| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 344.1 | Stockholm prices | STKHLM::KVAAVIK | Life, don't talk to me about life... | Mon Jul 10 1989 06:25 | 20 |
|
Hi Stevie,
I guess you already know that prices in Sweden/Norway are quite
high.
The availability of rooms depends on what time of year you get
here. Summer is always busy, but autumn and winter and spring are
ok. A reasonable hotel room in Stockholm will cost you between
400-1000 sek/night. Not very cheap, huh!?
No laws about leaded/unleaded petrol. But most of the cars that
are sold now uses unleaded. It will cost you from 4.55 sek and up.
hope this will help you, if you need any more info, feel free to
contact me!
/Kaarina Kvaavik, swas stockholm
STKTSC::KVAAVIK, Kaarina Kvaavik @soo
|
| 344.2 | Other travel tips, gleaned from soc.culture.nordic | MLTVAX::SAVAGE | Neil @ Spit Brook | Thu Jul 13 1989 09:25 | 25 |
| Norwegians use to say that the train trip from Oslo to Bergen is one of
the most beautiful trips of the world (especially over
Hardangervidda and the moutains there).
Try the highest North-European moutains, Jotunheimen. For instance, if
you only have a weekend, you could drive to Gjendesheim and trek over
Besseggen to Memurubu (~ 6 hours to walk). If the weather is fine, it
is fantastic !!! Then you can sleep at the moutain refuge of Memurubu
(as far as I remember they produce their own electrical power by using
a small waterfall nearby). Next day you can walk back over Besseggen or
take a boat which goes from Memurubu to Gjendesheim several times every
day. If you have more than a weekend, it is worth the trip to climb up
to Norway's highest tops : Galdhopiggen and/or Glittertind. You need ~1
day from a refuge to each of them.
From Trondheim, you can take the boat (hurtigruten) from there and up
north.
There is a wonderful museum of Viking ships in Roskilde, a relatively
short train ride (1/2 hr? 1 hr? I forget) from Copenhagen. The museum
building is quite wonderful also, from an architectural point of view.
In Sweden, you should go by the "Inlandsbanan" (inland line), between
Mora and G{llivare (=Gaellivare). Very picturesque and popular among
tourists and train fans alike.
|
| 344.3 | Norwegian nights (and days) | 16BITS::SAVAGE | Neil @ Spit Brook | Fri Jul 21 1989 11:06 | 54 |
| Group soc.culture.nordic
article 330
From: [email protected] (Steven Hotz)
Subject: Oslo discos
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
I don't know Oslo intimately, but I found the disco in the
SAS hotel to be "classy" (with a steep cover charge to match).
I think the name is "Galaxy". People dress up there, and the
ages range from mid-20s to "late 30's", with an average around
28. The music (when I was there in summer '87) was good "disco",
but not New Wave. A younger crowd went to Baronen Og Baronessen,
a crowded restaurant disco just off the main square. I was the
only one wearing a tie there, and a Norwegian guy there said that
the tie signaled that I was an American. That may explain the
girls who, for no apparent reason, chose to idly stand near me :)
Be prepared to part with a lot of cash in Oslo, though. It is
an EXPENSIVE city, and booze is right up there with the other
expenses. A very comfortable hotel that I can recommend is
Hotel Stefan. It's centrally-located and it has a renowned
Sm|rg}sbord (Smo"rga*sbord) at mid-day. Too bad you won't be
there in July. In July, Hotel Stefan, like most Scandinavian
hotels, has summer rates (up to 50% off). Forget dinner there
though - too expensive. Decently-priced meals are served at
the cafeteria on the corner about a block away in a southwest
direction.
In July, the domestic airlines (and SAS) have lower rates, too,
for roundtrips within Scandinavia. You might want to bounce up
to Hammarfest or Nord Kap to catch the last of the midnight sun
(check Frommers for the dates). "Summer rates" usually last unti
the Sunday before the first Monday of August, which is August 6th
this year.
While you're bouncing, stop in Trondheim, and check out the disco
called "Sommeren" or "Sommern". It's in a hotel and it's only
a disco in the summer months. It's dressy (but again, no ties),
and it's known as the "adult" disco. A comfortable hotel JUST
ACROSS THE STREET(!) is Hotel Augustin. I think their summer
rates also extend into early August. While in Trondheim, if it's
a warm day, take the 10 minute ferry ride out to Munkholmen
Island. On a warm summer day, every square inch will be covered
with topless Norwegian girls. Ignore them and squeeze your way
up to see old fort and monk museum :)
Through all this, remember that everyone speaks English and there
are telephones in Norway. (They've had electricity for a few years
now.) So just get on the phone and call ahead for reservations.
Sk}l!
Dave Walden
[email protected]
|
| 344.4 | Article may be tongue-in-cheek according to comment | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed Jan 16 1991 11:26 | 139 |
| From: [email protected] (Lyle Davis)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: A bit from/about Norway
Date: 16 Jan 91 03:36:19 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
A Country with 50 dialects - - -but no Haagen Dazs
by Jim Frazee
Oslo:
A man holds up a bank, but before making his getaway, he apologizes to
the teller and hands over a box of chocolate. A waiter inordinately
delays taking orders because, he complains to a customer, he's been on
his feet the better part of an hour. The government wants to crack
down on drunken driving, but considers shortening the hours of rapid
transit service. Though only four million people live here, there are
13 political parties.
Welcome to Norway, land of contradiction, where thieves steal used
cars, where beer isn't sold in stores after 7 p. m. (though it is
served thereafter in bars and restaurants), where a woman is prime
minister but where women occupy only 3 percent of managerial positions.
As its largest city proclaims: "Oslo, You Won't Believe It!"
In everyday life, one must deal with two versions of the Norwegian
language. Add 50 dialects and what have you got? At least three
distinct ways of saying Oslo. Is it "Oschlo," "Ozlo," or "Osslo?"
Then there's the Blitz, a radical youth movement fighting to hold back
urban development, but spray painting its slogans on classic old
buildings. The group, like South Korean students, makes appointments
with the police for its periodic riots. Where does Blitz get is
funding? One source is the government, of course.
In the recent general election there were no sound bites, no
semi-ballistics over the highest cost of living in Europe, no exposes
of sleaze and malfeasance. Just ceaseless debate.
Debate is the key word in Norway.
It took 30 years to settle on a location for a new Oslo regional
airport. No one has a rough estimate, within a decade or two, of how
long discussion will drag on regarding involvement in the European
Community.
Perhaps most numbing is Norway's ongoing debate over its own culture.
There is a growing fear among some people that cultural purity is
threatened by refugees, hamburgers, pasta, skateboards, malls and
denim. Oddly, no one is bothered that all of Norway's most succesful
rock bands sing in English.
A further cause for official concern is the future of Norway. A
disturbing trend has been identified---the disappearance of family. In
Oslo, 70 percent of the population is single, a figure that has been
rising one per cent a year since 1968. In 30 years will babies be a
thing of the past? A declining birth rate means fewer taxpayers in the
welfare state.
Irony is not in short supply. Norway maintains a strict antinuclear
stance, not allowing a single reactor to be built on its soil. Yet
right next door, Sweden has many nuclear reactors; Norway even
purchases some electricity from Sweden. Nuclear-powered and armed
ships are prohibited from docking at Norwegian ports. During NATO
maneuvers, the ports skirt the issue by purposely not asking if a ship
is nuclear.
No only would Norwegian prison accomodations make most mid-range hotel
chains envious, but also prisoners are entitled to vacations and
birthday parties. One convict, recently celebrating his 30th birthday
and dining out at taxpayers' expense at a posh restaurant outside Oslo,
escaped through the men's room window. His behavior puzzled officials.
Oslo's air, people say, is filthy, but as yet there's no plan for smog
devices or for lowering octane and lead levels in gasoline. A car on a
main street must yield to a car on a small side road, even if this
action requires 30 cars behind him to stop. Plastic shopping bags are
also steadily improving the quality of life. Last year, consumers used
700 million of them.
Lastly, no one should visit Norway expecting to slurp up Haagen Dazs
ice cream. The U.S. giant, on whose containers is a map of Scandinavia
with a star pinpointing Oslo, is unheard of here. Not to worry.
Stores are glutted with sugary delights for the dessert generation.
Maybe this is why Norway is called the silver spoon of Scandinavia.
(Jim Frazee is a former reporter for the Morning News Tribune in
Tacoma, Washington, wrote this article for the New York Times.)
Note: For those in Scandinavia who do not know. . .Haagen Dazs is an
American Ice Cream which sells for premium prices and attempts to
portray itself as in imported ice cream. (It's not; it's domestically
produced. It's all part of a not uncommon American marketing trick.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Fredrik Manne)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: A bit from/about Norway
Date: 16 Jan 91 11:12:35 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Usenet posting account)
Organization: Institute of Informatics, University of Bergen, Norway
Most of it is true but I feel some corrections/comments are apropriate:
>>beer isn't sold in stores after 7 p. m.
Not true. My local store closes at 8pm and they sell beer until closing
time.
>>It took 30 years to settle on a location for a new Oslo regional airport.
This has not been decided yet, the debate is still on. They still
haven't decided if to build the airport at all.
>>Norway even purchases some electricity from Sweden.
The last couple of years Norwawy has been selling electricity to
Sweden, who in turn have been selling it to Denmark thus making a big
profit.
>>Plastic shopping bags are also steadily improving the quality of life. Last
>>year, consumers used 700 million of them.
A plastic bag requires less energy to make than a paperbag, and they
are much easier to carry. (people don't allways drive when they go
shopping here).
Still the article was quite funny.
Fredrik Manne tel: +47 5 544153 ` `_______ ` `
Dep. of Informatics fax: +47 5 544199 `/_/_|_\_\ ` The Rain In Spain
University of Bergen ` | oo ` Falls Mainly In
Tormoehlensgt. 55 e-mail: ` | < ` Bergen.
N-5006 Bergen, Norway [email protected] ` ` J -- `
|
| 344.5 | More comment on .4 | TLE::SAVAGE | | Thu Jan 17 1991 15:11 | 60 |
| From: [email protected] (AAdne Bakkane)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: A bit from/about Norway
Date: 16 Jan 91 12:55:02 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Usenet news admin)
Organization: Div. of CS & Telematics, Norwegian Institute of Technology
Thanks for the very interesting article, Lyle !
Just to correct a few things:
Political parties: only(?) 6 are represented in the Parliament, plus a
regional list (1 person). Most of the rest are very small parties
(<1%, except "Venstre"(Liberal Party) ca. 2-3 %)
Dialects: every little town has its own dialect, but it is difficult
(at least for foreigners) to separate all of them...
Oslo regional airport: 30 years to find a place, the final location
was decided in 1990 to be Gardermoen. Now, it might not be built ---
it is too expensive!
Location debates are quite common in Norway. If something new is
happening, for instance allowing a second TV channel, the first debate
is where to locate it. Then, after many years of fighting between the
cities in Norway, one might begin to find out how much it will cost
etc. BTW, the Parliament decided last autumn that the new TV channel is
to be placed in Bergen. Now, the government is waiting for applications
from private interests that want to run it.
> Irony is not in short supply. Norway maintains a strict
>antinuclear stance, not allowing a single reactor to be built on its
>soil. Yet right next door, Sweden has many nuclear reactors; Norway even
>purchases some electricity from Sweden.
Norway is producing far more electricity than we are using, we are
producing ca. 110TWh, and use 92.5TWh. The surplus is exported. We
want to export natural gas, or electricity from gas-fired power plants
to Sweden, in order to reduce their dependency on nuclear power.
> Nuclear-powered and armed ships
>are prohibited from docking at Norwegian ports. During NATO maneuvers,
>the ports skirt the issue by purposely not asking if a ship is nuclear.
The last sentence is missing an important addition: .., assuming that
the Norwegian policy is known and respected by our NATO friends.
> Oslo's air, people say, is filthy, but as yet there's no plan for
>smog devices or for lowering octane and lead levels in gasoline. A car on
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The lead free gasoline cost much less than the leaded, due to taxes.
All new cars can only use lead free gasoline.
--
o | AAdne Bakkane
/ \ _| _ _ [email protected]
|---|| || ||_| Rom G244, IDT, 7034 NTH, tlf. (07) 594481
| ||_|| ||_ Rimol, 7084 Melhus, tlf. (07) 872386
|
| 344.6 | How well researched was .4? | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri Jan 18 1991 15:08 | 26 |
| From: [email protected] (Lyle Davis)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: A bit from/about Norway
Date: 17 Jan 91 15:36:02 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
Apparently the article struck a chord with Norwegians. I had about 4
or 5 pieces of e/mail in my mailbox this morning.
I suspect the author did not do a terribly thorough job of research.
Several points my correspondents pointed out:
There are two nuclear reactors in Norway, one at Halden the other at
Kjeller (is that the correct spelling?)
Another correspondent felt that surely there must be more than 3%
women in the professions/management, etc.
They also pointed out that Gardermoen may now not wind up being the
location at all, due to the costs (as you point out).
For myself, I did not notice that Oslo's air was "filthy". But then, I
live only 100 miles south of the Los Angeles Basin and we frequently
get their dirty air down here. Probably the dirtiest air in Norway
would be like a breath of fresh air here.
|
| 344.7 | Still more comment on .4 | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Jan 22 1991 13:34 | 75 |
| From: [email protected] (Espen H. Koht)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: A bit from/about Norway
Date: 21 Jan 91 20:29:57 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (The News Manager)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Lyle Davis)
writes:
>A Country with 50 dialects - - -but no Haagen Dazs
>
>by Jim Frazee
>
>Oslo:
>
> In the recent general election there were no sound bites, no
>semi-ballistics over the highest cost of living in Europe, no exposes of
>sleaze and malfeasance. Just ceaseless debate.
>
> Debate is the key word in Norway.
I would be tempted to say that complaint is crucial too.
> Perhaps most numbing is Norway's ongoing debate over its own
>culture. There is a growing fear among some people that cultural purity
>is threatened by refugees, hamburgers, pasta, skateboards, malls and
>denim. Oddly, no one is bothered that all of Norway's most succesful rock
>bands sing in English.
I would say that those who are concerned about these things are
bothered by Norwegian rock groups singing in English. However, it is
not true that all of Norway's most succesful rock bands sing in English
anyway. Actually, very best of them sing in Norwegian.
> Irony is not in short supply. Norway maintains a strict
>antinuclear stance, not allowing a single reactor to be built on its
>soil. Yet right next door, Sweden has many nuclear reactors; Norway even
>purchases some electricity from Sweden. Nuclear-powered and armed ships
>are prohibited from docking at Norwegian ports. During NATO maneuvers,
>the ports skirt the issue by purposely not asking if a ship is nuclear.
I would agree that irony is not in short supply, but it has very little
to do with nuclear power. There are a couple of reseach reactors in
Norway. Actually, these were the first nuclear reactors built in
Europe without US assistance (in 1951). There are no nuclear power
plants in Norway. There would be no point to it. Norway produce more
power than it can consume, and nuclear power is one of the most
ineffiecient and expensive power generation methods that exists. It
is true that Norway purchases electricity from Sweden, but that has to
do with the grids. Norway sells power to Sweden in other areas.
Overall Norway exports a lot more power than it imports.
No only would Norwegian prison accomodations make most mid-range
>hotel chains envious, but also prisoners are entitled to vacations and
>birthday parties. One convict, recently celebrating his 30th birthday and
>dining out at taxpayers' expense at a posh restaurant outside Oslo,
>escaped through the men's room window. His behavior puzzled officials.
Of course they were puzzled - they wouldn't have taken him to a
restaurant if they thought he would escape.
> Lastly, no one should visit Norway expecting to slurp up Haagen
>Dazs ice cream. The U.S. giant, on whose containers is a map of
>Scandinavia with a star pinpointing Oslo, is unheard of here. Not to
>worry. Stores are glutted with sugary delights for the dessert
>generation. Maybe this is why Norway is called the silver spoon of
>Scandinavia.
True, Norway has excellent ice cream and chocolate, and that is a claim
I will stand by even after having lived in Switzerland for 5 years.
(Thank god for Ben & Jerry's here in the states though, but I haven't
been able to find any decent yogurt. Any hints?)
|
| 344.8 | Pardon my French | DUM::T_PARMENTER | Georgia Ace | Wed Feb 06 1991 13:40 | 9 |
| It's pretty obvious that the proliferation of Norwegian languages is due to
geography. Everybody lives in a valley that was unconnected, except by water,
to any other valley for most of Norwegian history.
Oslo is in a big valley, so more people speak that dialect. There's a
mountain range with a huge glacier on top of it between Oslo and Bergen, so
on one side there's ikke "ikkje" on one side and ikkje "ikke" on the other.
As for rock groups, Vaselina Bilophoeggers sing in dialect number 51.
|
| 344.9 | Re: .2: if you are planning a trip to Norway | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed May 29 1991 10:58 | 244 |
| From: [email protected] (Anders Blehr)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Information on travel in Norway
Date: 28 May 91 12:46:42 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Div. of CS & Telematics, Norwegian Institute of Technology
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(Andrew Pape) writes:
|> Greetings
|>
|> i am looking for some information as to where I should travel when I go
|> to Norway later this summer. I will be in Oslo for a conference for a
|> week, and am looking for beautiful areas of the country that are
|> typically Norweigen, and maybe where I can stay with a family or
|> something. I hear that the North is gorgous. I don't speak any
|> Norweigan unfortunately.
|>
Yes, the North is indeed gorgeous, especially Lofoten and Vesteraalen,
which is a chain of wild and mountainous islands stretching
southwestwards off the mainland into the Norwegian Sea. Every island
has at least one little fishing village (`fiskevaer' in Norwegian),
where you should be able to find accomodation of some sort. People in
the North are generally warmer and more hospitable than in Southern
Norway, despite the rough climate, or maybe because of it, I don't
know. If you really want to feel the wind in your hair and the salt in
your eyes, you should go to Roest, the outermost island in the Lofoten
chain, barely above sea level, with no trees, just sea- and icewashed
stone with a few spots of tough grass, some sheep, and with some of the
most loving people in Norway.
Of cities (or towns, rather) you should visit while there, are Tromsoe
(first and foremost), Harstad, Narvik and Svolvaer, just to mention
some. If you enjoy pulsating nightlife, Tromsoe is the place. Its
nightlife is famous all over Norway, and once you've been there, you'll
never forget it. And that's not just because of its nightlife, but
because it's Tromsoe, Paris of the North, as the saying goes.
If you want to go even further north, you can go to Svalbard, which is
a group of islands at about 76-80 degrees north. There are not many
people living there, in fact there are about twice as many Russians
there as there are Norwegians, due to Svalbardtraktaten (the Treaty of
Svalbard), which states that the islands are a part of Norway, but also
that all countries signing the treaty have the right to exploit its
resources. So far, the Soviet Union is the only country which has used
this right, coal mining i Barentsburg, some sixty-seventy kilometers
west of the Norwegian `capital', Longyearbyen (named after a British
explorer by the name of Longyear).
As I said, not many people live there, but if you're looking for
scenery beyond belief, Svalbard is the place. I spent a year there
while I served in the Norwegian Coast Guard, and I can't wait to get
back. It's mountainous, wild, with numerous glaciers, and mostly
untouched by humans. In other words, if you adjust to the climate, and
have the time, it's perfect for hiking. Beware of ice bears, though
(bring a gun). The world's northernmost settlement, Ny-Aalesund (New
Aalesund) is situated at Kongsfjorden (King's Bay) on the northwest
coast of the main island, Vest-Spitsbergen. It's a little bit hard to
get there, though; you would have to go by boat, and not many boats go
there.
The western parts of (mainland) Norway is also known for its scenery.
Here you'll find high mountains with mountain farms clinging to the
steep slopes hundreds of meters above some deep fiord, and small
villages (`bygder' in Norwegian) scattered along the fiords. You could
go to Sogn and Sognefjorden, where you could stop at Sogndal (the
administrative center of the Sogn og Fjordane county (`fylke'),
Geiranger (world famous for its scenery, and therefore, unfortunately,
packed with tourists during summer. Still, it's worth a trip), Laerdal
(about as far inland as you can come without leaving the fiord) and
Flaam, just to mention some of the places which came to my mind.
From Flaam you can take the train to Myrdal along Flaamsbanen, one of
the steepest railroads in the world, I believe, and one of the most
enjoyable (if you aren't afraid of heights, that is). Flaam is at sea
level, and Myrdal is at approximately one thousand meters above sea
level, and the trip takes about fifteen to twenty minutes.
From Myrdal you can take the train to Bergen, the capital of Western
Norway and my native city. If you ask me, I would say it's the most
beautiful city in Norway, but I guess I'm a little biased..... Anyway,
it's surrounded by mountains and fiords and has a charm and an
atmosphere that not many other cities have. It's also the native city
of Edvard Grieg, the famous Norwegian composer. You can visit his home
Troldhaugen and see the little cabin by the fiord (Nordaasvatnet) where
he wrote some of his most memorable music. Also you can visit the stave
church (`stavkirke') at Fantoft, an eight hundred years old wooden
church built in a style unique to Norway. You can go to Old Bergen,
which is an outdoor museum where traditional houses from Bergen are
collected and where people actually live and work. You can visit
Haakonshallen (Haakon's Hall), which was built around the 13th century,
and served as residence for the Norwegian Kings for hundreds of Years.
Right nect to it you'll find Mariakirken (Church of Mary), the oldest
standing building in Bergen, dating back to the beginning of the 12th
century. Right next to Mariakirken is Bryggen, built by the German
Hanseats of Luebeck around 1750, when Bergen was the centre of commerse
in Norway and the northernmost Hansa town in Europe. Again, if you like
hiking, the mountains around Bergen are made for it. And then you
could.... I could go on and on about Bergen, the list is never ending.
From Bergen you could go to Hardanger and Hardangerfjorden. If you go
early in the summer, you'll have a chance to experience the fruit trees
in blossom. Of places to see, I can recommend Rosendal (in English:
Valley of the Roses), where you can see the annual Baronispelet, which
is an outdoor play about one of the old barons of Rosendal and his wife
(of course it's all in Norwegian, so you probably wouldn't be able to
make much sense out of it). I would also recommend that you stop at
Tysnes, which also is a memorable place.
These are just suggestions made so that you can choose for yourself
where you want to go.
HOW TO GET WHERE. From Oslo you can take the train to Bergen. From
Bergen you can go either by bus or by boat to both Hardanger and Sogn.
I would recommend the boat trip, though, especially to Sogn. From
Bergen you can also take Hurtigruten (the Coastal Steamer) to Northern
Norway, and then disembark somewhere in Lofoten/Vesteraalen. If you
only want to see the North you can go either by train or by plane to
Bodoe, and then by boat (or plane) to Lofoten (You can go by plane from
Bergen also, of course). Ferries and other passenger boats are
criss-crossing the waters between the Lofoten islands, so you won't
have much trouble moving around. From Lofoten you can go by boat (the
Coastal Steamer gain) to Tromsoe, and even as far as Kirkenes, close
to the Russian border. From there you can take a day's trip to Murmansk
in the Soviet Union, if you want to. If you have the time to go to
Svalbard, you have to take the plane, either from Oslo, Bergen or
Tromsoe.
Hope this has been to some use for you (and to others who are planning
on a trip to Norway).
Have fun! ;-)
- Anders.
--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Blehr [email protected]
Division of Computer Systems & Telematics [email protected]
Norwegian Institute of Technology
----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Dave Walden)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Travel in northern Norway
Date: 29 May 91 08:46:26 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: USC-Information Sciences Institute
[email protected] (Gail Halverson) writes:
>
>This summer, I want to do something different. I've always wanted to
>travel to the far north, see the midnight sun, etc. So I thought I
>might get a train pass and do that this year. Going by train means
>I can't go to the North Cape. But I can get to Narvik and so to
>the Lofoten Islands (which I have heard a BEAUTIFUL). Then down to
>Bodo/ and by train back through Norway...
>
>....Lofoten Islands (probably for 2-3 days)? Anything else
>I really should do while I'm up in that direction? It looks like there
>are two train routes into northern Sweden. Which do you recommend?
Hej, Gail, hur st�r det till?
If you're going as far as Narvik, why not hop a plane and
continue on to Troms� or Nord Kap? Round trip airfares are
half price during the summer vacation period beginning in the
last week of June and lasting until the first week in August.
Just get a Frommer's or other guidebook and call ahead for
hotel reservations (warning: reservations at Nord Kap are
hard to get). If it's not too cloudy, the view of the arctic
landscape (on the right, going north) is awesome. BTW, I'm
told that a view of the midnight sun is more dependable from
Troms| due to sky conditions and accessibility of nearby
mountain tops. At Hammarfest, a mountain is in the way, and
in Bod|, mountains are in the way except for a few minutes
around 12:00 p.m. *daylight saving time* (not true midnight).
Of course, at the tip of Nord Kap (reachable from town by bus),
*nothing* is in the way.
A couple years ago, I took the train from Narvik to Lule�.
The rail line ascends along the side of a fjord until cresting
somewhere around the Swedish/Norwegian border where it passes
through resort lake country (*arctic* lake country) and then
gradually on down, passing through mile after mile after mile
of trees, past the mountain-disassembling (i.e. mining) town of
Kiruna and then across the Arctic Circle, marked in the vicinity
of the railway by a line of white stones. To while away the hours
for the kids, a musical troup periodically made its way through
the line of cars singing a song about Sister Wong. It wasn't
until a few hours of this that I finally realized they were
singing an invitation to join them in the last car (sista v�gn).
If you are that far north in Sweden, you ought to stop for
a day or more and see Lule�. Lule� is a pretty town on the Baltic,
and you can rent a bicycle at the tourist office to get around.
Try the hotel Amber. It's a converted Victorian house near the
train station, and the rooms are clean and roomy and the prices
are reasonable. My kind of place. I loved my stay in Lule�,
but I have also been told that the summer of my visit provided
the best weather there in a decade. Also check out the nude
beach at nearby Pite�, a town easily reachable by bus. Then
report back to me. :)
If you stay in Narvik during the summer vacation period,
try to stay at the ritzy place at the top of the hill near
the train station. It has a fancy name like "Kungspalaset" or
some such tune, and it *is* a fancy and expensive hotel - at
normal times of the year. During the summer, ask for the summer
rate, and you will get a room costing just two to four dollars
more per night than a moldy flop house downtown and the breakfast
sm|rg}sbord will be fantastic. Then, the walk to the train
station to catch the train to Sweden will be a short block and
*downhill* - no need for a taxi!
A couple years ago, plus one, I took the bus from Trondheim
up to the Swedish border, catching the train to Stockholm at
Storlien, a winter ski resort. The granite ponds and lakes,
growing their summer moss before refreezing in another couple
months, were pretty, but again, mile after mile after mile of
Swedish trees got to be a bit much.
In my humble opinion, for awesome sights per mile - from
a train or from a bus, stick to Norway. And if you do, consider
taking the bus part of the way, perhaps between Trondheim and
Bergen and on to Stavanger (or take the ferry between Bergen
and Stavanger). Then catch the train again in Stavanger back
to Oslo. Then, if you want, you can continue by train on to
Stockholm or down to Copenhagen for your flight back to L.A.
Have I offended anyone? :)
Dave Walden
Voice of the Not Quite Dead
|
| 344.10 | About Bodoe | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri May 31 1991 13:52 | 76 |
| From: [email protected] (Oystein Torbjoernsen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Travel in northern Norway
Date: 30 May 91 21:19:21 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Div. of CS & Telematics, Norwegian Institute of Technology
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Dave Walden)
writes:
|> mountain tops. At Hammarfest, a mountain is in the way, and
|> in Bod�, mountains are in the way except for a few minutes
|> around 12:00 p.m. *daylight saving time* (not true midnight).
|> Of course, at the tip of Nord Kap (reachable from town by bus),
|> *nothing* is in the way.
|>
As a native 'Bodoe-vaering' I must object. There exists posters and
postcards which is an assembly of pictures taken of the sun at one hour
intervals through 24 hours. In this way the assembly makes up a 360
degree view from the place the pictures are taken. One of these is
taken in Bodoe with the midnight sun passing over Landegode (an island
outside Bodoe).
Obviously, since Bodoe is fairly close to the artic circle the midnight
sun don't last long (3-4 weeks?) and isn't quite as impressive as on
Nordkapp. Of cause there might be a bit trouble to see it from downtown
Bodoe. Go to 'Panorama senteret' 3-4 km outside the town. From this
place you have a good overview over Bodoe and the surroundings. Here
you can also sit indoors with a cup of coffee if it's too cold outside.
On fine days Lofotveggen (the mountains in Lofoten) can been seen in
north-west.
This location is also a starting point for hikes into the recreation
area for Bodoe. What about a midnight hike on one of the tracks
starting there? The turist information can help you to find the way.
Btw, if the weather is bad, stay in town. :-) A more comfortable, but
not so fine experience is to take the lift to the top floor of the SAS
hotel, take a drink and see the sun hide behind the mountains.
What else to see in Bodoe? What about a trip to Saltstraumen? South of
Bodoe Saltenfjorden (a fairly large fjord, 60-80 km long) cuts into the
country. On the middle of the fjord there is a narrow passage only a
few houndred meters wide. The large difference between high and low
tide make the water flow with an impressing strength and speed through
this narrow passage called Saltstraumen and make it the strongest
sea-water stream in the world. It is fairly easy to get fish here and
if you don't have your own equipment it's fun to see other people
fishing (especially when foreigners are using a fishing rod for the
first time.)
Expect to find a lot of tourists here. There are two campgrounds, a
motel and several places to eat. The strength of the stream varies with
the tide so check with the tourist information before you leave. The 35
km. can be travelled by bus.
North of Bodoe, there is a small fishing village called Kjerringoey.
The whole village is made into a museum where you can see how people
lived 100 years ago. This is the place where the norwegian author Knut
Hamsund (got a Nobel prize in litterature) lived for years and wrote
several books. Kjerringoey is a model for his Sirilund and the
TV-series 'Benoni og Rosa' (based on two of his books) is filmed here.
Facts about Bodoe:
175 years old. Population ~35.000. Administrative center of the
Nordland county. Communication center with both airport, harbour (last
stop for the Coastal Express before Lofoten (Stamsund)), and the
termination point of the railroad from Trondheim. The military has a
lot of installations here. (More than half of the fighters in the
Norwegian air force have their base in Bodoe.)
Oeystein Torbjoernsen (US ASCII)
\ystein Torbj|rnsen (NO ASCII)
Xystein Torbjxrnsen (iso8859-1)
|
| 344.11 | Narvik | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri May 31 1991 13:54 | 58 |
| From: [email protected] (Dave Walden)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Travel in Norway errata
Date: 31 May 91 12:43:33 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: USC-Information Sciences Institute
More information comes from Steinar ([email protected]) who
has the name of the fancy hotel at the top of the hill in Narvik:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
> If you stay in Narvik during the summer vacation period,
> try to stay at the ritzy place at the top of the hill near the
> train station. It has a fancy name like "Kungspalaset" or some
> such tune, and it *is* a fancy and expensive hotel - at normal
> times of the year. During the summer, ask for the summer rate,
> and you will get a room costing just two to four dollars more
> per night than a moldy flop house downtown and the breakfast
> sm|rg}sbord will be fantastic. Then, the walk to the train
> station to catch the train to Sweden will be a short block and
> *downhill* - no need for a taxi!
The hotel is called "Grand Royal". Now I have never slept there, but I
spent 3 years in Narvik going to college (Narvik Tech. College). Then
my "stambule" (as we say in Norway, hmm,... "favourite hangout", I
don't know), was a pub in the basement of "Grand Royal" called
"Rallarkroa". A "Rallar" was a migrant construction worker/miner/etc.
in Scandinavia in the last half of the 19th century and all the way up
to WWII. "Kro" means "Inn", "Tavern", "Roadhouse", "Pub",... I guess
"Inn" is the translation that covers most common ground (obviously
wrong here).
> A couple years ago, plus one, I took the bus from Trondheim
> up to the Swedish border, catching the train to Stockholm at
> Storlien, a winter ski resort. The granite ponds and lakes,
There is a pretty good ski resort on the Swedish border when going to
Sweden from Narvik, as well. Name of "Riksgr\"{a}nsen". If you had
taken the train 120km south from Trondheim, you would have been in one
of Norways better ski resorts, called Oppdal. It is a bit out of season
for downhill skiing now (excepting the Folgefonni glacier, wich has
just started its season ;-). But I still think it would be possible to
do some high mountain cross-country.
> In my humble opinion, for awesome sights per mile - from
> a train or from a bus, stick to Norway.
Agreed. :-) :-)
- Steinar
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, Steinar. I think I know now why Norwegians are
so outdoorsy.
Dave Walden
|
| 344.12 | More on northern Norway | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Jun 04 1991 17:24 | 56 |
| From: [email protected] (Jon Taylor)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Travel in northern Norway
Date: 3 Jun 91 20:38:41 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Open Software Foundation
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Gail Halverson)
writes:
|>
|> This summer, I want to do something different. I've always wanted to
|> travel to the far north, see the midnight sun, etc. So I thought I
|> might get a train pass and do that this year. Going by train means
|> I can't go to the North Cape. But I can get to Narvik and so to
|> the Lofoten Islands (which I have heard a BEAUTIFUL). Then down to
|> Bodo/ and by train back through Norway
You can get from Narvik to the North Cape by bus, via Alta - it takes
about 1 1/2 days. Pretty trip too, if the weather is nice. Alta has
decent pizza (!?) and some interesting neolithic rock carvings. You
can also make this trip with the "Hurtigruten" boat, a coastal steamer
that runs from Bergen to Vardoe and back. It stops in Bodoe, and also
in Svolvaer on the Lofotens (though not in Narvik proper, as I recall).
There is some kind of boat connection from Svolvaer to Narvik, in any
case. In general, Norway is very well served by reasonably-priced
buses, which (when we took 'em, in 1986) were not at all crowded.
This said, I must recommend AGAINST the North Cape. Perhaps we were
there at the very worst time (early July) but the strongest impression
we got was of tourists and tourists and MORE tourists, most of them
Germans (I even heard one fellow saying, in German: "There are too many
Germans here!") We visited the North Cape in the afternoon, and it was
beautiful, very stark and dramatic. We went back to Honigsvaag (the
local village, where we stayed in a little quaint pension with lumpy
beds) for the evening, and returned to the cape at midnight, only to
find 23 tour buses in the parking lot, and no sun visible due to the
cloud cover. What fun! The best part was walking back from the town
to our room at 1:30 AM, in broad daylight.
On the other hand, the rest of Northern Norway didn't seem crowded at
all. Narvik has an interesting history and an excellent War museum,
Tromsoe is gorgeous (take the cablecar to the top of the hill for
splendid views), and Svolvaer was a pretty little town to walk around.
We didn't see much more of the Lofotens, alas, but I've heard they're
truly beautiful. I doubt you'll have any problem finding a place to
stay, as long as you don't insist on a shiny, modern hotel room in the
American style.
One more obscure point: coming from Copenhagen, I found the Northern
Norwegians the easiest to understand. In Oslo I gave up and just used
English, but in Finnmark I found I could speak Danish and actually
converse with the local folk. Why this is, I don't know - and I don't
know if it applies to someone who speaks Swedish!
Have a great trip! jon taylor
|
| 344.13 | Holiday on a farm | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Jun 04 1991 17:27 | 72 |
| From: [email protected] (B|rge Haga)
Newsgroups: rec.travel,soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Holiday on farm in Norway
Date: 28 May 91 15:53:00 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (B�rge Haga)
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
I have noticed the recent interest for holidays in Scandinavia. I saw a
new advertisment from NORTRA (Nortravel Marketing) in the newspaper
today about a new kind of holiday in Norway, and I thought I would
share it with you. ----- Norway still undiscovered !!!
HOLIDAY ON FARM IN NORWAY.
Enjoy a real farmholiday in breathtaking Norwegian districts and fresh
nature. This is a welcomed contrast to a hectic everyday life. Staying
at a farm is a holiday for everyone - here you will find offers for all
kind of wallets. No chartertrip. No shopping queues. No deadlines or
timelocked programmes. Farmholiday opens up the possibility for freedom
and self initiative. You can have a walk in the idyllic landscape or
try your luck on fishing in small lakes. It will seldom be a long way
to go to the nearest museum or collection. The cultural heritage will
also be passed on by the host family.
1. Gardstunferie (transl: farm courtyard holiday)
You live freely and comfortable in small houses or holiday apartments
in direct attachment to the courtyard. You will experience the life in
the district and the liferythm on the farm. You cook your own meals.
2. Gardspensjonat/gardshotell (transl: farm boarding house/farmhotels)
Some farms have many rooms and plenty of space in old cottages where
also good Norwegian food is served. The furnishing is usually in
accordance with the local tradition, and the farm sorroundings are
taken care of.
3. Gardsbesoek (transl: farmvisit)
Maybe you think it's enough just to visit a farm during one day ? In
the central eastern part of Norway and around in the holiday districts
you will be able to find a lot of offers on arranged farmvisits where
you can learn about both modern working on a farm, district culture and
traditions. Often you will be served local specialities, or you can
watch interesting exhibitions and demonstrations.
NORTRA
Postboks 499
Sentrum
0105 Oslo
Norway
Phone: 47 (to Norway) -2-427044 or -2-333538 (after closing time)
-----
NORTRA even have offices in several places around the world, so check
out your local phone catalog. I know about an office in New York:
Norwegian Tourist Board
655 Third Avenue
US - New York
NY10017
Phone: 1 (to USA)+ 212-949-2333
Kind regards !
Boerge Haga
Department of Informatics
University of Oslo
Kjeller , Norway
e-mail: [email protected]
IP-address: 128.39.10.5
|
| 344.14 | The rain, in Norway, stays mainly in... | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed Jun 05 1991 14:29 | 113 |
| From: [email protected] (Oystein Groevlen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Norway questions
Date: 4 Jun 91 11:21:23 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Div. of CS & Telematics, Norwegian Institute of Technology
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Per
Helmersen/USIT) writes:
|> DO be prepared for rain on the west coast, especially Bergen!
That it rains much on the west coast depends on what how you define
much rain. If you look at the amount of water falling down from the sky
in a year, you are probably right. However, if you look at the number
of rainy days, I will say you are wrong. To support my statement I
below present the results from querying a database of weather
observations that I use in my master project. The data is obtained from
the Norwegian Institute of Meteorology. I look at the number of rainy
days at the following three stations:
Hellis�y - A ligthouse somewhere near Bergen.
V�rnes - The airport of Trondheim.
Oslo - A city in eastern Norway.
The period of measurements are 1957 - 1985. The numbers are number of
days with rain during the 19 years.
Whole Year Summer (Jun-Aug)
Hellis�y 6894 1229
V�rnes 7201 1926
Oslo 6031 1504
From this you see that the number of rainy days are larger in Trondheim
than in Bergen. In the summer there are more rainy days in Oslo than in
Bergen.
That Trondheim comes out bad I would have guessed. The first month I
lived here (September 1986), it was raining every morning and sunshine
every afternoon.
In any way, you are wrong when saying 'especially Bergen' as there many
other places on the west coast where the amount of water falling from
the sky in a year is much larger. (The record, I think, is from Brekke
in Sogn). But you are probably right if you mean to say that it rains
more in Bergen than in other cities on west coast (Stavanger, ]lesund
etc.).
The Norwegian record for precipitation in one day is from November of
1940 in Matre, north of Bergen, where the instrument for measuring ran
was filled at 239 mm. It probably rained 20-30mm more than that. During
four days it rained more than the whole year record for the dryest
parts of Norway (Lom, Inner Troms, Finmarksvidda).
--
Oystein Groevlen
Division of Computer Systems and Telematics
The Norwegian Institute of Technology
The University of Trondheim
Email: [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Norway questions
Date: 4 Jun 91 12:19:13 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Mr News)
Organization: USIT/University of Oslo
I assume we're talking about a 28-year period and not 19, in which case
you have 10227 days. If it rains 6894 days in that period (and assuming
an equal distribution throughout the year), our foreign visitor has a
67% chance of getting wet in Bergen. I define that as "much rain" and
advise at least an umbrella. Using the other definition of much rain,
i.e., the amount of water falling down, it's only reasonable to
calculate this PER CAPITA, right? I mean, the more drops per person,
the wetter they get, right? ;-)
With respect to your (undoubtedly valid) observations of Bergen's
RELATIVE position, I must inform you that I am employed by the Greater
Bergen Tourist Board to uphold the myth of "Bergen - the wet and
wonderful city". They really ARE proud of it, as you certainly know.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Oystein Groevlen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Norwegian precipitation (Was Re: Norway questions)
Date: 4 Jun 91 17:28:47 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Div. of CS & Telematics, Norwegian Institute of Technology
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(Bj|rn P. Munch) writes:
|> It should be 29 years ==> 10592 days. So the %age is 65.1. Besides, I
|> suspect that some of these "rainy" days only had rain during the
|> night. At least, that often is the case in Oslo....
OK, we can have a look a how many days it rained between 6am and 6pm:
Whole Year Summer
Hellis�y 5851 966
V�rnes 6013 1590
Oslo 4878 1245
And you are right, basic arithmetic gives 29 years.
--
Oystein Groevlen
Division of Computer Systems and Telematics
The Norwegian Institute of Technology
The University of Trondheim
Email: [email protected]
|
| 344.15 | Recreational use of helicopters and snowmobiles | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri Jun 07 1991 11:25 | 40 |
| From: [email protected] (Steinar Bang)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Heli-skiing (Re: Travel in Norway errata)
Date: 6 Jun 91 12:32:32 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim, Norway
>>>>> On 5 Jun 91 16:57:42 GMT, [email protected] (Christer Lindh) said:
[...]
> Next time I go there I'll do some more skiing in Norway, helicopters
> and snowmobiles for recreational use are illegal there from what I
> heard. I met a couple who lives in Norway but work at Riksgransen, and
> they parked their snowmobile at the border and walked the last 500m.
> Great! Can someone fill me in, is this the case in entire Norway or
> just this region?
This is the case all of Norway (possibly excepting Finnmark, and
positively excepting Svalbard). *Use* of helicopters for recreation is
not restricted (if you can afford it), but *landing* in non-designated
areas *is*! (Of course a ski-resort could lobby until they got
designated landing areas on a selection of mountain tops, don't know if
any has. It is a local board ("Friluftsnemda") in a "Kommune" that
deceides how the law is to be interpreted, and where exceptions can be
made.)
Use of snowmobiles is heavily restricted, it boils down to letting you
drive from a road to your cabin/cottage (whatever), in areas where this
*specifically* has been made legal. 2 years back they used to have
routes where you could drive for recreation, but then they sharpened
the regulations, and removed them.
There has been so much lobbying and protesting, as well as illegal
driving, that recreational routes may come back. What will *not* come
back (excepting Svalbard), is the right to drive everywhere for
recreation.
Personally, I think this is just as well.
- Steinar
|
| 344.16 | How where things in Norway 1988 - expensive | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed Jul 10 1991 18:01 | 58 |
| From: [email protected] (Lyle Davis)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Questions for Norwegians
Date: 10 Jul 91 11:56:27 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
I'm of Norwegian heritage (fourth generation). I went "home" to Norway
in 1988 and while it was one of the greatest holidays of my life it was
also one of the most expensive.
We stopped in Denmark first (I also have Danish heritage) and when I
commented on the high prices of restaurants my cousin told me, "wait
till you get to Norway, it's higher." He was correct.
Norway, as is all of Scandinavia, is spotlessly clean. I believe it
must be a moral sin to leave a mote of dust or dirt anywhere.
Americans seem to be given a very warm welcome, particularly if they
learn you are of Norwegian heritage. Many times we would stop someone
to ask directions and they would say, "follow me". Lo and behold, they
would lead us to the front doorstep of the folks we were looking for!
One day in Bergen I was trying to locate a distant cousin and was
having some trouble finding the right street. I asked a cab driver. .
.he went out of his way, led me right to my cousin, and would not think
of accepting a tip for his trouble!
In the larger cities, in particular, you'll find a great many of the
young adults that speak flawless english. In the smaller towns, they
will have studied english but don't have as much opportunity to
practice it so you can quite easily communicate but they may not be as
fluent as in, say, Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, etc. You will also
probably find that the older Norwegians do not speak a great deal of
english, again, particularly noticeable in the smaller communities.
I have family lines scattered all over Norway; my primary line is from
the area of Bo (with a slash through the "o") in Telemark. Actually,
it's an even smaller community than Bo - it's called Gvarv (pronounced
Gwuarv). I have a female cousin who spoke english quite well - another
female cousin who spoke it moderately well; the rest of my cousins did
not speak it particularly well - their parents (also my cousins) did
not speak english at all.
Because of the high prices you will probably not want to buy a lot of
souvenirs. The food is excellent. Beer and wine are extremely
expensive. Hotels that you pay $125 for in Norway would cost about $40
or $50 a night here. You may want to stay at a pensionata. They are
every bit as clean as a hotel, often with comparable amenities,
substantially less. There are inns known as "kro" - but we didn't find
any that we liked. I'm sure there are very nice ones there, we just
didn't happen to find any.
Do you still have family in Norway? I presume you do if you are second
generation. That will help a lot - if you can bunk up with family.
You're in for a great holiday in a beautiful country and a beautiful
people. But watch your money. It *is* expensive!!
Have fun.
|
| 344.17 | Re: .2: more travel tips | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri Sep 20 1991 12:58 | 139 |
| From: [email protected] (R.J. Husmo)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic,rec.travel,rec.backcountry,alt.fishing
Subject: Re: Trip to Norway
Date: 19 Sep 91 09:42:50 GMT
Organization: University of Keele, England
In article <[email protected]> [email protected]
(GA.Hoffman) writes:
>Train ride from Oslo to Bergen, Oslo, and Bergen.
Pardon? If you do try this, don't forget the 'Flaam' track.
>Drive along the coast.
>Seafood markets in Bergen! Higher elevations where the terrain becomes tundra.
>Ferries in fjords! Tourist cruise around bay ain't bad. Beautiful country.
Skip Oslo altogether; apart from Vigelandsparken it doesn't offer
anything which you can't find in other European cities. I did a tiny
tour of Norway a few years back, and by far the best part was driving
from Stavanger to Bergen. The 'Inner route', mind. Whilst in Stavanger
you should also visit the Pulpit Rock (Ignore the warnings of
geophysicists about the whole cliff falling into the fjord 2000 feet
below.).
Bergen is quite a nice town, take some time to see it all (roughly
speaking about 67 American minutes). Drive up the fjords or take
'Hurtigruta'. There are quite a few scenic towns on the way to
Trondheim - well, at least two, Aandalsnes and Kristiansund.
The northern part of Norway is, of course, quite scenic. But visit it
during the summer (mid-night sun and mosquitos).
Forget about the eastern part of Norway. There are only trees and
farmers there. Which is probably why the Winter Olympics of 1994 will
be held there (in Lillehammer, to be exact).
Time of year? Visit the towns and fjords during the spring, when
everything starts growing again. Visit the northern part of Norway
during the summer (The rest of the country is just nice and warm at
this time, nothing spectacular). Visit the FJORDS during the autumn for
those amazing colours. Don't forget to bring your 25 ASA Kodachrome.
The tundra is also quite nice at this time of year, but the colours
turn earlier there. If you're into skiing, go during the winter (You
may ski until mid-summer in some parts, though). Easter is probably
even better.
Hoffman's description of Norway as a 'beatiful country' qualifies as
understatement of the year. Congratulations.
Have fun,
Radar
(Oh, and on the topic of Norwegian names, I haven't heard Odd, Even and
Bent being mentioned yet. All good ol' Norwegian names [Hi! I'm
Bent!]).
--
Correct spelling is a lossed art. |Hagar: So if people ask you, tell them
Skydivers have more fun than people.| you're a viking.
------------------------------------|Frode: And a Norwegian?
[email protected] |Hagar: Nah. That might sound like bragging.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Richard Link)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic,rec.travel,rec.backcountry,alt.fishing
Subject: Re: Trip to Norway
Date: 20 Sep 91 00:20:41 GMT
Organization: George Washington University
>In article <[email protected]>
>Skip Oslo altogether; apart from Vigelandsparken it doesn't offer anything
>which you can't find in other European cities.
Whatever works for you! Your mileage may vary.
>Forget about the eastern part of Norway. There are only trees and farmers
>there. Which is probably why the Winter Olympics of 1994 will be held there
>(in Lillehammer, to be exact).
Lillehammer is about 3 hours north of Oslo. They have an outdoor museum
with actual Viking houses pre-dating the Black Plague. These ferocious
Vikings were some short dudes!
But, to get back on topic, I've always regretted not taking my fishing
tackle with me on my trip. There's a fairly large river flowing through
Lillehammer down to around Oslo, I think. Saw lots of anglers who
looked like they were fly fishing (for salmon?) from the train, which
followed the river.
....Rick
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Sjur Jonas Vestli)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic,rec.travel,rec.backcountry,alt.fishing
Subject: Re: Trip to Norway
Date: 20 Sep 91 10:15:30 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (USENET News System)
Organization: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - Inst. of Robotics
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (R.J.
Husmo) writes:
|> In article <[email protected]>
[email protected] (GA.Hoffman) writes:
|> >Train ride from Oslo to Bergen, Oslo, and Bergen.
|>
|> Pardon? If you do try this, don't forget the 'Flaam' track.
|>
Or even "Norway In a Nutshell", which is:
Bergen - Voss, Train
Voss - Gudvangen, Bus
Gudvangen - Flaam, Ferry
Flaam - Myrdal, Train
Myrdal - Oslo, Train
or
the other way round
or
Bergen - Voss, Train
Voss - Gudvangen, Bus
Gudvangen - Flaam, Ferry
Flaam - Myrdal, Train
Myrdal - Bergen, Train
or
the other way round
If travelling from Bergen ask at the ticket counter of NSB (Norwegian
State Railways) in the main railway station.
Sjur Jonas
|
| 344.18 | "67 minutes" Indeed! And Los Angeles in 10 seconds. | CSC32::D_ROYER | Too happy being me to be BLUE! | Mon Sep 23 1991 13:45 | 16 |
| Perhaps it is just me, but I could not visit Bergen, and spend just
67 minutes there... was that some hidden joke?
There are a lot of parks, to see, take your time, enjoy the life, and
slow down. See the Hansaetic (sp) area and the fish piers.. "quay"
Go to the theater, see the rail and ride up to the top of MT. Florian
(sp) enjoy the food there. Hotel Neptune used to serve wild game...
The food at the bus station was excellent.. Drink some pilsner from
Hansa. Go to the disco at the Hotel Norge. There used to be dancing
at the Hotel Rosenkrantz. Sjomanns Klub (seamans club) was a good
place to go, the Theater cafe, was good for dancing.
Bergen is my HOME away from home, and the people are the friendliest I
have met.
Dave
|
| 344.19 | Driving takes time and money | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri Feb 14 1992 14:35 | 21 |
| From: [email protected] (Roger Haaheim)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Need information for traveling in Scandinavia
Date: 7 Feb 92 16:59:28 GMT
Organization: HP Design Tech Center - Santa Clara, CA
My wife and I drove E4 from Sundsvall, Sweden up through Finland to
Kirkenes, Norway and then to Nordkapp; thence we connected with E6 and
drove the entire way down the west coast (or as close to it as roads
permitted :^) to Bergen, and from there to Oslo. The scenery was
indescribable, the weather at Nordkapp was clear and still, and we
didn't run into rain until we got below the Polar Circle. We took many
ferryboat rides which were delightful, and could stop to take pictures
whenever we wanted. The only problem was that we couldn't carry enough
film to take all the pictures worth taking. The roads are two-lane and
traffic can be slow, but everyone backs up at the ferry dock anyway.
I'd like to do it again, in the other direction.
With gasoline at $4+/gal, however, maybe driving isn't an option for
you...
|
| 344.20 | Hard times in '92 | CASDOC::SAVAGE | | Wed Apr 15 1992 10:38 | 46 |
| From: [email protected] (Gunnar Blix)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Hard times in Norway?
Date: 13 Apr 92 18:29:33 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (News Database (admin-Mike Schwager))
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
>Sorry, but I cant resist adding my thoughts here....
>Unemployment in Norway has risen from practicaly nothing, to about 5%
>the last few years. In the rest of Europe it is between 8 and 10% and
>has been for quite many years, f.ex. in england under the whole
>Tatcher era. Norway has POSITIVE trade balance with the world, has
>the shortest working hours in the world, aboute 150K people living on
>official *disabled* support (about the same number as are unemployed),
>practicaly no foreign loans, etc. etc...
The last time I read my paper from Norway, the unemployment rate was
quoted as 8%, and there was no sign of it going down. Where is your
quote of 5% from? Similarly, I thought it was a while since our trade
balance was positive. Please quote your sources. About 2% unemployment
is generally considered 'healthy' in an economy (as far as I can recall
from my social studies classes).
>The real course of the Economical crisis talk in Norway, is the
>interest rate. Running 15% interests when the inflation is 2%, is
>bound to have consequences. This is in my mind the course of the dept
>crisis (gjelds krisen) of privat investors and house byers, and the
>same goes for the industry, with small companies, low own
>start-capital rate (sorry I dont remeber the right term here) and
>with big loans, and hence bancrupty and unemployment.
It's not quite clear what you're trying to say here. If you're saying
that private investors are in a jam because the interest rate is 15%,
that is probably true. If you're claiming private investors are the
cause of this problem, then that's an urban legend that is dead wrong.
The crisis in the Norwegian savings and loans is due to problems in
industry, and the private economies' (including YAP's) contribution to
this problem is greatly exxagerated (according to the former Chairman
of the board in Norway's largest bank).
--
******************************************************************
* Gunnar Blix * Good advice is one of those insults that *
* [email protected] * ought to be forgiven. -Unknown *
******************************************************************
|
| 344.21 | Orebro anyone ? | SIOG::ODELL | | Tue May 12 1992 12:59 | 6 |
| I am going to a place called Orebro (sp?) in Sweden during the summer.
Has anyone got any info on it.
thanks
kev
|
| 344.22 | O -> � | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed May 13 1992 13:58 | 9 |
| Re: .21:
>... called Orebro (sp?) in Sweden ...
Correct spelling is �rebro (as in �re, the coin that is 1/100 of a
crown). One of the larger towns, about 160 km east of Stockholm.
It's easy for us North Americans to misspell this way because the
letter � isn't in our alphabet.
|
| 344.23 | | SYSTEM::NELSON | Tribeless and Nomadic | Thu May 14 1992 05:49 | 10 |
|
RE: .-1
>Correct spelling is �rebro (as in �re, the coin that is 1/100 of a
>crown). One of the larger towns, about 160 km east of Stockholm.
^^^^
I do believe you mean 'west' and not 'east'. Excuse the nit pick.
David
|
| 344.24 | | BHAJEE::JAERVINEN | Bitte ein Bit? Bitte 64 Bit!! | Tue Jun 02 1992 10:59 | 2 |
| ...unless they've moved it comewhere close to Mariehamn... :-)
|
| 344.25 | Train to Paradis hasn't run since the 60s | TLE::SAVAGE | | Mon Nov 02 1992 11:07 | 73 |
| From: [email protected] (Mike Jittlov)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.mike-jittlov,soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Vanishing Wizard
Date: 30 Oct 1992 00:51:05 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
[email protected] writes:
>We also have a place named 'Paradis' close to Bergen. No surprise
>as this is the Norwegian word for paradise.
Yes, with a beautiful and wonderfully-preserved stave church up on the
hilltop park beyond the Paradis crossroads.
I took the train from Hell to Paradis, in one day.
I saw a lot, in my few weeks in Scandinavia. But missed everything.
And still do, very much. It felt like home. (My real home, closer to
where my ancestors came from. I actually felt like I was attractive,
and that my soulmate-wife was nearby. Probably why my vision became so
clear and focussed - there was nothing that my body/mind didn't want to
see.)
Lot of places I'd hoped to visit, like the Geiranger Fjord cliff, and
Aadalsnes (where fellow filmmaker Carl Boenish did his last (earthly)
skydive). Walk through the Torghatten (an island and mountain, like
Australia's Ayre Rock, with a keyhole through its center). And
re-visit impish Aashild and her family at Svartis, their backyard
blue-ice glacier. And jump the two goat-horn rocks above Svolvaer.
And reclimb the Moysalen and Moyennes peaks - this time before 5pm, and
without a 40-pound backpack, or a rainstorm that turns the mountainside
into a maze of waterfalls. Got pretty far up, though. And left a
cairn, on top of a boulder - an assemblage of long rock slabs, it looks
like a statue of Thor. Also got my life saved by a double for Max Von
Sydow, and the Kaldjord family. This is another long story. (And a
good one...)
All Norway was Paradise. I have to get a job that earns money, and
travel there again. Maybe figure out a way to live there, for at least
half the year... Make a movie in Hollywood, then fly to Norway to
recover from it.
Big sigh. Back to "reality".
________________________________________ ___._`.*.'_._ ________
Mike Jittlov - Wizard, etc . . + * .o o.* `.`. +.
Hollywood, CA 90026-2714 ' * . ' ' |\^/| `. * . *
[email protected] (: May All Your \V/ Good Dreams
<& alt.fan.mike-jittlov> and Fine Wishes /_\ Come True:)
============================================= _/ \_ ===========
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.fan.mike-jittlov,soc.culture.nordic
From: [email protected] (Rolf Manne)
Subject: Re: Vanishing Wizard
Sender: [email protected] (Bergen University Newsaccount)
Organization: University of Bergen
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1992 08:14:37 GMT
Sorry, the train to Paradis stopped running some time in the middle
1960's and the Fantoft stave church burned down this summer, probably
arson. It is going to be rebuilt, though.
Norway may not be paradise but it is still very nice.
Rolf Manne (A Swede in Norway with a view of Paradis from home)
Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen
e-mail [email protected]
|
| 344.26 | Roads | TLE::SAVAGE | | Mon May 24 1993 10:26 | 49 |
| Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
From: [email protected] (Rolf Manne)
Subject: Re: Hotels in Norway
Sender: [email protected] (Bergen University Newsaccount)
Organization: University of Bergen
Date: Fri, 21 May 1993 13:36:58 GMT
In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Ron
Rymon) writes:
> We plan a one-week tour in Norway, for end of July. We thought to start
>two days in Oslo and then go to Bergen area, thru the mountains and come
>back to Oslo through the South.
I don't know what your guidebooks say. They are generally quite
accurate. What you should not trust is the system of road numbers which
shows the dreams of politicians and not the actual main roads.
The main road from Oslo to Bergen according to the road numbering
(E 11, I believe, the numbers are new) includes a 3 hour ferry crossing
of Sognefjorden with only a few ferries a day. The fastest way is to go
approx. to Hoenefoss and then take road 7 to Gol, Geilo, ferry from
Brimnes to Bruravik and then continue to Granvin. Then take the road to
Voss (not Bergen) and then continue on the new road E 11 to Bergen.
One may also take road 50 from road 7 to Aurland, Flom and Gudvangen
and then road E 11 to Voss and Bergen. This road is without ferries but
is slower and less interesting than road 7 (if you are not fond of very
long tunnels).
One more thing about driving in Norway. Roads are narrower and steeper
than what foreigners are used to. Tourists generally go slower than
locals who often get impatient because they get no opportunity to pass.
It is therefore good practice to slow down and stop momentarily at a
bus stop if you have got someone with a local licence plate following
you for some length of time. He might not be able to pass you
otherwise.
Rental cars in Norway as elsewhere in Europe generally have stick
shifts. It is important that one uses low gear going down-hill to avoid
overheating of brakes. This is of course known in all mountainous
countries. We have had some bad accidents in Western Norway because of
brake-failure of foreign vehicles.
Welcome to Norway.
Rolf Manne
e-mail: [email protected]
|
| 344.27 | Toll roads go high tech | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed Oct 06 1993 14:20 | 34 |
| Article: 24557
From: [email protected] (Simen Gaure)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Norway Future
Date: 5 Oct 93 22:33:53
Organization: University of Oslo, Norway
There are a number of [toll] collecting machines around in Norway. The
largest is perhaps around Oslo. I.e. you have to pass one if you enter
Oslo by car, no matter where you drive.
The workings of the toll station is like this: You buy a little grey
device, (3 x 10cm) to attach to the inside of your front window. When
you pass the toll station, there is a radar device which reads an
identifying number from the little device and asks a little central
computer device if this has been paid for. If not, there's a little
camera device which takes a little picture of you and you get a 300
NOK fine in the mail.
The little device, or rather the number or little object which
represents the little device in the little computer, may be 'charged'
with a certain period of time or with a certain number of passages. If
you pass the radar device with only 5 passages left in your little
device there will be a little white light flashing by the camera device
to warn you to recharge your little device. (For those interested, the
little device is a passive device, every information about the number
in it is stored in the little central computer device.)
All in all a nice pile of little devices which are put together in such
a way as to form a little working system.
Simen Gaure
University of Oslo
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