from the University of Oslo in 1888. The topic of his dissertation? A study of the central nervous system of lower invertebrates.

- He also excelled at ice-skating, skiing and ski jumping. He won the national cross-country skiing championship 12 times in a row.

- After reaching the Greenland ice sheet, which he would attempt to cross on skis, Nansen burnt his boats – failure was not an option. The moved turned out to be a good, if daring, one – his expedition was a resounding success, and brought him international fame.

- Nansen planned and designed the ship Fram for his expedition to the North Pole himself. The ship, incidentally, was named by his wife. It means ‘forward’ in Norwegian. The only way Nansen could possibly go!

- Nansen’s book Eskimo Life (1891), which he published upon returning from Greenland, and in which he describes his love for Greenland and its people, played an important part in increasing knowlege of Eskimo life and culture.

- His wife, singer Eva Sars, whom he married in 1889, died of pneumonia in 1907, leaving five children behind.

- Nansen was fond of poetry, and had an impressive knowledge of both Norwegian and foreign poets. Lord Byron was ‘the love of my youth’, he once said.

- Nansen used his fame as a political activist to support the ending of Norway’s union with Sweden in 1905. He was instrumental in persuading Prince Charles of Denmark to accept the throne of the newly independent Norway.

- Nansen was a talented draughtsman, and his ambition was once to become an artist. He even took lessons in drawing and water colouring. He used many of his sketches to illustrate his research. The thesis for his PhD included 113 diagrams – all drawn by Nansen himself.

- The Nansen Passport, which was issued by the League of Nations to some 450,000 stateless refugees after World War 1, was devised by Fridtjof Nansen in 1922.

- Nansen was Norway’s first ambassador to London (1906-1908)

- Nansen for many years championed the cause of Armenians, helping to repatriate 10,000 of them to Yerevan in Soviet Armenia, and resettle a further 40,000 in Syria and Lebanon. To this day Nansen is seen as a hero in Armenia, where many streets, schools and even a hospital have been named after him.

- Nansen died of heart failure on 13 May 1930, aged 68. He was given a state funeral a few days later, on 17 May – Norway’s National Day.

You will find a full biograhy of Fridtjof Nansen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fridtjof_Nansen

- Moods of Norway: Funky, tongue-in-cheek designs including some real cool men’s suits and tops. www.moodsofnorway.com

- Oleana: Beautiful, quality ladies’ fashion in natural fibers and vibrant colours. www.oleana.no

- Arne Carlos: Swedish-Norwegian duo famous for reinventing the traditional Norwegian jumper. www.arne-carlos.com

- Probat: T-shirts with fun images and slogans, in Norwegian. www.probat.no (Norwegian only)

- Bergans of Norway: Top quality outdoor wear, usually quite expensive, but worth looking out for in the sale. www.bergans.no

And if you’re after Norwegian fashion for kids see also www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/05/22/

A new talent to be reckoned with, that’s the least you can say about Geir Skeie. He is the most famous of a team of young chefs who have been helping put Norway on the culinary map these past few years. And now his first ever cookbook, World Champion, has just received the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2010.

The book features many of his favourite recipes, from childhood stalwarts to dishes he had concocted specifically for the Bocuse d’Or competition, offering recipes cooks of all abilities can try out. Norwegian ingredients often take centre stage, whether they are prepared the traditional way (be it a Norwegian lamb stew, clipfish or rhubarb compote for example) or, as is often the case, enhanced by other, more exotic flavours (king crab with cauliflower and soya, Arctic char with tarragon or cloudberry and anis sorbet, to name a few). From snails and foie gras to tom yam gung and spaghetti Bolognaise, culinary influences are many, although the focus remains the same with all recipes – his fascination for flavour combinations.

Geir Skeie also opened his own restaurant, Brygga 11 (www.brygga11.no) in Sandefjord, Vestfold, in November. A great day trip from Østfold for any gourmet traveller.

More on Geir Skeie at www.geirskeie.no (Norwegian only)

Norwegian Forest draws on a classic Scandinavian tradition of using thin wood veneer strips for lighting. It show a pine forest with animals in light and shade. When lit, the blonde birch veneer shines with a warm glow, and the delicately cut forest motif lets light to filter out between the trees. The veneer is laser cut by hand, and the shell is hand sewn onto a steel frame. The lamps are assembled by hand in Kullberg’s studio in Oslo. The high quality finish required means cutting is a minutious job, and production is therefore limited.

The lamp comes in three versions – large pendant, small pendant and table light. The large pendant will set you back $750. Order online at www.cathrinekullberg.com or from your local stockist. These include Huset www.huset-shop.com in the US and www.ourshowhome.com in the UK.

Want to see more? Cathrine Kullberg created a 10m-long ceiling-wall installation at the Emil & Samuel restaurant in Oslo’s Steen & Strøm department store. Check it out next time you’re in town.