Snowhotel in Kirkenes, Northern Norway, welcomes many guests to its famous igloo hotel and some are more famous than others. Last fall the Prime Minister’s Office in Norway called and asked if Prime Minister Erna Solberg could get a husky wagon ride since she had a few hours off before her plane went (she doesn`t have an Airforce One).
The agreement was that she was going on the ride like other guests without stress! The deal was done and she would pay like a regular customer.
Snowhotel, the famous igloo hotel in Kirkenes. Photo: Snowhotel
Prime Minister of Norway arrives at Snowhotel
“She came and we had some pleasant hours around the fire”, says Kåre Tannvik who founded Snowhotel Kirkenes in 2005. “What we talked about was the same as with other visitors: how we live up here with an active cabin life with sauna and chill-out. She enjoyed our homemade reindeer hot dogs and we believe she had a good time.”
Politics as usual
But then suddenly the conversation turned into grand politics. The Prime Minister had recently attended a conference in Svolvær in Lofoten, and on-stage some children asked her: “Where would you take president Trump for a weekend at a cabin?”
Having visited the Snowhotel in Kirkenes recently, the Prime Minister answered instantly, “I’d invite him on a cabin weekend in Kirkenes!”
So now Kåre Tannvik and the Snowhotel in Kirkenes are waiting for Airforce One!
Will Norway have a visit from President Trump?
“Our slogan is ‘WE CHANGE YOU’, so welcome dear Mr Trump, never too late! (Erna, free stay for you is on us, if he comes!)” says Tannvik.
Catching a taxi at most airports is time consuming and no fun at all. So, Snowhotel Kirkenes is offering a nostalgic effort to attract tourists. Those brave enough to endure the cold weather are now able to go for a dog sled ride.
Will Norway have a visit from President Trump? Compiled from Sowhotel Kirkenes blog. We thank founder Kåre Tannvik for his kind permission to reprint the story.
Feature image (on top): President Donald Trump and Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg, January 2018.
In April 2020, the Norwegian heavy metal band Vreid will be playing at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo. The concert is a cooperation between the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo and the Metal Festival Inferno. Music can change the world, and in its own way the heavy metal band promotes peace at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo-
In the event series «Songs that changed the world”, the Nobel Peace Center presents songs that have meant something special during history. Artists like Honningbarna, MYRA, Amanda Delara and Bendik have contributed with their interpretation of important “songs that changed the world”. In April, Vreid will play their chosen song at the Nobel Peace Center, as part of a collaboration with the Metal Festival Inferno.
The concert is a part of a collaboration with the Metal Festival Inferno.
Songs that changed the world
“The Nobel Peace Center wants to make it possible for visitors to Oslo’s cultural scene to experience other aspects of what the city has to offer. Through the cooperation with Inferno Metal Festival we offer a new arena for this kind of music – and at the same time we express that music can be more than just entertainment – music can change the world”, said Toril Rokseth, program director at the Nobel Peace Center.
The theme for this edition of «Songs that changed the world” will be freedom of expression. Vreid will interpret a song of their own choice under this theme, and take part in a talk with Rokseth and journalist Asbjørn Slettemark.
The theme for this edition of «Songs that changed the world” will be freedom of expression
Heavy Metal Promotes Peace at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo “Since the very beginning of “Songs That Changed the World”, the project has offered surprises, fun, new knowledge and some amazing, strong and catchy cover songs. To do this together with Inferno Metal Festival, a festival I have been thrilled about for many years, feels just right. That it will also include Vreid, a band I have been following as a fan and a journalist through the last 15 years, makes it especially fun and interesting. I am very excited for the song they will choose, perform and talk about”, said Slettemark.
The gig will also include several of Vreid’s own material.
Vreid will interpret a song of their own choice under the theme “Songs That Cahnged the World
Metal band with its own interpretation of a song that changed the world
“In Vreid we have always been up for new challenges. It was therefore with huge excitement we took on this task when Inferno Metal Festival and Nobel Peace Center challenged us to do our interpretation of a song that changed the world. Freedom of speech has been relevant since the very beginning of rock and is just as relevant and important today. Vreid looks forward to digging deep into the rock history, and will be ready to perform our song at the Nobel Peace Center in April”, said Jarle Hvall Kvåle from Vreid.
Ingvill Bryn Rambøl
Heavy Metal Promotes Peace at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, written by Ingvill Bryn Rambøl, Nobel Peace Center, Oslo
Today, the talented Swedish singer/songwriter Yajna has released an astonishing new pop single titled “Rising Phoenix”. The song is the last part of the Rising Phoenix Trilogy that previously included “You Are Beautiful” and “Femenomenal”, both released a few months back.
This time, Yajna has gone all in with her best cards, offering a dazzling performance in which she blends pop with beautifully constructed harmonies, without forgetting to mention her incredible voice that instantly gives chills down the spine.
On her new release, Yajna has gone all in with her best cards
Hypnotic vocal Pairing inspirational lyrics with her signature hypnotic vocals, Yajna is always on the move creating, polishing, and editing her works, proving the hype around each of her releases last year, while we cannot but anticipate an incredibly successful start of the decade for the talented Swedish singer-songwriter.
Yajna is in fact the singer’s real name, an Indian word which in Hinduism means worship, devotion and sacrifice. Yajna tells that her parents were hippies and named her Yajna after they had discovered the name somehow somewhere.
Yajna is always on the move creating, polishing, and editing her works
Talented Swedish Singer/Songwriter Releases New Pop Single Yajna finds her name unique and a very good fit for what she is doing. Yajna grew up in a family of musicians; her mother is a composer and organ player and her dad a guitarist. Yajna performed for the first time in her mother’s church at the age of 7 and wrote her first song when she was 10.
Last year, Denmark sourced 47 percent of its energy consumption from wind, up from 41 percent in 2018, according to state-run energy operator Energinet. This is a renewable energy milestone and also one of the most widespread kinds of renewable energy in the country. So, Denmark is the world’s leading wind power nation.
In EU, wind power made up 14 percent of energy consumption in 2019, compared to Denmark’s 47 percent. Wind power is the kind of renewable energy that has come furthest in terms of being competitive with other energy technologies.
By 2030, Denmark aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent with a new climate law passed late last year.
70 percent reduction by 2030
By 2030, Denmark aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent with a new climate law passed late last year. Today, more than a third of the Danish electricity production derives from wind turbines. Furthermore, onshore wind turbines are one of the cheapest ways to expand power production.
Denmark – The World’s Leading Wind Power Nation Denmark has due to its location on the gusty North Sea favorable wind conditions and understood as early as in the 1970s that wind power would play an important role in the transformation of the energy system. Denmark aims to no longer be dependent on fossil fuels in 2050. Denmark was the first country in the world to install an offshore wind farm, which was the wind farm Vindeby close to Lolland.
Today, more than a third of the Danish electricity production derives from wind turbines
The world’s largest offshore wind farm
The world’s largest offshore wind farm Horns Rev 3, inaugurated in August last year, generates power enough for about 425,000 Danish homes. Denmark and Danish companies rank among the best when it comes to development, production and installation of wind turbines. Today, export of wind turbines and technology for wind energy is an essential contribution to the Danish economy.
According to the Danish Energy Agency coal, oil and gas still play a major role in meeting the country’s energy consumption, but a wind energy revolution is evidently on its way.
Denmark – The World’s Leading Wind Power Nation, written by Tor Kjolberg
Enthusiast Gjøril Songvoll, founder of the organization “Opera To The People” has always had one goal: to get as many people as possible to like opera. She has done so in many ways, and one of them is through the popular Opera Pub Nights which has emerged at various water holes in the Norwegian capital. The Opera Pub has now resurrected at the newly established Røverstaden in downtown Oslo.
Gjøril Songvoll, Opera to the People founder
“A four-hour opera can seem daunting to many,” says Songvoll. “While opera excerpts in relaxing and familiar surroundings often is a liberating experience.” The Opera Pub has been a home for opera singers one day a week where new talents have joined forces with experienced opera stars performing beautiful opera arias.
According to Statistics Norway only 10% of the population like opera. “That’s nonsense,” says Songvoll. «Sold-out performances at the Opera in Oslo and other stages around the country and full rooms at the Opera Pub evenings and Lørdagsopera (Saturday Opera) indicate something completely different.”
The Opera Pub, every Wednesday at Røverstaden, downtown Oslo. Photo: Tor Kjolberg
Oslo Opera Pub On The Move
“In the Opera Pub, the audience comes close to the singers and skepticism is turned into enthusiasm,” says Songvoll, who organized the first Opera pub at Dockside 18 years ago! Opera Pub has since spread euphonic pleasures at a cloed-down pub in Oslo Central Station, Cafe Amsterdam, cocktail bar Pigalle, and now in Røverstaden, which many inhabitants in Oslo remember as Club 7.
Opera Pub in Oslo is now a collaboration between Røverstaden’s Torstein Løvlid and “Opera til folket” (Opera to the People).
An evening with star performers
Every Wednesday is Opera Pub at Røverstaden. At our visit recently, two singers were soprano Randi Røssaak, who is educated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo and achieved her Master in Opera from University College of Operahögskolan in Stockholm in 2012 and mezzo soprano Gro Bente Kjellevold, who is educated from Barratt Dues music Institute and the Opera Academy in Oslo.
Soprano Randi Røssaak
Pianist of the evening was Dorina Komani, who has won numerous international awards in piano competitions. She has studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo with world names such as Leif Ove Andsnes and Håvard Gimse.
Pianist Dorina Komani
The opera pub concept
The Opera Pub concept is not only singing to people with special interest, but also attracting new people into the world of opera. “Even great singers agree to be paid low fees because they believe in what we are doing,” concludes Gjøril Songvoll.
Opera Pub in Oslo is now a collaboration between Røverstaden’s Torstein Løvlid and “Opera til folket” (Opera to the People). Photo: Tor Kjolberg
That’s the reason why no entrance fees are required.
Oslo Opera Pub On The Move, written by Tor Kjolberg
A jury consisting of one Olympic medal winner, an Alpine World Champion, an editor, a photo journalist, an avalanche expert and a retired cross-country enthusiast voted recently Hemsedal the most complete ski destination in Norway.
Hemsedal is one of the largest ski resorts in Norway and also the place for ski touring adventures. Situated halfway between Oslo and Bergen, Hemsedal is a place with alpine mountains and long ski traditions. The village center lies 650 meters above sea level, while the surrounding summits rise up to 1750 meters. Mass tourism is perhaps what springs to mind when Hemsedal is mentioned. On weekdays, however, ski touring in this area can be a serene experience.
Hemsedal is one of the largest ski resorts in Norway
Transportation A number of express buses stop by Hemsedal on their way between the eastern and western parts of Southern Norway. There are several daily buses to the village of Gol, from where you can catch the trams on the Bergen line. To get to the ski lifts from overnight accommodations in Hemsedal, there are three buses. Apart from the trip to Kyrkjebønosi, the mountains here are easiest to reach by car.
Snow, season and weather conditions Hemsedal lies east of the water divide and has a dry inland climate. Therefore, this area doesn’t get as much snow as the mountain regions further west. In winter, temperatures in the twenties below zero are not uncommon. Snowy weather usually comes from the east/south-east. If a snowfall is followed by strong winds and mild weather from the west, avalanches become a risk on the steepest slopes. Ski touring in this area is usually best from February until mid-May.
Hemsedal piste map
Avalanche forecast The regional avalanche forecast for the area Hallingdal will give useful information about the conditions in Hemsedal. The forecast is published here.
Accomodation and shopping Hemsedal offers the full range of overnight accommodation. Contact the tourist information office for an overview. If you want to lodge in an authentic local atmosphere, Harahorn and Fauske Skysstasjon are two good alternatives. In Hemsedal you can find shops and gas stations. There is a store at Ulsåk close to the starting point for the tour in Skogshorn and Nibbi. Skandinavisk Høyfjellsutstyr is a ski touring specialist store.
If you want to lodge in an authentic local atmosphere, Harahorn is a good alternatives
Ski areas Hemsedal Skisenter is one of the best ski resorts in Norway. It includes 21 lifts and has a vertical drop of more than 800 meters. You can enjoy good off-piste and use the lifts as a springboard for short ski touring trips. In Grøndalen, a few kilometers north of Hemsedal, you find the ski area named Solheisen (the Sun Lift). It includes three lifts and has a vertical drop of 300 meters.
Other summits There are a number of Summits along the road over Hemsedalsfjellet (Road 52). Høgtoft (1920 m), the highest mountain in Hemsedal, is a long and nice day trip. Set out from the north-west end of the lake named Eldrevann. Storebottskar (1719 m) is a snow-reliable summit with a relatively easy descent. Park the car on the left side of the road just after Støytestølen (in the right curve before the long tangent section towards Bjøberg). Bjøbergnuten (1515 m) offers several steep descents. Harahorn (1581 m) lies in Grøndalen, right across Hotel Grøndalen. Storehorn (1482 m) is a nice trip in spring. Start from the Thorseterstølene by Ulsok.
Hemsedal is the place for ski touring adventures. Phito: Novasol
Other activities Hemsedal offers a wide range of activities all year round. Ice climbing and alpine winter climbing are good options in Hemsedal and Gol. Cross-country ski tracks are abundant in this area. At the tourist information office, you can book trips with dog-sled.
Book published by Fri Flyt
Further information IFMGA guide Jørgen Aamot offers guided tours through the company Fjellsentralen. Hemsedal Fjellsport offers different kind of activities.
Roughly 55% of the growth in the luxury and beauty industry is attributed to independent or indie brands, according to The NPD Group. A large part of that growth is thanks to the stirring interest in indie jewelry brands. When it comes to indie jewelry offerings, Scandinavia does not lag behind. Today, we take a look at Copenhagen’s indie jewelry: Ethical, sustainable, and proud.
In fact, Copenhagen is the home of a brand that is paving the way for an ethical and sustainable approach to luxury goods.
Jewelry exhibits at The Jewelry Room help to provide a signal boost for indie Scandinavian brands like Hasla
Copenhagen Indie Jewelry Brands Copenhagen is the home of some established and up-and-coming indie jewelry brands. One of the well-known indie brands is called RAW Copenhagen. They pride themselves on their gemstones which are all ethically sourced and they regularly partner up with charities to give back to the community.
Maria Black is an eponymous brand that offers budget-friendly and sustainable jewelry. All Blues is another brand that is slowly tipping toward mainstream but is proud of its indie roots. Ultimately, what all these brands have in common is that they are passionate about providing ethical and sustainable jewels for consumers.
Bracelet from RAW
Ethics and Sustainability Around 80% of consumers care strongly about a brand’s ethical standards, according to Ipsos Mori. Thus, it isn’t surprising that brands that embrace sustainable and ethically-sourced pieces are highly in demand. Whatever the consumer needs, brands need to meet them in order to be relevant. It is also indicative that brand owners themselves want to break away from old practices that contribute toward humane crises in different parts of the world. It is comforting to know that Copenhagen is the home of so many brands that fully embrace and promote this ideology.
Elisabeth Crossley Wright, founder of With Love Darling
A Must-Visit for Jewelry Lovers Copenhagen isn’t just well-known for the brands that are located here. It’s also the chosen location for different Scandinavian indie brands — from all over the country — to showcase their wares. Jewelry exhibits at The Jewellery Room help to provide a signal boost for indie Scandinavian brands like Hasla, Elisabeth Crossley Wright’s With Love Darling, and many more. It’s a good location for consumers to grow their awareness regarding their jewelry brand options and discover more advocacies that they agree with and would wish to support.
In the past few years, consumers have become more discerning about the sort of brands they want to support. Copenhagen’s indie jewelry scene is the perfect example of what happens when brands carry world-positive advocacy that’s coupled with tasteful jewelry pieces. If consumers are looking for something eye-catching and guilt-free, Copenhagen has offerings that are sure to meet expectations and more.
Feature image (on top): The Jewellery Room, Copenhagen
A Look At Copenhagen’s Indie Jewelry: Ethical, Sustainable, and Proud, written for Daily Scandinavian by Karoline Gore.
The Norwegian Polar Institute’s annual census of wild reindeer found that 200 animals had starved to death over winter due to climate change in the Arctic archipelago Svalbard. This is an unusually high number. There are still 4 million reindeer in the Arctic, but researchers are afraid of the fact that climate change is affecting the polar regions more severely than other parts of the world. The climate change is threatening Arctic reindeer in Norway’s as well as in Sweden’s arctic regions.
Unusual weather patterns in the region are threatening the herding animals’ grazing grounds. The head of the Norwegian Polar Institute’s census, Åshild Onvik Pedersen, says that the climate changes are happening twice as fast in the Arctic as in the rest of the world.
Reindeer crossing road in Norway
Hardy creatures
Ilona Kater, PhD researcher in Arctic Ecology at Durham University, states that “reindeer are incredibly hardy creatures – they survived the last Ice Age and today live in some of the world’s most inhospitable landscapes. Despite their fine-tuned adaptations to life in the Arctic and after over 600,000 years of living there, reindeer are struggling to survive the rapid changes happening all around them.”
Roughly half of the reindeer population in the Arctic has an extraordinary relationship with people. The animals graze the tundra and by keeping the brush short, they allow precious sunlight to reach some of the more rare plants and grasses and create a diversity that helps the tundra survive as climate change impacts the region.
“If we don’t find better areas for the reindeer where they can graze and find food, then the animals will starve to death,” said a Swedish reindeer herder.
Reindeer using their hooves to find food
Reindeer find vegetation in the snow using their hooves during wintertime, but alternating freezing and thawing periods can create layers of impenetrable ice, depriving the reindeers of nourishment. In the winter of 2013-14, 61,000 reindeer starved to death in the Yamal peninsula of Russia.
Sami herding communities fear climate change could mean the end of their traditional lifestyle in a region spanning northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and west Russia. For many years the indigenous Saami have tried to survive in conflict with industries and government over land.
Reindeer herder
Climate Change Threatening Arctic Reindeer
Bad winters happened every decade or so also before, but extreme weather are getting more and more normal, according to elder Sami herders. Onvik Pedersen says that a comparable death toll in the Svalbard region has been recorded only once before, after the winter of 2007-2008, since monitoring of the reindeer population started 40 years ago. One study in Norway found that in the last century, undisturbed reindeer habitat has shrunk by 70%, including grazing lands that have been flooded for hydroelectric dams.
Measurements by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute show the country has warmed 1.64 degrees Celsius (2.95 degree Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial times. In Sweden’s alpine region, this increase is even greater, with average winter temperatures between 1991 and 2017 up more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degree Fahrenheit) compared with the 1961-1990 average.
Migration routes being broken apart
The reindeer’s migration routes are being broken apart by roads, fences and railway lines causing the animals have less and less to eat. The climate change on top of all this makes an already difficult situation even worse. Many reindeer herders are forced to purchase feed for their reindeer during winter – and smaller herders find this extra cost hard to handle. Today, only about 10% of the 70,000 Sami reindeer herders make a limited income from meat, hides and antlers crafted into knife handles.
Without reindeer, the diversity of plant species drops. One study found that the diversity dropped as grasses that reindeer previously had kept in check were allowed to proliferate and push out other species, like mosses and liverworts.
Climate Change Threatening Arctic Reindeer, written by Tor Kjolberg
More than 80 years ago, Einar Kvamme established his tailoring practice in the small village of Olden in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. In 1986, the family business Kvamme Konfektion was turned into Riccovero by Finn Einar Kvamme, grandson of the founder. In 2011, the company launched its first design collection featuring dresses from one of Norway’s foremost fashion designers, Kristian Aadnevik. Thereby, new luxury from Norway was embraced by fashion enthusiasts all over Scandinavia.
Kristian Aadnevik (b. 1978) from Bergen has his degree in fashion design from Royal College of Art in London. In 2008, he was protégé of the Italian designer Donatella Versace. He has also worked for the Italian clothing brand Cavalli.
Riccovero has become one of the most famous brands in Norway, with collections for women as well as men
One of the most famous brands in Norway
Today, Riccovero has become one of the most famous brands in Norway, with collections for women as well as men.
Riccovero’s philosophy focuses on a great fit, functionality and user-friendliness. Seasonal colors and trends are important and so are quality materials and aesthetic clean lines. “We’ve based our brand on our tailoring heritage, so it’s important for us to design quality clothes where the cut lifts the whole outfit,” says Finn Einar Kvamme. “The cut is a crucial factor in tailoring, so this is very important to us.”
Seasonal colors and trends are important and so are quality materials and aesthetic clean lines
New luxury from Norway
Now, Riccovero’s design team consist of five people with large knowledge of the Scandinavian market, and not least, they are designers with a solid international background from Milan as well as New York.
“Traveling and experiences inspires us,” says Kvamme and adds, “It’s not the clothes alone, but how people dress in different cities.”
The Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind was born in Stockholm on 6 October 1820. When she was nine, Lind was overheard singing by the maid of the Royal Swedish Opera’s principal dancer. The maid returned the next day with her mistress, Mile Lundberg, who in turn arranged for Lind to study at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. Read the exciting story about the Swedish nightingale.
Jenny Lind was a soprano whose voice was admired by Chopin, Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann, no less!
Lind started performing aged 10, went on to sing at the Royal Swedish Opera and was court singer for the King of Sweden
Started performing aged 10
Lind started performing aged 10, went on to sing at the Royal Swedish Opera and was court singer for the King of Sweden. By her tween years she was a renowned professional singer. In 1841-43 she travelled to Paris to rest her voice, before her London debut in 1847 at the Haymarket. She gave a performance so arresting that Queen Victoria threw a bouquet of flowers at her feet. She gave a special performance for the Queen in 1849 at the age of 28. Her last performances were German opera – including work by her admirer Felix Mendelssohn – but there are no known recordings of her singing.
Lind announced her retirement form opera aged 29, but was tempted into touring the US by Phineas T. Barnum in 1850. Lind insisted he deposit USD 200,000 in a bank in London before she would sail.
Jenny Lind’s American Tour
When Jenny Lind disembarked from the steamship Atlantic to begin an American tour on September 1, 1850, the visionary entertainer and entrepreneur P. T. Barnum greeted the singer with a bouquet and waved her into a private carriage in front of nearly 40,000 onlookers who packed the waterfront around Canal Street in New York City.
P. T. Barnum, then riding high on the fame of his American Museum in New York City, longed to elevate his public profile. He promised Lind an unprecedented USD 1,000 per night for up to 150 nights of performances.
The greatest singer we ever heard People loved her, and she became one of the most adored singers of the 1800s. She was praised for her elaborate ornamentations, impressive runs and ability to sing an incredibly simple tune and make it sound spectacular. The New York Tribune summarized her popularity: “Jenny Lind’s first concert is over; and all doubts are at an end. She is the greatest singer we have ever heard”.
People loved Jenny Lind, and she became one of the most adored singers of the 1800s
It was, however, the composer Clara Schumann who gave the highest praise of all: “Lind has a genius for song which might come to pass only once in many years,” she wrote. “Her appearance is arresting at first glance and her face, although not exactly beautiful, appears so because of the expression in her wonderful eyes.”
Lind’s partnership with Barnum continued for nearly a year, after which she toured under her own management. Barnum made at least USD 500,000 (now worth around $1.4 billion) from their relationship, while she earned around $350,000, much of which she donated to charity.
The Swedish Nightingale
She kept suitors like Barnum, Frederic Chopin and Hans Christian Andersen at arm’s length while she focused on music and charity work. Her dream was to establish a girls’ music academy in Stockholm. Stung by rejection Andersen pined for Lind in his story The Nightingale, in which a grand emperor is enthralled with a jeweled automaton in the shape of a bird, but can only be saved from death by the singing of a plain brown nightingale.
Jenny Lind and Otto Goldschmidt
Moving back to Europe
Near the end of her 1852 tour, she married pianist and conductor Otto Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt was in many ways an unattractive match from a 19th-century public relations perspective; he was significantly younger than Lind, Jewish, and his name had an unpleasantly Teutonic bite to American audiences. But he offered Lind emotional stability and Lind and Goldschmidt moved to Germany and then England in 1855, they had three children. She continued to perform, usually for charity, and became singing professor at London’s Royal College of Music in 1882.
She died on 2 November 1887 and is buried in the Great Malvern Cemetery, western England. She also has a memorial in Westminster Abbey, London.
