Mary Thomas, a 19th century rebel from St. Croix (now part of US Virgin Islands), known as one of “the three queens”, who led the largest labor revolt in Danish colonial history, is now honored with a striking statue, entitled “I am Queen Mary”.
Thomas, along with two other female leaders, unleashed an uprising in 1878 called the “Fireburn.” Fifty plantations and most of the town of Frederiksted in St. Croix were burned.
“I am Queen Mary”-statue in Copenhagen
The statue is nearly 23 feet tall, and her head is wrapped as she stares straight ahead while sitting barefoot, but regally, in a wide-backed chair. She is clutching a torch in one hand and a tool used to cut sugar cane in the other.
Danish artist Jeanette Ehlers
According to a recent press release Danish artist Jeannette Ehlers and Virgin Islander-artist La Vaughn Belle say they teamed up to create a work that “challenges Denmark’s forgotten colonial past.” In Denmark, where most of the public statues represent white men. The rebellion was brutally suppressed and the three queens were arrested, went on trial for their role in the rebellion and served their prison sentence in Copenhagen, just over a mile from where the statue now stands in front of a former warehouse for Caribbean sugar and rum.
“This project is the first collaborative sculpture to memorialize Denmark’s colonial impact in the Caribbean and those who fought against it,” the artists said on the monument’s website.
The Danish Act abolishing the slave trade in 1792 (National Museum of Denmark)
Denmark was an active participant in the transatlantic slave trade and greatly benefitted from it. Though Denmark prohibited trans-Atlantic slave trafficking in 1792, it did not rush to enforce the ban. The rule took effect 11 years later, and slavery continued until 1848.
US cheque, payment for purchase of three Caribbean islands from Denmark
The unveiling comes at the end of a centennial year commemorating the sale by Denmark of three islands to the United States on March 3, 1917: St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas. The price was $25 million.
“we are confronting present day’s racism and Eurocentrism by claiming a space for our narratives,” said Ehlers.
Ehlers said in a statement: “we are confronting present day’s racism and Eurocentrism by claiming a space for our narratives.” “It takes a statue like this to make forgetting less easy. It takes a monument like this to fight against the silence, neglect, repression and hatred,” Henrik Holm, senior research curator at the National Gallery of Denmark.
From the inaguration of “I am Queen Mary”. Photo: Thorsten Altman Krueger
The monument currently sits near Copenhagen’s West Indian Warehouse, which once stored goods produced in Denmark’s former Caribbean colonies. “They wanted to fill the stocks first” and ensure enough slaves would remain to keep plantations running, said Niels Brimnes, an associate professor at Aarhus University and a leading expert on colonialism in Denmark.
First Black Woman Monument in Copenhagen, written by Tor Kjolberg
Some time ago Lonely Planet’s Tom Hall wrote: “Anywhere else, the Bergensbanen would be heralded as a wonder of the world.”
The Oslo-Bergen railway (Bergensbanen) passes one of the world’s highest stretches of railway tracks, the Hardangervidda plateau (4,060ft). For nearly 60 miles it runs above the tree line, in terrain with few signs of human life. If you want to experience more of Norway when traveling between cities, the Oslo Bergen train is a great option.
The Oslo Bergen line stops 21 times
Few European railways traverse such desolate mountain terrain as the 308-mile (500km) line linking Norway’s capital with its principal port and second city. Best of all, unlike many other things in Norway, it can be done on a relatively small budget.
Bergensbanen, operated by NSB, takes you on a journey through picturesque mountain scenery
Bergensbanen, operated by NSB, takes you on a journey through picturesque mountain scenery and has many destinations worth seeing along the stretch, taking about seven hours. It was built between 1875 and 1909 and has 182 tunnels (11¼ miles) carved out through solid gneiss. 12 routes were surveyed before one was chosen. The line opened in sections from 1883, but the first scheduled train for Bergen did not leave Oslo until 1908.
Bergensbanen passes one of the world’s highest stretches of railway tracks, the Hardangervidda plateau (4,060ft)
The Bergen Railway Station is located right in the heart of Bergen city, just a short walk from the famous Bryggen, the Fish Market and the beautiful and lively city center of Bergen. The Oslo railway station is next to the stupendous Oslo Opera House. There are four daily departures from Bergen and Oslo all year round.
If you want to experience more of Norway when traveling between cities, the Oslo Bergen train is a great option
If you’re leaving from Oslo, the train follows the capital’s commuter belt to Drammen, the first major stop after an about half an hour’s trip. From there the line begins to head into wilder land. The train follows the course of valleys and rivers, seemingly growing ever wider and faster-flowing. Skirting the lake of Tyrifjorden, it arrived at the junction of Hønefoss.
The largest national park in Scandinavia, Hardangervidda
Holiday cabins dot the hills as the train leaves the last trees behind and heads for the north shore of Lake Ustevatn, which can be frozen for three quarters of the year. The train burrows through the first of many snowsheds, vital to keep the line open year-round but an irritation when you are enjoying the view.
The Oslo Bergen line stops 21 times. The highest station is Finse, at 1222m. During the trip you can experience some of Norway’s most popular nature attractions, like the Flam Railway. The option then is to leave the line at Myrdal station where you can change train and experience the historic Flåmsbana to Flåm. You can continue with a boat to Gudvangen, bus to Voss and train to Bergen.
From Sognefjord
Past Ål, the frequent river crossings are marked by a metallic roar as the train crosses a bridge in its climb through the beautiful Hallindal Valley towards one of Norway’s best-known winter sports center, Geilo, boasting 39 downhill slopes and nearly 350 miles of cross-country trails.
The views over Sognefjord, Norway’s deepest and longest fjord at 125 miles, are spectacular as the train gingerly twists down the mountainside.
Summer in Hallingdal
This is a comfortable and easy way to travel; either you travel all the way from Oslo to Bergen or just want to enjoy the nature at some of the destinations along the way. It has become a popular journey for tourists. Snow is a feature almost throughout the year, because the average snowline in Norway is at about 3,000ft, compared with 7,000ft in Switzerland.
Ustevatn in winter. Photo: Inga Skålnes
If you are lucky the train will be quiet enough to swap sides to take advantage of the best views, but if you’re on a business trip or in a hurry, the train also offers cabins for those traveling by night.
Tyrifjord
During a one-day journey from Bergen you can experience Norway’s most spectacular fjord landscapes. But looking at the map of Norway, you realize that there are plenty of train lines. For train lovers, one journey should lead to another.
Norwegian Train Line Heralded a Wonder of the World, written by Tor Kjolberg Feature image (on top): Bergensbanen at Flåm. Photo: A. Morten Rakke
Effective this month, Sweden has introduced a new aviation tax, intended to offset the industry’s carbon footprint.
The new aviation tax will add an extra charge to all passenger flights from the country, according to AFP. The fee ranges from $7 to $49 (60 – 400 krona or 6 – 39 euros) per passenger, depending on the flight’s destination.
Sweden’s Climate Minister and Greens spokeswoman Isabella Lovin
“The objective of the tax is to minimize the carbon footprint of flights following a sharp increase in air travel,” climate minister and Greens spokeswoman Isabella Lovin wrote in Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
According to a study published in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, 53 percent of Swedes surveyed were in the favor of the new tax. The tax will apply to everyone except babes in arms, flight crews, passengers stopping over without changing planes and—in some circumstances—those in transit to take another flight.
The aviation industry produces from 3% to 8% of the world’s emissions, according to the GAO. The opposition Centre party has criticized the move, calling for airlines to be required to use a percentage of biofuels.
Analyst Jacob Pedersen of Danish bank Sydbank said the tax will be good for Danish aviation, as airlines could avoid Sweden and Norway, which now both have similar taxes.
Eco-friendly Aviation Tax Introduced in Sweden, written by Tor Kjolberg
One little country is starting to put itself on the map of electronic music happenings. Here we showcase the eclectic talents that’s emerging out of Norway. More than ever, Norway seems like a hub of exceptional DJs and idiosyncratic dance producers, from pop crossover stars like Röyksopp and Annie to proggy disco acts like Prins Thomas and Lindstrøm.
Recent years, Norway has seen a steady growth in club events and festivals including every genre from psy-trance, disco, deep and tech house to techno. At present, the country is particularly known for acts such as Röyksopp, Todd Terje, Kygo and Cashmere Cat, while Lindstøm and Pandreas uphold the country’s reputation in electronic brilliance. A new documentary, Northern Disco Lights: The Rise and Rise of Norwegian Dance Music, attempts to explain why.
Norway’s dance music history is only as old as the 1970s. However, the oil boom orompted a period of cultural advancement in the 1980s, a musical “catching up” with the rest of Europe. It was in the early 1990s that the first wave of acts like Biosphere and Mental Overdrive started getting international recognition, putting a stake in the ground for Norway’s musical relevance.
Thanks to its persistent groups of hard working and through and through music loving organizers and collectives there has been a wide spread of bigger and smaller events, all characterized by top notch bookings, decorations, and dedication.
From the Midnight Sin Festival 2016
Festivals like The Midnight Sun Festival take place in astonishing surroundings. Here cutting-edge electronic music is combined with art and arctic nature and wildlife. The accolade of Norway’s Next Big Things go to Highaskite and Team Me, while electro-pop chanteuse Mr. Little Jeans and singer-songwriters Aurora (Aknses) and Emilie Nicolas represent powerful women in the field of pop music. Sommerøya Electronical Festival in Oslo takes place 17 – 18 August 2018. The annual event started back in 2010 and has grown to be one of Scandinavia’s most relevant in its niche.
In alphabetical order, the acts below prove that what the country may lack in population it makes up in its dense musical experimentations and endeavors.
Alan Olav Walker, formerly known by his stage name DJ Walkzz
Alan Walker Alan Olav Walker, formerly known by his stage name DJ Walkzz, is best known for his 2015 single “Faded”, which received platinum certifications in over 10 different countries. He is ranked the 17th in DJMag’s Top 100 DJs list of 2017, 38 positions higher than the previous year.
Aurora describes herself as a “dreamer and a thinker”
Aurora Describing herself as a “dreamer and a thinker,” Aurora started making music when she was just nine years old. Now 18, she’s dropped a number of wonderfully delicate tracks since 2012.
Awill describes himself as a “boom bapper”
Awill
Awill – who describes himself as a “boom bapper”- is slowly making a name for himself in the scene and has received notable online praise. He has released a series of well-produced videos for the majority of his tracks; check them here.
Oslo-based producer/DJ Bearson
Bearson Oslo-based producer/DJ Bearson has made his mark with a series of remixes fro, among others, Franki Love and SOHN, parallel to playing in bigger and bigger clubs and at festivals at home and abroad. Listen to his Want you, featuring Cal on YouTube.
Broiler
Broiler Formerly known as DJ Broiler, Mikker Buxrud Christiansen and Sime Auke found online success with their dance tunes consisting of commercial elements. Recently they have focused on professional remixing and music production. Listen to Broiler featuring Skløtta – Møndarm on YouTube.
From 2014, Carl Louis has gone solo
Carl Louis
Carl Louis founded highly successful duo CLMD, touring the world performing for crowds of thousands and getting playlisted by the likes of BBC1 and SiriusXM. Multiple singles also went platinum. For 2014, Carl Louis has gone solo, and is set to follow a more organic and transgressive electronica vein with his new output. Listen to his songs on Soundcloud.
Martin Danielle is the co-creator of CLMD. Photo: Mikkle Walle – LITE
CLMD Martin Danielle is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic music project CLMD, and he founded and manages record company UPNORTH Recordings. CLMDs first international recognized hit was “The Message” under the artist name Carl Louis & Martin Danielle. In 2017 Martin was asked to be a mentor on the Norwegian version of the hit TV show The Voice, becoming the first nonvocalist mentor ever worldwide. Listen to their song Dust ft Astrid S on You Tube.
Four-piece folk and pop group Comet Kid
Comet Kid Four-piece folk and pop group Comet Kid is creating a sound that is carefree and heartfelt. Describing himself as the “dancing, songwriting, bearded vocalist” front-man Andreas Kjøll started up. Watch their acoustic rendition of “Psychopath” and the official video for the lovely “Diamonds.”
In 2014, Coucheron was handpicked as a Spotify Spotlight Artist for 2015
Coucheron In 2014, Coucheron was handpicked as a Spotify Spotlight Artist for 2015 and named one of the biggest talents in the music industry. The first single from his Playground EP, “Deep End”, shows just a glimpse of what the listener can expect and is a great collaboration with Eastside and Mayer Hawthorne on vocals. His most recent single, “Honkey Donk”, spread like wildfire, making it to 3rd place in the US Viral Top Ten Charts. Listen to him on Soundcloud.
Didrik Thulin received international success with his single “Dancer”
Didrik Thulin Didrik Thulin received international success with his single “Dancer” (5.4 million streams on Spotify) in 2013. His childhood friend Kygo made a remix of it, and not long after, he went to the studio with some friends from the Bergen area with a band called WDSTCK. “Flowes” became a radio hit. When the band decided to take a break. Didrik’s solo career began. His first solo single was titled “Fading”.
In 2016 Emilie unfortunately had to cancel several concerts because of illness
Emilie Nicolas Emilie started (unintentionally) her career with a cover of Du0mdum Boys “Pstereo”, commissioned by a Norwegian festival as part of their marketing campaign. In 2016 she unfortunately had to cancel several concerts because of illness. On her Instagram account she writes about her recent surgery.
Solo singer-songwriter Kari Jahnsen is from Valdres
Farao Solo singer-songwriter Kari Jahnsen is from Valdres, Norway. Farao is her musical pseudonym. The multi-instrumentalist is now producing compelling folk-pop music. She is now touring in Norway.
Finnebassen has regular gogs worldwide
Finnebassen
As well as regularly playing at massive Oslo night spots like Jaeger and The Villa, Finnebassen also has regular gigs worldwide.
Five-piece Norwegian indie pop-band Highasakite
Highasakite Five-piece Norwegian indie pop-band Highasakite has received both national and international success – critical and commercial. Their debut album All That Floats Will Rain was released in 2012, followed by two Eps. You can listen to their latest album Alchemy and other albums here.
Eclectic vocalist Jenny Hval
Jenny Hval Eclectic vocalist Jenny Hval writes, sings and produces under her real name as well as under the alias Rockettothesky. Her voice is strange, sensual and stunning. Try out her album Viscera.
Young Norwegian Jerry Folk
Jerry Folk
This young Norwegian gained widespread attention for his work on tracks by Pharrell, Chromeo, The Fugees and fellow Norwegian electronic producers Lemaitre. His indie dance edit of classic R&B single “Suga Suga” reached Number 1 on Hypem.
Indie pop band Kid Astray
Kid Astray
Fresh out of high school (where they met), the indie pop band has a penchant for fun, carefree music. From their first official offering “The Mess” (created in just six hours) to their latest song Day in June from the album Home before the Dark, the uplifting sounds of this Norwegian six-piece are filtered through their own adolescent realities.
Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll is internationally known by his stage name Kygo
Kygo Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll is internationally known by his stage name Kygo.He garnered international attention with his remix of the track “I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran, which has received over 55 million plays on SoundCloud and 65 million views on YouTube and his single “Firestone” which has over 450 million views on YouTube with an additional 560 million plays on the music streaming service Spotify, as of August 2017.
Lemaitre has released a number of EPs
Lemaitre Since the duo’s inception in summer 2010, Lemaitre has released a number of EPs, including the Relativity Series: Relativity1, 2, 3and Relativity by Nite; The Friendly Sound, and Singularity. the band is named after Georges Lemaître, a Belgian priest who first proposed the Big Bang Theory and derived the physics concept now referred to as Hubble’s Law. Watch Lemaitre on You Tube here.
Lindstøm is one of Norway’s finest musical exports
Lindstrøm One of Norway’s finest musical exports, Lindstrøm, is often hailed as the country’s contemporary disco king. Born in the outskirts of Stavanger, Hans-Peter Lindstrøm is a multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer who goes by the name of “Lindstrøm”. Lindstøm runs his own label Feedelity Records and has released all his studio albums via the imprint. Check also out some of his releases via iTunes.
Tom Stræte Lagergren is professionally known as Matoma
Matoma Tom Stræte Lagergren is professionally known as Matoma, a Norwegian DJ and record producer. “Free Fallin Tropical Mojito Remix (John Mayer Tribute)” was produced with fellow tropical house producer Nelsaan and was released on Matoma’s 23rd birthday.
Matoma was asked by Universal Germany to make a remix of Marlon Roudette’s “When the Beat Drops” in July 2014 which was released one month later. An official music video was published by The Vamps. As of October 2017 the single had received 286 million Spotify streams. Matoma and The Vamp’s second collaborative single “Staying Up” was released on 1 September 2017. Listen to The Vamps and Matoma on Atomicsoul.
Pandreas is hailing from Norway’s remote western shores
Pandreas
Hailing from Norway’s remote western shores and currently based in Bergen, Andreas Kleven Rasmussen, aka Pandreas, is responsible for creating bright, cultivated electronica rich with organic textures, sparkling synth lines and sweet vocal samples. Listen to one of his latest cuts, Trommer Traumer from the album Full Pupp here.
Monica Birkenes used to sing in church choirs
Mr. Little Jeans
Monica Birkenes used to sing in church choirs, retirement homes, malls and bars. Her alter ego name is taken from a character in Wes Anderson’s Rushmore. The track “Rescue Song” has been used in a HP commercial and her cover of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” has garnered over four million YouTube views.
Indian-born Norwegian singer Samsaya is all about love
Samsaya Indian-born Norwegian singer Samsaya is all about love. she got her breakthrough as an actress in the Norwegian movies, Folk flest bor i Kina, the horror movie Villmark and Hawaii Oslo. Fusing contemporary pop with traditional Indian sounds, her music fills clubs in Los Angeles as well as in Oslo. Her Bombay calling is just a genre-busting set of songs drawing from pop, dance, hip hop, funk, soul and Bollywood.
Electro-pop chanteuse Sandra Kolstad
Sandra Kolstad Electro-pop chanteuse Sandra Kolstad is big in her homeland Norway and rightly so. She’s been releasing a steady flow of music since 2011, touring extensively and is responsible for some wonderfully weird and vibrant videos – “Run Away (Where are We?)” was officially selected for the SXSW Film Festival.
Sea Change combines vocal harmonies with loop-based sounds and icy electronics
Sea Change
Named after Beck’s 2002 studio album, Sea Change combines vocal harmonies with loop-based sounds and icy electronics. Behind the moniker is A. W. Sundes. Her ambient pop impresses with the space and mystery between its beats, as exemplified in her track “Bridges.” Check out her SoundCloud for more.
Seeb is also sometimes styluzed as SEEB
Seeb Seeb, or sometimes stylized as SEEB is a record production trio made up of Simen Eriksrud, Espen Berg and Niklas Strandbråten. “Cruel World”, a collaboration with Skip Marley, was released on November 10, 2017. On March 28, 2018 the trio announced the release of their debut EP “Nice To Meet You”, dropping on April 20, 2018. The lead single of their EP was released last Friday. Listen to their recording Breathe, featuring Neev on YouTube.
Norwegian producer Snasen is crafting a world that is dark and ominous
Snasen Norwegian producer Snasen is crafting a world that is dark and ominous, one in which impending danger looms. Robin Snasen Rengård is also a graphic designer and used to be in a punk band called Amulet. Listen to Snasen remixes on Soundcloud.
The Norwegian producer and DJ Sonny Alven
Sonny Alven The Norwegian producer and DJ Sonny Alven has been building his reputation through a steady outlet of highly sophisticated originals and remixes over the last years. The diversity of his musical tastes are remarkable, one moment remixing acoustic originals by the likes of Angus & Julia Stone and Australian folk darlings Little May, the next releasing official remixes of Swedish EDM prodigies Nause and dance icon Alesso… always with class and avery distinct touch of his own. Listen to Our Youth, featuring Emmi on YouTube.
Team Me captures the listener with their exuberant energy and expansive sound
Team Me
Team Me captures the listener with their exuberant energy and expansive sound. Their debut, To the Treetops! – recorded over a hectic five-week period – was dubbed one of the best debuts from a Norwegian band ever. Their official site as well as their album To The Treetops! are worth checking out.
The sound of Truls bursts with electro-pop hooks
Truls
The sound of Truls bursts with electro-pop hooks and his unbelievably high falsetto. Just listen to his “Out Of Yourself” on You Tube.
Norwegian/Swedish duo Tungevaag abd Raaban
Tungevaag & Raaban Tungevaag & Raaban is a dance music producer duo consisting of the Norwegian DJ Martin Tungevaag from Stadlandet in Norway, and the Swedish DJ and producer Robbin Söderlund (better known by his artistic name Raaban) from Borås in Sweden. Sharing a common interest for the EDM genre, they have both collaborated and separately produced music within the genre for many years. Listen to their song Samsara on YouTube.
Yoguttene is tap-Norway-s masked super heroes
Yoguttene Yoguttene is tap-Norway-s masked super heroes. Listen to songs and albums from the trio Yoguttene, including “Sånn vi Levar”, “Hasj Og Høykultur”, “$Leme Damer Me $Nile Fje$” and many more on iTunes.
Young Dreams’ teenage dreams make up the lyrics
Young Dreams Despite hailing from rainy Bergen, pop collective Young Dreams’ sound evokes a tropical, summery feel. Their teenage dreams make up the lyrics; the band’s youthful energy resonates throughout. Released on Modular People (Robyn, Tame Impala), their debut album Between Places can be heard in full via their SoundCloud. On 12 January, Young Dreams released their new album, Waves 2 You.
Musical Electro Waves From Norway Conquer the World, compiled by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top): Midnight Sun Festival. Photo: Pierre Ekman
The 18th Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo 2018 offered legends of Norwegian black metal bands as well as cultural excursions. For the first time, festival participants could enjoy a guided tour to the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch’s sites in Oslo. Black metal fans are a cultural bunch of people, not only interested in metal bands like Satyricon and Napalm Death. Proof was the about 20 participants joining the guided tour offered by Northway – unique tours of Norway.
Festival participant Åsmund Sjupant watching a Munch painting
One of the guests, Åsmund Djupang from Norway had never been to the National Gallery in Oslo before. Now he could learn from Edvard Munch specialist and co-owner of Northway, Silvia Leine, about Munch’s life and art in the Edvard Munch room, containing world famous paintings like the Scream, Madonna and Girls on the Bridge.
Black Metal band Satyricon’s album cover ‘Deep calleth upon deep’
The Norwegian black metallers, the Satyricon, featured a drawing by Edvard Munch as their latest album’s macabre cover artwork. “I like it,” said Åsmund Djupang, “but I have heard that several black metal fans don’t like it,” he adds.
20 festival participants joined the Edvard Munch excursion during the Oslo Easter this year
The excursion began at Edvard Munch’s first home in Oslo, in which he lived from the age 5 to 12, and ended at the Ekeberg Park. It was in fact in conjunction with a walk at Ekeberg that Edvard Munch had the experience which led to the world-famous painting and icon The Scream. The Munch Spot is the place where one of the world’s most influential artists, Marina Abramovic, paid homage to Munch with her interactive performance in 2013.
A total of 270 Oslo residents participated in what is now immortalized on both film and photo. Today, visitors can see a modern version of the view of the city and the fjord which the artist immortalized as the backdrop for the angst-ridden figure in the painting.
Festival participant Joseph Aprill from Los Angeles visited the festival for the first time. “I am interested in Scandinavian Black Metal,” he says. “I have been to London, Stockholm and Bergen before to enjoy the genre.” He tells us that he has inherited the interest for finer arts from his parents and aims to visit at least one art gallery on his black metal. In addition to the Munch excursion, he had been to the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art.
Festival participants Pawel Dzjepak from Poland and Joseph Aprill from California enjoying a break during the Edvard Munch excursion in Oslo
Both he and Pawel Dzjepak from Poland agree that Inferno Festival offers a good mix of bands, nice sound and a few positive surprises. For them the highlights were the bands Wiegedood from Belgium and Emperor from Norway.
Northway is a Norwegian travel agency, specializing in small tailor made guided tours (maximum 20 people). Its task is to organize memorable travel experiences for private travelers as well as businesses. The tours are tailor-made according to requirements. A representative from Northway will gladly accompany during the entire tours to ensure quality assurance.
Silvia Leine from Northway Travel guided the tailor made excursion
“The huge interest for Edvard Munch’s art during the later years has enticed us to cooperate with some of the foremost specialists on the artist,” says Silvia Leine, looking forward to the opening of the new Edvard Munch museum in Oslo in 2020. The contours of the twelve-story tall new building drawn by the Spanish architect Juan Herreros, is clearly visible from the Ekeberg Park.
Black Metal Meets Edvard Munch in Oslo, written by Tor Kjolberg
All photos: Tor Kjolberg
Two Norwegian teenage sisters of Somalian decent were lured from Norway to Syria by ISIS on an October morning in 2013. Åsane Seierstad, the author of the international bestseller The Bookseller of Kabul, has written a powerful and gripping true account of a family torn apart.
Nineteen-year-old Ayan Juma and her sixteen-year-old sister Leila left their family home in Oslo, dragged into ISIS’s web of horror. Later that day they sent an email to their parents: ‘Peace, God’s mercy and blessings upon you, Mum and Dad … Please do not be cross with us…’
Two Sisters book-cover
In her new book, “Two Sisters”, Seierstad is writing their story in intricate, compelling detail. The sisters had been planning their secret journey for months. Their desperate father Sadiq set off after them, tracking them across ISIS territory determined to find them.
In her exploration of why the two sisters abandoned their home for a distant war, Seierstad weaves a complex picture of their lives as young Norwegians. Ayan was a brilliant pupil at one of the elite high schools in Oslo but had disputes with her mother about clothes that were too revealing. Seierstad teases out the sense of alienation that a distinct and different heritage can produce in a homogeneous society. What had gotten into these girls – so educated and so adored?
Sadiq Juma: Sadiq Juma’s quest to recover his daughters from Isis took him to Antakya in southern Turkey. Photograph: From the documentary Only a father. Needtoknow.tv.
Their father risks his own life to bring his daughters bac, while his wife Sara begins to question their life in Norway. How could their children have been so radicalized without their knowledge?
Two sisters: Ayan, left, and Leila Juma planned carefullyNEEDTOKNOW.TV
The oldest sister Ayan in particular was drawn into a radical milieu as she reached an age where she was trusted to go out on her own. At weekends she was inspired by a charismatic but radical teacher giving Quaran classes and drawn into the world of IslamNet, a society of young, Salafist Muslims in Oslo.
The sisters had only got as far as Sweden when the family first called police for help
Åsne Seierstad has with the complete support of the Juma family followed the story from the beginning. It’s a tale that crosses from Sadiq and Sara’s original home in Somalia, to their council estate in Oslo. The sisters had only got as far as Sweden when the family first called police for help. Leila was still a minor and it should have been possible to intercept them there. However, the father’s desperate pleas went unanswered. After the sisters’ slow passage through Turkey, and passing the border to Syria, they faced the shocking consequences of their decision.
Åsne Seierstad. Photo: Sturlason, Norway
This is Seierstad’s second investigation into radicalization. “One of Us” (2015) told the story of Anders Behring Breivik, who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011, most of them teenage members of a left-wing political youth organization. Åsne Seierstad was born in 1970 and studied Russian, Spanish and the History of Philosophy at Oslo University. An internationally bestselling author, she has also received numerous awards for her journalism. She has worked as a war correspondent across the world, including Russia, China, Iraq and Afghanistan. Her second book, The Bookseller of Kabul, has sold over two million copies.
From Gamla Stan in Stockholm, it is just 10 minutes by boat across the harbor to the island of Djurgården, once a royal deer park.
Much of Djurgården is still in its natural state, with paths and woods where you may spot small creatures, both everyday and rare, such as hares and the occasional deer. The island is part if Ekoparken, the world’s first city national park.
Much of Djurgården is still in its natural state
A good way to get around is to hire a bike at the bridge, which forms the road entrance (also the place to hire kayaks and rowing boats when the lure of Stockholm’s glittering waters proves overwhelming).
Gröna Lund, the amusement park with 18th-century roots and up-to-the-minute rides
As the ferry slides into the Djurgården quay, there is no mistaking that this is an island devoted to enjoyment. On the right is Gröna Lund, an amusement park with 18th-century roots and up-to-the-minute rides, including its seventh rollercoaster, Twister new for 2011.
Fans of Astrid Lindgren’s children’s books should not miss Junibacken
Fans of Astrid Lindgren’s children’s books should not miss Junibacken, a children’s attraction/theatre dedicated to her eccentric characters. An electrically operated indoor tram, with narration in English, allows the rider to experience Astrid’s World, floating over miniature scenes from her books with moving figures, light and sound, as familiar characters suddenly pop out of corners.
In 1891, Arthur Hazelius decided to preserve the fast-disappearing Swedish way of life by collecting traditional buildings
Heading south on Djurgården, where the island rises in steps to a hilltop, is Skansen, the oldest open-air museum in the world. In 1891, Arthur Hazelius decided to preserve the fast-disappearing Swedish way of life by collecting traditional buildings. Today there are some 150, including an 18th-century church, still used for services and weddings. In summer, costumed craftspeople meander round the steep cobbled town and demonstrate traditional crafts such as glassblowing in the little workshops.
Skansen’s Zoo contains Nordic fauna, such as bears, elk, reindeer, wolves and wild boar; and its Aquarium holds some distinctly un-Nordic creatures such as monkeys and crocodiles.
While on Djurgården it’s worth visiting the lovely former home and collection of the “Painter Prince” Prince Eugens Waldemarsudde, which overlooks the sea.
It’s worth visiting the lovely former home and collection of the “Painter Prince”
On the far side of the island, fans of Nordic art should make time for the Thielska Galleriet. Ernest Thiel was pals with Carl Larsson, Edvard Munch and Bruno Liljefors, and accumulated a fine collection of his friend’s work.
Nordic Museum (Nordiska Muséet), depicts Nordic life from the 16th century
If you choose bus instead of boat and enter the island over Djurgårdsbron from Strandvägen, the first museum you come to is the Nordic Museum (Nordiska Muséet), which depicts Nordic life from the 16th century. It has peasant costumes, a collection of bridal gowns and the traditional silver and gold crowns worn by Swedish brides, exhibits on Lapland culture, folk art, and more.
The Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet) was Inaugurated in 1990
To the west of the Nordiska Muséet on the waterfront is the huge, oddly shaped Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet). Inaugurated in 1990, the must-see museum houses the Vasa warship, built in the 1620s for the Thirty Years Wat, on the orders of Sweden’s warrior king, Gustav II Adolf. She was a magnificent ship, decorated with 700 sculptures and carvings, but her oak was too solid. In 1628 she sank in Stockholm harbor on her maiden voyage. In 1956 the Swedish marine archeologist Anders Franzén found her and, in 1961, brought her up from the depths.
Historiska Muséet
More than 24,000 objects have been salvaged from the seabed, including skeletons, sails, cannon, clothing, tools, coins, butter, rum and many everyday utensils.
A short walk across the bridge is the spectacular Guldrummet (Gold Room), an underground vault featuring more than 3,000 prehistoric gold and silver artefacts, inside the Museum of National Antiquities (Historiska Muséet).
The World’s First City National Park – in Stockholm, written by Tor Kjolberg
The well-known food entrepreneur Torben Klitbo has done it again. With his former company, Cofoco, he started something near a gastronomic revolution in Copenhagen. At that time, he served unheard of high quality at affordable prices.
In December 2016 he finally said goodbye to the Cofoco chain, and now his “restaurant quarantine”, which was inserted as a clause in his resignation, was completed. This means, of course, he was in a hurry to start something new.
The Fat Pike opened its doors on Thursday, March 15th
On Thursday, March 15th he opened the doors to the fish restaurant The Fat Pike, which is located in one of Islands Brygge’s old warehouses on Njalsgade 19D.
The well-known food entrepreneur Torben Klitbo has done it again
“I have always loved seafood and I want to make it more accessible and popular for more people. At The Fat Pike we serve ample amounts at reasonable prices. There must be value for money, “says Torben Klitbo.
The Fat Pike is located in one of Islands Brygge’s old warehouses on Njalsgade 19D
The Fat Pike will not be a snobbish place. “We serve seafood rustically and easily, but we have of course full focus on freshness,” says Torben Kilbo, and adds, “Drink whatever you want with your meal, red, white or cocktails.”
There is also a so-called Raw Bar, in which you can have 3 pieces of Fine de Claire at 75 DKK, Gillardeau oysters as well as tartar. And have a look into the wishing well, the Fryer, from where you can collect soft shell crabs and popcorn shrimps.
The three main dishes (175-195 DKK) symbolize land, water and air; grilled strip steak with grilled red onions and bourbon sauce from the country fried halibut with browned butter from the water and from the air, salivary chicken with creole style hollandaise sauce.
Value for money at The Fat Pike, Copenhagen
The dessert at about 50 DKK was the season’s crumble pie with ice cream for sharing at the table.
To drink, you can choose from craft beer, cocktails and a wine list focusing on wines from the north and south American continent.
The Fat Pike will not be a snobbish place
Chef and co-owner is the American-born cook Israel Karasik, who throughout his career has cooked along the entire east coast of the United States.
Happy hour is renamed Happy Pike, and it offers good prices for both beer and cocktails, seafood and pizzas from the wood burning stove in the yard every Wednesday to Friday at. 16-18.
New Seafood Restaurant in Copenhagen, written by Tor Kjolberg
There are two very different species of Nordic shrimp: the tiny, sweet-fleshed Baltic shrimp (Palacemon adspersus) caught in the fjords and inlets of southern Scandinavia, and the ten-times bigger North Sea prawn (Pandalus borealis) caught in deep northern waters.
Baltic shrimp are caught in low waters; often you can catch them from the beach in bug, light nets. It’s a favorite pastime on summer evenings for children and playful parents. Half of the shrimp caught this way are often a different species, the brown shrimp (Crangon crangon) which will not turn red on cooking but are delicious just the same, especially if you have caught them yourself. Shrimp must be very much alive, wriggling all their little thin legs, and jumping around in the crate; if they are lazy they are almost dead and not good to eat. The color is mousy grey, turning to baby pink when cooked.
These Baltic shrimp are traded alive from early summer to September. Freshly boiled, tiny shrimp, still a little bit tepid, are an affordable luxury. If you cannot get them fresh, the large North Sea prawns are a good choice.
Nordic shrimp
Buying and storing All around the globe, deep-sea prawns live in cool waters, and they are caught out at sea, they are usually cooked and often frozen un their shells on board. North Sea prawns, on the other hand, are best bought frozen as there is no telling how long they may have been thawing at the fishmonger’s. The quality of these ready-cooked prawns is very good if you thaw them yourself in the fridge overnight. Fresh Baltic shrimp are best. You can also buy them frozen, canned, and in brine, but it’s not at all the same thing.
If shrimp are the main course, you should by at least 500g for each person; if they’re a starter, 200g is enough. North Sea Prawns have a higher ratio of flesh to shell, so you don’t need more than 300g per person; 150g is fine for a salad.
Fish soup with shrimp
Culinary uses Shrimp have a delicate taste, making them best when eaten on their own, with bread and butter. In Denmark, they say that pepper on a shrimp is a crime, like potting pepper on a baby.
In Scandinavia, the shrimp season is the heart of summer. Big bowls brimming with shrimp, new potatoes, asparagus, dill, a simple meat dish, or fish, and strawberries with cream for dessert: it’s a well-loved menu for Sankt Hans, midsummer evening, celebrated with bonfires and songs, even if it rains on eight out of ten midsummer evenings.
Shrimp sandwich
Shrimp should be boiled, like the other crustaceans, in the court-bouillon, and use a large bunch of dill weed which is in season in the summer, when the dill flowers are not yet out. Dump the shrimp in the boiling court-bouillon, boil vigorously for 1 minute, then let them cool in the liquid. This method makes them easier to peel, while also firm and salty.
Small Baltic shrimp are really very small, so it takes maybe a hundred of the little pink creatures to make up a proper open sandwich. But they are a marvel when piled high on a special sourdough bread made from both wheat and rye, studded with caraway seeds. You may add a little black pepper, a spring of dill and a blob of homemade mayonnaise – but lemon I a dirty word here.
A sandwich like this is worth every effort, but it seems it’s becoming less and less popular to spend a summer’s evening with friends eating shrimp – we have perhaps grown so accustomed to fast food that people just think it is a waste of time. You can only pity them; the small shrimp are just as good as lobster, and not hard to peel, once you get the knack. Some people, especially men, claim that they are unable to peel shrimp, and let women do it for them. This must be the ultimate proof of true love. It’s altogether an interesting study of human behavior, and patience; some people eat them while they peel them, others patiently build up masterpieces of pink-fleshed art and devour the masterpiece at the end.
The shells are very good for soup, especially if you include a few shrimp still in their shells.
Shrimp salad
North Sea prawns have a strong marine taste and can be used in numerous ways, including in sandwiches and salads, or gently fried in their shells. We usually stick to shrimp salad in Scandinavia, a dish that has appeared in so many inferior versions that you could tend to forget just how exquisite and refined the real thing is. The other possibility is to make a soup and pile in the huge prawns at the last minute; they can stand up very well to the intensity of the flavors.
In northern Norway, the national park Saltfjellet-Svartisen expands from fjord to mountain in Salten, Nordland. The glacier Svartisen covers one fifth of the national park. At the foot of the mountain, the luxury hotel Svart (Black) is to be built.You can only get there by sea.
Start of construction is estimated next year. Architect firm Snøhetta is responsible for the project, and the architects have sky-high and environmentally friendly ambitions.
In northern Norway, the national park Saltfjellet-Svartisen expands from fjord to mountain in Salten, Nordland
The theme of the project is nature and the building will become a so-called powerhouse, which means that the hotel is going to generate energy with what it consumes. This also applies to the energy that is included in the construction, as well as removal of material.
The building will use 85 percent less energy than a typical modern hotel. “This will be the world’s most environmentally friendly hotel,” says architect Zenul Khan to the Norwegian D2 magazine.
Zenul Khan, senior architect and project manager, Snøhetta
The hotel is what the creators consider the luxury hotel of the future: an accommodation close to unspoiled nature and wildlife experiences.
One of the most important challenges for Snøhetta has been to chart how sunlight hits the area, to be able to store the solar energy with maximum efficiency, a very important issue, since the hotel is built above the polar circle with almost no sun in the winter months.
Guest will only be able to arrive by boat at a pier located inside the circle
The circular wood-shaped hotel has a panoramic view of the fjord through its many large windows, providing proximity to nature. Inspired by the area’s traditional fishermen’s cabins and drying facilities for fish, the carrying system consists of wooden piles.
Guest will only be able to arrive by boat at a pier located inside the circle. It will be possible to paddle under the construction, both at high and low water.
The building will use 85 percent less energy than a typical modern hotel
Snøhetta is Norway’s most famous architectural firm. Among other projects, they have been responsible for the Opera House in Oslo and the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York.
The World’s Most Environmentally Friendly Luxury Hotel to be Built in Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg
