Jan 30
2010

Oslo

WHY GO NOW “The shortest day of the year,” an old Rodgers and Hart ballad reminds us, “has the longest night of the year.” Few cities on earth have longer winter nights than Oslo and, surely, in even fewer have the natives been more creative about turning the sunless months into an enchanted time of candlelit coziness.

Norwegians love candles, and at this time of year they go through millions of them – lining them up on mantelpieces, cafe tabletops, restaurant entrances (a lighted one signals that it is open) and the occasional office or shop windowsill. All that flickering light lends downtown Oslo – with its narrow streets, small squares, low-rise buildings and minimal vehicular traffic – a remarkably intimate ambience, so that bar-hopping can feel almost like moving between the rooms of a welcoming home. To read the entire article with more details click here.

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Jan 22
2010

The New York Times recommends the “Stunnig Lyngen Alps” in Northern Norway as one of the “31 places to Go in 2010″, and asks “Who needs a penthouse suite when you can book a lighthouse on a private island?”

The US newspaper writes that with an acclaimed new opera house and plenty of high-end dining options, Oslo is already a must-visit urban destination. But this year the focus should be on the wilds of the Norwegian countryside. With its dazzling Nordic light and dramatic landscape, Norway is perhaps the most unexplored and exotic corner of Europe. – Having convinced the world that its fjords and southern coastline make the country a great summer getaway, Norwegians have begun showcasing its charms as a winter destination The paper says that specialized trekking and ski tours can open up pristine areas of the north like the stunning Lyngen Alps, with high-speed boats to shuttle across the fjord to ski trails that would otherwise be inaccessible. And the country’s indifference to trendy boutique hotels and splashy resorts — long the lament of global tourism professionals — is just what appeals to a more discerning clientele. “Who needs a penthouse suite when you can book a lighthouse on a private island?” writes New York Times correspondent  Andrew Ferren.

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Jan 22
2010

VIDAR RISETH believes Celtic have backed a winning Norse.

Tony Mowbray has gambled on the teenage promise of Thomas Rogne.

Mogga has made the little-known Scandinavian kid his third signing of the transfer window.

Former Hoops ace Riseth reckons the £220,000 compensation fee isn’t a risky flutter.

He rates Stabaek stopper Thomas Rogne, 19, as a thoroughbred and Norway’s biggest home-grown talent for a decade.

Riseth is sure the Under-21 cap will soon prove his pedigree and nail down a first-team place for Celtic and Norway. He said: “I think it’s a fantastic piece of business by my old club to have signed Thomas.

“In my opinion, he’s the best young talent to come out for Norway in the past ten years.

“Time will tell if he achieves his potential.

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Jan 21
2010

National Geographic Traveler recently rated the Norwegian Fjords as the best destination in the world, and one of the best ways to view the fjords is aboard one of Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s smaller ships. In 2010 Fred. Olsen offers 19 different itineraries that take travelers through the most breathtaking of Norway’s fjords. Itineraries range from 7 to fifteen nights and are sometimes paired with calls to top-of-the-world North Cape and Spitsbergen, realm of the polar bears.


The line’s sleek and “human-scale” vessels, with capacities ranging from 807 to 1,350 passengers, can slip deep into narrow passages where the scenery is often most spectacular.

The 856-passenger Boudicca, for instance, offers an 8-night Norway departure from Liverpool (UK) on May 13, 2010, that delves into the fjords of western Norway and features a voyage through the Sognefjord, the world’s second longest fjord that branches into the

Naeroyfjord,

a World Heritage Site; it also leads to Flaam, famous for the railway that winds dramatically into and out of rugged mountain tunnels. On this cruise emerald green water spills from various waterfalls down the towering sides of each fjord, adding motion to the otherwise sturdy cliff faces all around. In passenger evaluations the words “stunning” and “awesome” are commonly used to describe their journey.

Fred. Olsen’s 929-passenger Braemar departs Dover (UK) on August 12, 2010, for a 7-night Fjordland Summer cruise that includes Eidfjord, Hardangerfjord and Bergen, which is packed with cobblestone streets and alleyways and colorful wooden houses, as well as a bustling Fish Market, and 18th century wharf loaded with outdoor cafes and bars. The 13-night North Cape Navigator cruise on Boudicca sails from Newcastle (UK) on August 19, 2010, and proceeds up the coast of Norway with forays into several deep, crystal clear fjords (such as Nordfjord, Romsdalfjord and Storfjord) en route to Honningsvaag (North Cape), which is the realm of reindeer and the indigenous, colorfully-clad, Lapp people that tend to them.

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Jan 12
2010

Putter around Svalbard, the Arctic Ocean archipelago of which Spitsbergen is the largest island. Between stops at the desolate mining settlement of Barentsburg, and a happier little research station called Ny Alesund, there are cliffs of ice and glaucous blue glaciers to gaze at.

Temperatures hover around 0c in summer. Ashore, you hike into the interior, trudging through snow and crossing glaciers.

A voyage around Spitsbergen is popular for the welter of wildlife, especially the prospect of meeting the inquisitive stare of a tusked walrus lumbering on an ice floe, or spotting belugas or killer whales.

Landing on the islands and hiking into the interior, you see Arctic foxes and small, Svalbard reindeer.

DON’T MISS: The ultimate wildlife sighting is a polar bear ambling across the ice with head low and hindquarters high, its coat a buttery yellow against the whiteness.

Read more: Winter-breaks-Arctic-thrills-Norways-fjords-Alaska-cruises


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Jan 9
2010

Norway With an acclaimed new opera house and plenty of high-end dining options, Oslo is already a must-visit urban destination.

But this year the focus should be on the wilds of the Norwegian countryside. With its dazzling Nordic light and dramatic landscape, Norway is perhaps the most unexplored and exotic corner of Europe.

Having convinced the world that its fjords and southern coastline make the country a great summer getaway, Norwegians have begun showcasing its charms as a winter destination.

Specialized trekking and ski tours like those offered by the Lyngen Lodge (www.lyngenlodge.com) can open up pristine areas of the north like the stunning Lyngen Alps, with high-speed boats to shuttle across the fjord to ski trails that would otherwise be inaccessible.


And the country’s indifference to trendy boutique hotels and splashy resorts — long the lament of global tourism professionals — is just what appeals to a more discerning clientele.

Bespoke travel specialists like Ziniry (www.ziniry.com) excel at getting visitors deep into the scenery. Who needs a penthouse suite when you can book a lighthouse on a private island? — Andrew Ferren

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