Archive for August, 2009

The ferry to nowhere

Monday, August 24th, 2009
The ferry to nowhere

Among dozens of chic, posh and fancy places to have a drink in the city of Oslo and at the waterfront, you will find a floating pub where you don’t have to bother too much about the dress code. Ferja (the ferry) is a great little boat which used to be the ferry at... »

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Welcome to Oslo, Renzo Piano!

Friday, August 21st, 2009
Welcome to Oslo, Renzo Piano!

New kid is coming to town: The world famous architect Renzo Piano is the man behind the new museum for modern art at Tjuvholmen in Oslo. The spectacular building, which is the new home for the Astrup-Fearnley Museum, will open in 2012, and will be the jewel in the crown in the new residential  area... »

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Relaxing championship in Oslo

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
Relaxing championship in Oslo

If you didn’t make it to the top in school sports, you can have your revenge on Saturday when top relaxers meet for the Norwegian Championship in Slappa (Norwegian slang for relaxing). The point is to produce the lowest relaxing pulse during five minutes in a hammock, and the whole event is a tribute... »

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The hidden garden in Oslo

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
The hidden garden in Oslo

There are plenty of parks in Oslo. The undoubtedly nicest one is The Queen’s Park (Dronningparken) right behind the Royal Castle. The park is open during summer, from May 18th until mid-October at daytime. It is actually the present queen Sonja who is in charge of the garden, but the name was established when... »

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A piece of Dublin in Oslo

Monday, August 17th, 2009
A piece of Dublin in Oslo

Oslo says: One thing you can be pretty sure about in any city of a certain magnitude: You will find an Italian restaurant and an Irish pub. This posting is about the Irish pub. There are more than one, of course – but the place to go is The Dubliner in Rådhusgata 28. Since it ... »

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Hearty food, reasonable prices

Saturday, August 15th, 2009
Hearty food, reasonable prices

Oslo says: Just get used to it: Norway is a very expensive country for travellers. Eating out will easily kill your budget before you blink. Cheap alternatives tend to be…well, cheap. However, at Aker Brygge, paradoxically neighboured by some of the most expensive restaurants in town, you will find Rorbua. Here you are offered a... »

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1624: The pointing glove

Friday, August 14th, 2009
1624: The pointing glove

 - You shall build it exactly here! That’s what the Danish king Christian IV supposingly said back in 1624 when he decided where the new town of Christiania should be located. Eagerly waving his glove, he couldn’t wait to rebuild the old town of Oslo, which had burnt down a few months earlier. While the... »

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Be a Harry, too!

Friday, August 14th, 2009
Be a Harry, too!

Oslo says: My apologies to readers named Harry: In Norway the name has for some reason been associated with being a bit off comme-il-faut, caracterizing a way of living that is not up to the standards of the higher middle class. Which means, of course, that it is the upper middle class which is... »

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One place – all about jazz

Friday, August 14th, 2009
One place – all about jazz

Oslo says: You would probably never find it, if you didn’t know it was there. The CD-shop and cafe in Grensen 8 gives you jazz all day long, and sometimes late night live concerts, too. Bare Jazz – means Only Jazz – is run by the saxofonist Bodil Niska and her enthusiastic friends. You will... »

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The guy on the horse

Friday, August 14th, 2009
The guy on the horse

You won’t find many equestrian statues in Norway. One of the few is situated in front of the Royal Castle in Oslo. It is King Karl Johan sitting up there on the horse, looking out on the town and the main street which is named after him. From the top of our head, most Norwegians... »

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What’s on in Oslo

November 5. Gilberto Gil, Rockefeller
November 22. Deep Purple, Oslo Spektrum
December 21.: Eddie Izzard, Oslo Spektrum