Posts Tagged Top 5
Top 5: Things to do in Halden
Posted by admin in Travel and practical stuff on July 2, 2010
- Explore Fredriksten Festning, Halden’s famous fortress, high up on the cliff overlooking the town. You can do so on your own, with an audio guide, or join a guided tour, every weekend in the summer. www.halden.museum.no/festning.html (Norwegian only)
- Browse in Fønix record shop, a shop dedicated to 1950s and 60s music and fashion. Retro’s never been so cool! Fisketorget 1. www.nostalgia.no (Norwegian only)
- Visit the Fredrikshalds Teater, dating back to 1838, Norway’s best preserved baroque scene (by appointment only). Tel: 69 18 54 11, www.halden.museum.no/teater.html (Norwegian only)
- Fish for salmon in the Enningdal River, one of the best salmon rivers in Norway. The salmon season lasts from mid-May to mid-Aug.
- Visit Rød Herregård, one of the most famous mansions in the county – complete with original 18th century furniture and baroque gardens. Tel: 69 18 54 11, www.halden.museum.no/herregard.html (Norwegian only)
For more info visit www.visithalden.com
Top 5: Activities for kids in Fredrikstad
Posted by admin in Travel and practical stuff on April 28, 2010
Not sure how to keep the kids entertained during your stay in Fredrikstad? Fret not – the options are plentiful. Here are some activity suggestions for children of all ages:
- Bo Grønt Lund’s: This garden centre in Torsnes doubles up as a mini animal park, featuring a pleasant playground with many slides and climbing apparatus, as well as farmyard animals such as sheep, rabbits, etc. Ideal for the little ones. Why not bring a picnic and make an afternoon of it? Torsnesveien, Torsnes (about 5km from Gamlebyen). Prices: 50Kr per person. Open 10am-7pm during the week, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm. Tel: 69 34 92 66, www.bogront.no/lunds/ (Norwegian only)
- Go-karting: Cheap it ain’t (a 9 minute heat, about 10-15 laps, will set you back 155Kr), but go-karing is fun if you want to spoil the kids, or give yourself a bit of an adrenaline kick. Why not indeed. Open Mon-Fri 4pm-9pm, Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 2pm-8pm. Tomteveien 21. Tel: 40 00 19 36, www.activcenter.no (Norwegian only)
- Ice-skating: Nothing better than a spin (or two) on the ice to burn off excess energy. Luckily Stjernehallen, Fredrikstad ice-rink, is open to the general public Wed-Fri 10am-2pm, and Sun 10.30am-12.30pm, and even better, skating here is free! Utfarten 16 (between Bratliparken and Fredrikstadmarka). Tel: 69 36 83 00, www.stjernen.no (Norwegian only)
- Horse riding: There are several riding centres in the area. Try Fredrikstad Riding Centre, just behind the Old Town (Bekkevold 1. Tel: 69 32 31 74) or Hogde Shetland Stud Farm (Hogde 2. Tel. 90 51 74 26), which has Shetland ponies.
- Swimming: Kongstenhall swimming pool complex just outside Gamlebyen is the perfect place to cool off on a hot summer day. It boasts an outdoor Olympic size pool, paddling pool, 10m diving board and pool, and a water slide, plus a smaller indoor pool. Prices: 50Kr adults and 40Kr children for access to the outdoors complex. Open 7 days a week, times vary, ring for info. Trosvikveien 12. Tel: 69 95 82 98.
Top 5: Things to do in Indre-Østfold
Posted by admin in Travel and practical stuff, Uncategorized on March 18, 2010
Wondering what to do, and where to go in Indre-Østfold? The possibilities are many, but here are our top options:
- Get pampered in Norway’s first holistic spa, Zen Resort, Rømskog, and make the most of the great location on the shores of Lake Vortungen. www.zenresort.no
- Take the hike to Linnekleppen, Scandinavia’s last manned firewatch tower – a cool day-walk in pretty scenery, and great views from the top of the tower.
- Explore the big inland forests and myriad lakes of Marker, Trømborg- and Rakkestadfjella. Here you can fish and swim in summer, pick mushrooms in the autumn, and go cross-country skiing come winter.
- Learn about local history at Høytop Fort, Mysen, Norway’s biggest inland fortress (built 1912–1918) and the seat of heavy fighting against German forces during WW2. www.forthoytorp.com
- Chill out and/or splash out for the day at Østfoldbadet, one of the county’s largest indoor swimming complexes, in Askim. www.ostfoldbadet.no
For more information on Indre-Østfold visit www.visitindre.no
Top 5: Things to do in Fredrikstad
Posted by admin in Travel and practical stuff, Uncategorized on February 10, 2010
- Shop til you drop at the newly renovated, expanded Torvbyen shopping centre, the only one of its kind in the city centre. It’s bigger, better and more popular than ever. www.torvbyen.no
- Catch a match at the local stadium, housed in a former shipyard, and watch Fredrikstad Football Club (FFK) supporters paint the town red as they cheer their team on. www.fredrikstadfk.no
- Discover the work of talented local artists at the Østfold Kunstnersenter on Fergestedsveien. Exhibitions change regularly, and entry is free. www.kunstnersenter.no/oks/
- Take a stroll in beautiful Gamlebyen, Scandinavia’s best preserved fortress town, on the eastern side of the river Glomma. Or join a guided tour (organised by the tourist office) if you’d like to learn more about the history of this fascinating place.
- Meet some locals in the cosy Verdenspeilet Cafe in winter, or watch life go by from one of the many bars/restaurants along the river in summer.
For more info visit www.opplevfredrikstad.com
Top 5: Norwegian movies (1970s-1990s)
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on January 30, 2010
It’s a tough call selecting only five Norwegian movies for this period, but here are my favourites:
- Orion’s Belt: Espionage thriller set in the fishing community of the Svalbard archipelago. (1985)
- Flåklypa Grand Prix: Ivo Caprino’s much loved animated puppet movie was a huge box office hit when it was released in 1975. (1975)
- The Pathfinder: Fast-paced Sami adventure by first-time director Neils Gaup, nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film. (1987)
- Insomnia: Personal thriller featuring a couple of policemen from Oslo who travel to Northern Norway to investigate the death of a 17-year old girl. (1997)
- Cross my Heart and Hope to Die (Ten Knives in the Heart): Award-winning, atmospheric coming-of-age story following the adventures of 12-year-old Otto after he meets an enigmatic man twice his age. (1994)
See also http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/12/top-5-best-norwegian-movies-of-the-past-decade/ for the best Norwegian movies of the noughties.
Top 5: Norwegian crime writers
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on January 21, 2010
Do you like crime fiction? Then why not try a Norwegian author next time if you haven’t done so already? There are many good ones to choose from – here is a selection of the most famous names to get you started.
- Karin Fossum: The Norwegian queen of crime 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) ‘One of the very best of the new wave of Nordic crime writers… She evokes brilliantly the claustrophobia of small-town Norway’ The Times wrote about Fossum when reviewing the latter in 2005.
- Jo Nesbø: This former journalist and stockbroker is a popular author who has won a number of awards for his crime fiction. Several of those were for his Harry Hole novels, of which the best known among English speakers are probably The Bat Man, The Redbreast and The Snowman.
- Anne Holt: Norwegian author and lawyer Holt worked for the Oslo Police Department for two years – and no doubt got the inspiration for many of her stories during her stint there. Her novels are published in 25 countries. Her first book, Blind Goddess, featured the lesbian police officer Hanne Wilhelmsen, who reappears in several of her later novels, including Blessed Are Those Who Thirst, Death of the Demon, Beyond The Truth, and more recently, 1222.
- Gunnar Staalesen: The man behind the popular Varg Veum series (also on TV in Norway), a private investigator based in the city of Bergen. Titles translated into English include Yours until Death, The Writing on the Wall and The Consorts of Death.
- Jon Michelet: A prolific Østfold-based author whose work has not, to date, been widely translated into English. His most famous novel, Orion’s Belt (1977), set in Svalbard during the Cold War, was adapted for the big screen in the 1980s, and was a big box office success.
Top 5: Best Norwegian movies of the past decade
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on December 26, 2009
Many good films have been made in Norway in the past 10 years. Here are some of my favourites.
- Vinterland: The story of a Kurdish immigrant’s life in northern Norway, and his quest to find a bride. Insightful, touching and funny at the same time. (2007)
- Max Manus: A huge success as the box office, this war movie focuses on Norway’s most famous resistance leader during WW2. (2008)
- Gone with the Woman: Beautifully shot and very funny romantic comedy based on Erlend Loe’s novel of the same name. (2007)
- The Kautokeino Rebellion: The true story of the Kautokeino uprising in northern Norway in 1852. With stunning music by Sami musician Mari Boine. (2008)
- Elling: Oscar nominated comedy about two 40-something friends struggling to adapt to normal life in Oslo after being released from a state home. Based on a popular novel by Ingvar Ambjørnsen (2001)
Top 5: Østfold producers
Posted by admin in Food and drink on December 18, 2009
Good food is a big part of celebrating Christmas, and we spend more time cooking during the festive season than at any other times. Many of us also spend more money on food than usual in order to get hold of the best ingredients available. We’re lucky in Østfold as there are several very good local producers here. I’m not just saying this: Østfold was the county that won the most awards in the last Det Norske Måltid konkurranse, a national competition aiming to find, and reward, the best Norwegian products up and down the country.
Here are some local products worth checking out:
- Crayfish and prawns from Fjordfisk AS, Utgårdskilen, Hvaler. Available at the reception warehouse on the pier in Utgårdskilen, or at the Fjordfisk AS outlet in Båthavna 12, Skjærhallen (both on Hvaler). www.fjordfisk.no (Norwegian only)
- Crème brûlée (and other egg-based desserts) from Ek Gårdskjøkken, Onsøy. These guys recently won the ‘product of the year 2009′ award at the Det Norske Måltid competition (see above) with this yummy dish. www.ek-as.no (Norwegian only)
- Villsauen Fredrikstad: Organic lamb and mutton meat from small flocks grazing and roaming freely on the Søster Islands, Hvaler. The islands have a rich and varied plant life that gives the meat a distinctive flavour.
- Norwegian smoked salmon (and other similar fish products) from Troll Salmon, a kosher-certified salmon producer. Based in Engelsviken. www.troll-salmon.com (info in English)
- Chicken breasts and whole organic Livèche-chickens from local producers in Trøgstad and Hærland (in cooperation with Nortura).
For more information on these producers, and others in the region, visit www.culinary-heritage.com (info in English)
Top 5: Christmas shopping, Norwegian style
Stuck for ideas for Christmas pressies? Well what about something typically Norwegian? Here are a few suggestions for presents that will also double up as souvenirs. And not a troll in sight, promise!
- Cheese slicer: A practical gift, as well as a slice of trivia rolled in one (no pun intended) – this is one of two Norwegian inventions of recent times. The other one was the paperclip, by the way.
- Knitted mittens: Typically Norwegian, at least if you buy the ones with the black and white Selbu star pattern. They are incredibly warm (much more so I find than normal gloves), and unlike the knitted jumpers, anyone can afford those.
- Wooden coffee cup: I came across those for the first time recently in a camping/outdoors life shop, and I love them. Practical (they are very light), original, and stylish, in a very Scandinavian kind of way. Which probably explains the hefty price tag – at around Kr200 a piece, it’s indulging the coffee drinker(s) in your life, but hey, it’s not Christmas every day.
- Smoked salmon: OK OK, no points for originality, but any gourmet friend or relative will appreciate that one. Look out for the word skiver (slice) on the packet, and make sure you buy laks (salmon), not ørret (trout), in case you can’t tell the difference just looking at them (no, neither can I, if that makes you feel any better).
- Thermal underwear: They might not be sexy, but they do work, and when it’s -15°C outside, who cares?? They come in a range of designs and colours, and you can even get them cheaper than back home. Yes that’s right – cheaper than back home. Now you don’t hear me say that too often do you? 