For the first time, a European Concert of the Berliner Philharmoniker will take place in Norway, or more precisely: in a beautiful Baroque church in the mining town of Røros, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Berlin Phiharmonic Orchestra’s enthusiasm about the German-Norwegian mining history has resulted in a tailor made symphonic festive day in the Norwegian mountains.
Simon Rattle will conduct the orchestra, playing works by Edvard Grieg, Felix Mendelssohn and Ludvig van Beethoven. The soloist in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor will be the young Norwegian Vilde Frang, who is not only a wonderful virtuoso, but also “has the knack of breathing life into every note” (BBC Music Magazine).
Vilde Frang Photo: Marco Borggreve
The event will take place on May 1 and unfortunately there are no tickets left. However, music lovers all over the world can experience the concerts via television.
May 1 is considered the birthday of the Berlin Philharmoniker. On that day in 1882 the musicians revolted against an autocratic owner and took responsibility for the operation and musical development of the orchestra.
The capasity of Bergstaden Ziir, is about 850 seats
Last year the birthday event was a concert in Acropolis, Athens.
Sensational Concert in Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg
Beneath the cool, sophisticated exterior, the Swede harbors a deep and heartfelt passion for the nature, tradition and schnapps.
Swedes have a reputation for being dry, somber and painfully serious. It is true that the average Swede is quite quiet and reserved, and that instant gushing friendliness is not commonly witnessed. But contrary to popular opinion, Swedes do have a sense of humor – one that is as elusive as Garbo and as fleeting as a Swedish summer. Swedes may seem calm and collected on the outside, but they’re every bit as prone to ribald fits of laughter as the next person, even if they do recover their solemn faces much more quickly. So remember that appearances can be deceptive: underneath that composed exterior, you’ll usually find a warm, friendly individual. And once a Swede has decided to let their guard down and befriend you, they will be a friend for life.
Blond or blue-eyed? When it comes to Sweden, popular misconceptions are rife. Think “Swede” and an image of a blue-eyed bond, no doubt sitting at the wheel of a Volvo, may well spring to mind. But only a proportion of native Swedes fit the old stereotype: Sweden today is a country of growing cultural and social diversity. In 2010 over one million of Sweden’s 9.4 million inhabitants were born abroad, the majority in Finland, the former Yugoslavia and Iraq.
However, Sweden’s traditionally tolerant outlook has been called into questions recently. The high standard of living, strong economy and cradle-to-grave welfare system enjoyed by the Swedes has come under increasing pressure, particularly following the 2008 global financial crash. Far-right groups who place the blame on immigrants have made political headway: for the first time, the anti-immigrations Sweden Democrats won 49 of the 349 parliamentary seats – nearly13 percent of the vote – in the September 2014 elections.
Children of nature It’s no exaggeration to say that Swedes are potty about nature. It’s somehow a part of the Swedish soul. They are quick to wax lyrical about the grassy plains of Skåne, expound the virtues of lakeside Dalarna and remind you that theirs is the only true wilderness left in Europe. Ask any Swede to recount tales of their childhood and they’ll dreamily recall summers spent in the country with a noticeable softening of facial expression and a faraway look in their eye.
From Lapland
Nowadays the little red cottage is Sweden’s most enduring image, and there’s nothing Swedes like better than to take off to their stuga, where they can kick off their shoes, swim naked and bond with nature.
Swedish stuga
Life in Sweden is intrinsically linked to the changing seasons. Swedish winters are famous for their darkness, longevity and Arctic temperatures. But Swedes have learnt how to make the most of it, and winter sports are popular with Swedes of all ages. They eagerly await the spring and the return of sunlight with all the excited anticipation of children at Christmas. Like hibernating animals re-emerging after winter, sun-starved Swedes are wont to stand on street corners, at crossings, in traffic lights and any other spot with a south-facing aspect, soaking up the first warming rays of spring.
This deep-rooted love of nature means that environmental concerns are a high priority in Sweden. The country plans to wean itself off oil by 2020, and car manufacturers Saab and Volvo have been forerunners in developing vehicles that run on biofuels. Sweden’s best restaurants inevitably are part of the international “slow food” movement, focusing on organic local produce and local culinary culture.
Sweden National Culinary Olympic Champions 2012
Cosmopolitan citizens of the world Despite such closeness to the countryside, Sweden is no nation of bumpkins. Its people are a true blend of the provincial and the cosmopolitan, every but at home in the concrete jungle as going barefoot at their place in the country – 85 percent of the country’s inhabitants live in an urban area.
From Gothenburg
Friendships are often sealed over schnapps. Delicately flavored with fruits or spices, schnapps is a perennial favorite and every Swede can name his or her tipple.
Swedes have a reputation for forward thinking, with Sweden deemed to be Europe’s most innovative country in 2008. Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals are a major export, and IT companies thrive: one of Skype’s two co-founders is Swedish, and the online music service Spotify is a Swedish creation.
Hans Blix
Swedes also have a strong international perspective and many of Sweden’s most (in) famous people (Dag Hammarskjöld; Olof Palme; Dr. Hans Blix, who lead the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq 2003) have loomed large in the world stage. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, in 2010 Sweden was the world’s most charitable country.
National pride Swedes have a high opinion of their country and like nothing more than to talk about Sweden itself. This is not to say that Swedes are braggarts; a more humble, self-depreciating tyribe you’d be gard pushed to find. But their modesty is merely a thin veil, and all young Swedes are well versed in the achievements of their countrymen, be it Alfred Nobel or August Strindberg. And perhaps this universal satisfaction is not so misplaced; after all, in recent times the rest of the world has come to appreciate various Swedish exports. IKEA sells Swedish homeware in 39 countries, and it is said that one in 10 Europeans was conceived in an IKEA bed!
IKEA bedroom
Culturally, Stieg Larsson’s thriller The Girl with the Dragon tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest have sold over 50 million copies since the first book was published posthumously in 2005.
Learn some basic Norwegian words and phrases before you travel. Your trip to Norway will be much more enjoyable if you can communicate with the locals. Our team has reviewed the most common Norwegian words and phrases for you. You should also take a small pocket dictionary with you just in case or download a translator app to your phone. Here we present some top Norwegian words and phrases for travelers.
Basics These easy-to-remember words and phrases are important to know if you’re traveling to Norway.
Yes – Ja
No – Nei
Thank you – Takk
Thank you very much – Tusen takk
You’re welcome – Vær så god
Please – Vær så snill
Excuse me – Unnskyld meg
I do not understand – Jeg forstår ikke
Day – Dag
Week – Uke
Month – Måned
Year – År
Today – I dag
Yesterday – I går
Tomorrow – I morgen
How do you say this in Norwegian? – Hvordan sier man dette på norsk?
Learning a new language is always exciting yet can be rather challenging for many. Students who study one or more languages are often required to write essays in these languages to practice their writing skills. But today, a reliable make my essay for me service can take care of that and allow students to focus on speaking. And that is exactly what you need to do if you want to go abroad and be able to communicate with locals – focus on speaking.
Did you know that Norwegian is considered one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn? This may sound surprising because, let’s face it, Norwegian isn’t often “up there” on the list of modern foreign languages to learn when you’re considering a course. But we think Norwegian is an incredible language for anyone to try to learn.
Yes we know. English is renowned for polluting the languages of the world with words like ‘email’ and ‘webcam’. But Norwegian has actually loaned English a few words too. Some examples we like are: berserk, ski,lemming and slalom.
Getting Around If you’re lost or unsure of how to get somewhere, here are some simple questions to ask and words to know in order to find your way.
Where is …? – Hvor er …?
How much is the fare? – Hvor mye koster billetten?
One ticket to …, please. – En billett til …, takk.
Train – Tog
Bus – Buss
Underground/tube/metro – T-bane
Tram – Trikk
Train station – Jernbanestasjon
Bus station – Busstasjon
Airport – Flyplass
Tourist Information – Turistinformasjon
Police station – Politistasjon
Hospital – Sykehus
Museum – Museum
Bank – Bank
Restaurant – Restaurant
Church – Kirke
Restrooms – Toalett
“Norwegian” is actually a little misleading, for there are a number of languages that fall under this rather ‘umbrella-like’ term and are considered Norwegian. There is Bokmål (Book Norwegian, official), Nynorsk (New Norwegian, official), Riksmal (‘national language’) and Hognorsk (High Norwegian), to name the more well-known ones. Nynorsk and Bokmål provide a basis for the written form of Norwegian but for the spoken one, this varies dialectically all over the country. Shopping
Store/shop – Butikk
How much does this cost? – Hvor mye koster dette?
What is this? – Hva er dette?
I’ll buy it. – Jeg kjøper det.
I would like to buy… – Jeg vil gjerne kjøpe…
Do you have … – Har du …
Do you accept credit cards? – Tar dere kredittkort?
Because of the large number of cognates in Norwegian, you will be surprised to find that reading a simple newspaper article would actually come pretty easy to you. Some words are identical, such as bank, over and problem, while some are close enough to guess, like velkommen (welcome), av (of) and skrive (write).
Dining
Table – Bord
Menu – Meny
I have a reservation – Jeg har en reservasjon
Soup – Suppe
Salad – Salat
Appetizer – Forrett
Hamburger – Hamburger
Dessert – Dessert
Drink – Drikke
Water – Vann
Red wine – Rødvin
White wine – Hvitvin
Beer – Øl
Coffee – Kaffe
Waiter – Servitør
Waitress – Servitøren
Because of the closeness between Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, there is a lot of fluidity between the languages. Norwegians are able to understand around 88% of spoken Swedish, and 73% of spoken Danish. Conversely, Swedes understand 48% of Norwegian and the Danes 69%. Numbers
One – En
Two – To
Three – Tre
Four – Fire
Five – Fem
Six – Seks
Seven – Syv
Eight – Åtte
Nine – Ni
Ten – Ti
And why is this surprising? Well, Norwegian seafarers settled Iceland, the two languages are somewhat closely related. However, despite both Norway and Iceland being under Danish rule for some time, the isolation of Iceland means that the Danish influence was limited and their language is closer to Old Norse than Norwegian. Which means that the good people of Iceland can read the Sagas of the viking eras with ease, whilst those of Norway need patience and a good dictionary to do so.
The Norwegian flag button on the keyboard. close-up
Days of the Week
Monday – Mandag
Tuesday – Tirsdag
Wednesday – Onsdag
Thursday – Torsdag
Friday – Fredag
Saturday – Lørdag
Sunday – Søndag
Norwegian is a bit exotic compared to the other European languages as it is a tonal language or described as having a pitch accent. To the untrained ear this sounds like singing and you’ll have to go as far away as China to hear a similar spoken word. It is often used to distinguish between things like homonyms, but we love how it makes the language sound so lyrical!
Norwegian Pronunciations
KJ, KI, and KY makes a soft k-sound.
J is pronounced like the “y” in yes.
R is more “rolled” than the English R.
Pronounciation Guide
A as in father
E as in bed
I as in meat
U as in food
Æ as in sad
Ø as in hurt
Å as in ball
There are three in particular that stand out for us in Norwegian and we think the English language would be better for having them. Glad i deg, a kind of ‘I have affection for you’ phrase that doesn’t lead to any awkward expectations. Takk for sist, translating as ‘thanks for the last time’ and is used for when you bump into someone that you haven’t seen for a while. And pålegg which is all the stuff that you put on top of an open sandwich.
Norwegian Slang
Girl – Berte
Guy/Dude – Kiis
That’s cool. – Det er k
Fantastic/great – Konge
Boy/Girl – Type/kjei
Bad/ugly – kjiip
Crazy/wild – Texas
There is no actual word for “please” in Norwegian. For those of us overly liberal with the use of the word please, this might stop you in your tracks. Sure, there are phrases that more or less mean the same thing: venlegst (most friend-ily) and ver så venleg (very kind). Norwegian tends to be a more polite language overall, so perhaps it can be forgiven for lacking a simple please. For example, the presumptuous are you is always replaced with can you – a subtle change, yes, but politer than ours, nonetheless.
Top Norwegian Words and Phrases for Travelers, compiled by the Daily Scandinavian team
Scandinavian geese – both wild and domesticated – have been immortalized in the famous book The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, written by Swedish author and Nobel Prize laureate Selma Lagerlöf and published in 1906.
It tells the story of a naughty boy called Nils, who is turned into a Tomte – a small man with magical powers, guarding livestock and farm life – for the way he mistreats the farm animals and for involuntarily riding the farm goose and following a flock of wild geese migrating to Lapland. Lagerlöf’s descriptions of the Swedish landscape and customs featured in the book are the most precise and beautiful descriptions of Scandinavia ever written.
Selma Lagerlöf
Scandinavians have kept both geese and ducks for millennia, and both have always been extensively farmed. They are able to thrive mostly on grass, so it was normal for every farm to have a few, either to eat or to sell for a good price at market. In communities untouched by agricultural-supporting laws and money, geese and ducks (which do not compete with human needs for grain) are far cheaper to keep than chickens, which basically can eat the same as humans. In the Scandinavian over-supported farming communities, the picture is askew, and these birds cost a fortune.
Ducks
Geese and ducks are certainly not everyday fare in Scandinavia. In general, both are eaten only for festive occasions, even if some people hold on to the delicious way of eating salted duck with horseradish sauce as a summer dish. And twice a year the consumption of both rockets: at Christmas and on St. Martin’s Eve on the 10th of November.
Geese
Appearance and taste There are several special Nordic breeds of both geese and ducks. In recent years, Scandinavians have tend to buy more of the meaty Barbary ducks, though many people stick with the old breeds, which have more intramuscular fat and lack the gamy taste of the Barbary.
Barbary Duck
Geese and ducks must be raised on abundant grass and with plenty of fresh air if they are to end up as the truly wonderful meal they can be. And the best are raised organically, slowly and eating nothing but fresh grass and grains. This gives a taste, and lots of intramuscular fat that you won’t find in conventionally farmed birds. The latter are so intensively reared that meat and fat are mostly separated in the body, with far too much fat under the skin and in the belly. Organic birds are easier to prepare to the succulence you want. Conventionally raised and fed animals tend to leave a small, dry bird in a pool of fat.
Gourmet Barbary Duck Breast
Buying and storing Geese and ducks must look as though they are made of marzipan: form to the touch, the breast arched and covered with light yellow or white skin (according to the feed). The skin must be without holes, and untorn, or it will never be crispy; if it has purplish spots or blemished, you should not buy it.
There will always be feathers and stubble left, as well as pieces of peeling wax, but if it looks too furry buy another one – it’s quite a job to pluck a large bird clean with tweezers, and you need to get all the feathers off as they stink when roasted. Remember to check that the goblets are inside the bird as you will need these for the sauce/gravy.
Most ducks for eating weigh around 3kg, but you can find monster ducks weighing up to 4.5kg. The bigger, the better, since a duck’s carcass is huge compared to its size: the carcass of a 3kg duck is much the same size as that of a heavier bird, so the extra weight is pure meat. Ducks weighing less than 3kg are too young and have too little taste. A large duck will feed five to seven people. A 3kg duck is not really enough for four.
Festive Duck Meal
A goose weights around 5-7kg, and again the bigger ones are much better value. While not so monstrously sized as turkey, a goose can certainly feed quite a gathering: a large one is enough for 10-12 people.
Most birds are sold frozen, and musty thaw slowly in the fridge for 2-3 days. A fresh one will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Roast goose
Culinary uses Both duck and goose are fat, juicy birds, and they can become meltingly tender if slow roasted. They have dark, hefty meat, standing up to the traditional spiced, vinegary trimmings.
In Denmark and parts of Norway, ducks and geese are eaten on Christmas Eve, and are always prepared in more or less the same manner: roasted with an apple and prune stuffing, pickled red cabbage, caramelized potatoes and gravy. Trimmings vary, but might include lingonberry, apple sauce spiced with horseradish, halved apples with jelly or baked apples. It’s usually the same for St. Martin’s Eve, though some people try to be more innovative, as the pressure of tradition on that occasion is less severe.
The summery way of cooking, in which the bird is salted and slowly poached, is more elegant and served with creamy horseradish, new potatoes and creamed spinach. The salting dyes the meat an appetizing pink, and makes it even juicier. Anyone who tastes this dish will never forget it.
Compared with turkey, goose and duck meat is very rarely dry, and leftovers are a treat to eat. At Christmas few things beat rye bread topped with some cold jellied gravy, duck or goose meat and pickled red cabbage.
The third traditional way to prepare goose is with gule erter, a filling and delicious yellow split pea soup, served with sausages, vegetables and salted pork. In more well-to-do homes, it is traditionally made with salted goose also, and it’s wonderful, even if it has been diluted to poorer versions over time, and heads the list of dished that Nordic people really hate to eat.
The bird’s carcass, bones and neck, as well as leftovers from the roasted bird, can be made into a wonderfully flavored stock with the addition of a few onions, carrots and herbs such as sage, thyme and bay leaf, and maybe a glass of dark beer. Cover with water and simmer for a couple of hours, strain and use for sauce or soup.
And what can we say about the duck and goose fat, other than that it is pure liquid gold in your kitchen? Nothing beats potatoes or root vegetables sizzled in this fat, or pâtés and liver paste made with it. And rendered duck or goose fat is heaven on rye bread, just sprinkled with salt; and it’s the traditional spread to use with herrings, sausages and most meat toppings on open sandwiches. It can be used on its own, or melted with pork fat, which is solid at room temperature, to give it a higher melting point.
Scandinavian Goose and Duck, written by Tor Kjolberg
Take your family or best friend to the Danish island of Bornholm this Easter and meet a bison or watch the new dinosaur exhibition at Nature Bornholm.
Winter is about to release its grip, daffodils bloom in the gardens and anemones emanates in Almindingen. Easter is coming and soon the whole Bornholm will be crowded by happy holidaymakers.
Exciting Easter activities on Bornholm
The Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea offers many activities both during and after the Easter holidays. Experience for example Easter in Hasle(Danish only), where the whole town is in Easter mood. Or join exciting Easter egg hunt in Gudheim, over three days with great prizes! You can stay overnight at Hotel Gudhjem in the town center.
NaturBornholm offers activities for the whole family withy a brand new exhibition about the Danish dinosaurs. At the Museum of Bornholmyou can make Easter activities since there are several alternatives; jogging, trotting, walking tours, carriage rides, fun in the Middle Ages and much, much more.
Museum of Bornholm
Happy Easter in Bornholm, source: Visit Denmark
Coastline Bornholm
About Bornholm Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of most of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and northwest of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts such as glass production and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is important during the summer. The topography of the island consists of dramatic rock formations in the north (unlike the rest of Denmark, which is mostly gentle rolling hills) sloping down towards pine and deciduous forests (greatly damaged by storms in the 1950s) and farmland in the middle and sandy beaches in the south. (Wikipedia)
Dragomir “Gago” Mrsic was sentenced to three and a half year in prison for participating in a bank robbery in Stockholm in 1990. This summer he will be an expert commentator for Viasat during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Born in Bosnia, Dragomir came to Sweden as a baby. He grew up in the outskirts of Stockholm and in an area where the immigrant population grew steadily. He earned a yellow belt in taekwondo as a 9-year-old and became Nordic Champion in the same sport at 18. In 1990, he was one of three that carried out one of Sweden’s biggest robberies ($100 million). It was the first case in Sweden to reach conviction with the help of DNA.
After serving his prison sentence, he switched paths and applied to Sweden’s most prominent sports colleges. He was accepted and never skipped school. He became Nordic master in Taekwondo in 1987. Eventually he was offered a position as a coach for the Swedish Olympic Committee.
Gago in action
Over the years he has he has not only trained international top athletes such as tennis legend Marthina Navratilova and NHL-pro Douglas Murray but also helped actors and actresses prepare for their roles, including Noomi Rapace and Rooney Mara for their roles as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish and American versions of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
30 years old Gago was watching a bootleg of Risky Business, starring Tom Cruise, with his buddies in an apartment in the projects of Stockholm. That he would one day meet Cruise in person, let alone make a movie with him, wasn’t in his mind.
In 2004 he opened the club, Extreme Training, where he teaches his own concept, Martial Strength, which combines the agility of MMA and physical strength by isometric exercise.
Gao is also offering youth a free ebook on Saying No to Drugs.
As a 38-year-old father of two he became an actor in Josef Fares dark drama Leo. Three years later, in 2010, his big break came with Easy Money, directed by Daniel Espinosa, in which he played the Serbian hitman Mrado. The film caught international attention, and he played his first Hollywood role in Edge of Tomorrow alongside Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Plaxton in 2014.
Family man Dragomir Mrsic
Same year he also released his first book, “Extreme Training: from Fittja to Hollywood”, which is a combination of his training and lifestyle philosophy, and biography. Last year he produced his first TV-series, Alex.
So Viasat has chosen an experienced actor and combat sports pro to comment on the fighting sports during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
From Bank Robber to Expert TV Commentator, written by Tor Kjolberg
Bjørg Nordli-Mathisen (49) grew up in the North of Norway and began making one-of-a-kind jewelry whilst living in India in 2004. With a background from the arts, she has always drifted towards new corners of the world to search for inspiration.
She was introduced to the traditional craftsmanship and ancient jewelry traditions which inspired her to start her own line of jewelry. Her first collection was launched at Liberty in London. Today her brand, BJØRG, is carried by high-end jewelers, fashion boutiques and galleries around the world. Her collections are in themselves a journey. Her jewelry is a playful quest of paradise lost to be recollected. Multicolored feathers, bright blue horsehair and fluorescent opals, the beauty and fragility of a butterfly wing forever captured and kept in a small handmade glass dome, all reminiscences of that imaginary Garden of Eden.
Bjørg’s jewelry has been worn by artists such as David Bowie, Madonna, Rihanna, Robyn, J and Röyksopp. Editorial coverage includes Vogue, OD, Dazed and Confused, Elle, Another Magazine, Hunger, WAD, Marie Claire, L’officiel, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and others. Over the past years Bjørg has collaborated with Veronika B Vallenes, Uncommon Creatures, Aminika Wilmont, Kabiri London and Oki-ni.
Model Iselin Steiro with Bjorg collar
Top Secret Project With Davie Bowie It was in fact Davie Bowie’s stylist, who contacted Bjørg by mail, asking if she would send some pieces of jewelry to him. The subject line was “Top Secret Project With Davie Bowie”.
In Bowie’s music video “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”the Norwegian super model Iselin Steiro is actually wearing Bjørg Jewellery.
Bjorg Jewellery plays between dreams and reality, mystique and poetry, surrealism and industrial approaches. Their art works combine fragile and organic structures with an aesthetic influenced by futurism and geometry. All pieces are handmade with natural material. The Classic collection has its foundation in silver, diamonds and precious stones whilst the Odyssey collection represents new directions through its foundation in bronze.
Nomadic Designer from Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg
Hasselblad user Erik Johansson is a Swedish photographer working in the ‘surreal’ genre, currently based in Prague. He doesn’t capture moments, he captures ideas.
Erik’s work will be exhibited at Fotografiskamuseum in Stockholm, Sweden through 10th of April. At the same time he will be releasing his new book: Imagine (Max Ström Publishing house).
Erik Johanssson. Photo: Jakob de Boer
As a real Hasselblad devotee, Erik uses his Hasselblad H5D-40 medium format camera to capture and realize all the creative concepts in his mind.
Landfall, by Erik Johansson
“The reality I portray exists, but on a different scale,” he says. “It has become my life’s mission to create these worlds, all these ideas that I have and that I want to live out and to actually see it happening. I’m passionate about inspiring others to dare to live out their fantasies and to create something that inspires them and to challenge one-way thinking. To raise questions”, says Erik Johansson.
Endless reflections, by Erik Johansson
“I want to be for photography what Bob Hund is for the music scene. This band, that sees things the other way around and whose lyrics consist of combinations of totally unexpected themes makes it normal to be abnormal, and with the right to exist.”
Breaking up, by Erik Johansson
Johansson runs a completely different form of staged photography in which he largely builds models. Johansson constructs objects from what he has around him: Cardboard rolls, flour, water and food coloring, or why not a little coco-flakes for the structure’s sake? Together these basic analogy blocks build the things that before was just in his magical inner world: A lonely man living in air, a tree on the way down through a waterfall of grass, a road that is pulled up with a zipper.
The architect, by Erik Johansson
All built on a small scale where Johansson then uses Photoshop as his brush to assemble the components into an artistic work. Johansson himself was already at a young age inspired by photography and surrealist artists such as Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Elsa Beskow and Sven Nordqvist, all for their ability to tell imaginative stories. A tradition he manages well with his work that question reality and makes us ask ourselves the mind-evoking question: Why could it not be like this? And if so, how much more impossible may actually be possible?
Feature image (on top): Soundscapesm by Erik Johansson
Created Reality in Stockholm, compiled by Admin from Fotografiska and Hasselblad
For the last decade «Mad Scot» Roderick Sloan has plunged into Arctic waters to pluck these spike-covered delicacies from rocky outcrops. His urchins (kråkebolle in Norwegian) are sent to some of the most exacting chefs in the world, including René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen.
The 45-year old émigré Scot makes his home 88 miles north of the Arctic Circle – little more than a cod’s toss from Nordskot (population 550), one of Norway’s darkest, bleakest, remotests coastal villages. A high-speed catamaran takes you to there from Bodø in about an hour.
For years now, the Danish chef René Redzepi has been telling about the mad Scot who lives way up in the Arctic Circle and supplies his restaurant. When he talks about these sea urchins he is almost ecstatic. To many gastronomes sea urchins are the most delicious natural product on earth. And the very best are the Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, or “Norwegian Greens”, collected off the coast of Norway.
They look like squash balls encased in pine thistles, not very appealing. But if you like oysters, you’ll love sea urchins. They’re incredibly sweet with the same sort of iodine back flavor in them, and the saltiness and cleanliness of the sea.
Ron shares his farm with his wife and three young sons, spanning 500 acres of land speckled with birch and encircled by mountain.
Nordskot Quay
Sloan’s encounters with these creatures have driven him to spread the message of seafood sustainability and has advised Canadian chefs on why they should “adopt a fisherman.”
“Sea urchins are one of the oldest things in the sea,” says Sloan. “Humans have eaten them for over 3,000 years. There are mosaics in Pompeii with them in.” He adds that he loves the tranquility there, the clean air and the changing of the seasons.
Diving for crow’s balls
A visitor to his farm, watching how Roddie swam alone down to 50 feet deep, remarked, “You’ve either got to be drunk or crazy to do what he does.”
To begin with the business was tough. Sloan began to supply many of the top restaurants in France, like Alain Ducasse’s three-starred Le Louis XV in Monaco. But his Paris wholesaler went bankrupt in 2008, and he was almost on the verge of giving up when René Redzepi phoned and asked if he could deliver his sea urchins to Denmark.
Nordskot
Today they are among the most costly seafood. Sloan harvests his beds on a five-year rotation, and only by hand. The best, he finds, grow on exposed rocks in rougher seas. Helped by Redzepi’s endorsement, Sloan now supplies more than 30 of the world’s best restaurants, from Sweden’s Fäviken to the three-Michelin star Maaemo in Oslo. “It’s like Roddie invented a new product, a new culinary sensation, says chef Esben Holmboe Bang, from Maaemo.
“It’s like Roddie invented a new product, a new culinary sensation,” echoes fellow chef Esben Holmboe Bang, whose Maaemo is the most shimmering of Oslo’s Michelin-starred chow houses. “His Norwegian greens are sweet and tender and you can taste the wilderness in every bite. It’s like you’re making out with the sea.”
To eat sea urchins you cut around the creature’s mouth and gently scoop out the pale yellow tongues.
Northern lights, Norway
“When I started to harvest urchins in 2002, everyone thought I was bananas,” Sloan says. “They’re not a traditional catch in north Norway, and I am the only full-time urchin diver in Norway.” He is keen to show visitors this breathtaking part of Norway. “You’ve got the Northern Lights, great skiing, and the fishing is amazing. And don’ forget our small, spike friends.” He seems to be genuinely fond of them.
Almost 1 million people used Airbnb in Scandinavia last year, and overnighted more than 3 million times. In 2007, the two design graduates, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, struggled to pay their rent. They solved their problem by renting out three air mattresses in their living room and serving a simple breakfast.
They built their own website “Airbed and Breakfast”, and the idea of Airbnb was born.
In Scandinavia, where budget hotel rooms are $130 plus a night, rentals make a good option. And Airbnb makes it possible to experience Denmark, Norway and Sweden with all what the three countries have to offer, especially during the summer: fjords, fishing, wide-open spaces for hiking and camping, not to mention clean and culture-rich cities, dramatic evidence of a Viking past and the richness of the indigenous Sami present in Lapland.
Appartment in Copenhagen
In 2012, thanks to 3 million guests booking overnight stays through Airbnb, the two entrepreneurs rivaled Hilton Hotels in terms of the number of bookable rooms – without owning a single hotel.
Since 2009, 711,000 customers have used Airbnb’s service to arrange overnight accommodation in Denmark, and the vast majority used the service in the past year. Some 405,000 visited overnighted 1.7 million times during that period.
Airbnb for rent in Norway
In Norway 197,000 visitors rented an Airbnb facility with an average stay of more than one night.
The range of places to rent is vast, from small cheap rooms to castles or mansions. One host in Copenhagen rents out at a low price in return for guests spending a few hours with her children.
Summer house in Norway
Aja Guldhammer Henderson, the country manager for Scandinavia and the Netherlands told the Danish radio, “This year, 2015, has truly been the year when the Danes embraced the idea of shared accommodation: both travelers and hosts.”
To the Norwegian paper DN she says, “Accommodation is only one of the travel industry’s source of income, which means Airnbnb helps the whole industry to increased revenue.”
Jakobstova farm in Norway
People started to use each other’s houses and apartments as part of a larger global trend called the sharing economy, which is also about a change in consumption patterns. Instead of buying services from companies, people are swapping, renting, or borrowing directly from one other.
Per Arne Tuftin
“Airbnb is not so unlike the signs along the main roads not many years ago, offering ‘rooms for rent’,” says Per-Arne Tuftin, director of Innovation Norway Travel.
The hotel industry leaders are, however, critical of the Airbnb business model, claiming that is not a sharing of resources, but a business.
According to Tuftin, Airbnb is not representing a treat to the hotel industry. Of estimated 30 million overnight stays in Norway, Airbnb’s share is only 1 million.
Claus Skytte
Claus Skytte, who has written several books on shared finance, said the hotel industry is simply outmoded. “Perhaps the industry should embrace the new technology and be a part of it,” he says.
Anna Felländer
Anna Felländer, digitization and future economist at Swedbank, agrees. “The sharing economy is shining a spotlight on everything that is somewhat over-regulated,” she says.
Our society is becoming increasingly globalized, and services we use are no longer conditional borders. Kodak is a clear example of how wrong things can go when denying new trends. The popular photo company went from being the world’s most powerful provider in photography, with 145,000 employees, to slowly die out when other businesses began to flourish. They did not understand the customer’s needs.
Scandinavian summerhouse
Traveling in Scandinavia with Airbnb makes it possible to see a lot more of the countries than the big cities. Advantage of Airbnb is that you can rent nice villas, houses, apartments and share them with traveling friends.
Rikard Hegelund
Copycats are popping up all over. In Sweden, a new startup, Workaround, is looking to emulate Airbnb’s success. “Companies such as Uber and Airbnb have opened the doors for the sharing economy,” Rikard Hegelund, co-founder and CEO of Workaround, told Dagens Industri recently.
Floating appartment in Scandinavia
With Airbnb you can find something for every budget.
Room for Rent in Scandinavia, written by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top): Appartment in Oslo, Norway
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Across the world, 17 million guests stayed with Airbnb last summer, and there were fewer than 300 calls to the department that handles issues relating to trust and safety.
Airbnb now has a range of different security systems in place to ensure the safety of all users. For example, there are systems where users have to verify their identity.
