The direct ferry route between Newcastle, UK, and Bergen, Norway was cancelled 18 years ago.Is it time to restore the ferry connection between Norway and the UK?
Yes, that is what the Newcastle City Council is discussing right now. The Council has recently revealed that it will explore ways to bring the route back into service.
Norway’s glacial fjords, snowy ski slopes, and breathtaking northern lights may soon get just that bit easier for Brits to access. Newcastle council leader Karen Kilgour said they would “explore all ways” to restore the popular journey in a meeting on 21 January.
Newcastle council leader Karen Kilgour.
For over 140 years, passengers could hop aboard a boat in Newcastle and be transported tranquilly across the North Sea, directly to Bergen. The route was closed by its operator (DFDS) in 2008 due to rising oil costs.
For over 140 years, passengers could be transported tranquilly across the North Sea, from Newvastle directly to Bergen.
However, nothing is confirmed yet, with local officials still needing to find an operator for the potential voyage.
Nilliennum Bridge in Newcastle. Photo: Stena Line.
Kilgour said, “We’d love to see the return of the ferry. We know that many people in both cities have fond memories of travelling by sea to visit Newcastle and Bergen.
Is it Time to Restore the Ferry Connection Between Norway and the UK? Tor Kjolberg reporting. Feature image (top): Bryggen in Bergen. Photo: Visit Norway.
The renowned Danish alternative/indie rock band Mew, formed in 1995 in Copenhagen, played farewell shows in 2025.
Mew is known for their dream pop, progressive rock influences, and high-pitched vocals. The core members are Jonas Bjerre (vocals) and Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen (drums), with bassist Johan Wohlert returning in 2013.
The band began to receive attention with their third album, Frengers (2003).
The band began to receive attention with their third album, Frengers (2003). Whilst their music may be classified as indie and on occasion progressive rock, former guitarist Bo Madsen said, “I usually say we are ‘indie stadium.’ A mix between ‘feelings’ and ‘thinking’ is usually good.” Their style has, however, often been described as “dreamy” or “symphonic” art-rock, featuring intricate, melodic, and sometimes epic, space-pop songs.
They are recognized for hits like “Comforting Sounds,” and their farewell shows last year were their 30th-anniversary tour.
MEW from Piknik in Parken, Norway (2018). Photo: Wikipedia.
After Frengers, the album And the Glass Handed Kites was released in Denmark on 19 September 2005, in the rest of Europe on 26 September, and in the United States on 25 July 2006. The album received critical acclaim, with Mew described as making “dreamy thunderstorm pop”. At the 2006 Danish Music Awards, they won four awards.
In 2018, the band announced a 15th-anniversary reissue of Frengers, as well as a short tour in which they performed the album in full.
On 14 December 2018, Mew released the With Copenhagen Philharmonic album. It comprised both live recordings and separate studio sessions of songs that had been modified and recorded in collaboration with the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra.
As part of their 30th-anniversary farewell tour last year, Mew played in Hong Kong in November.
Danish Alternative Rock Band Played Farewell Shows in 2025, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
Swedish design studio Note comprises a forward-thinking group of designers searching for what is missing.
Founded in 2008 by Johannes Carlström, Cristiano Pigazzini, Susanna Wåhlin, Kristoffer Fagerström, and Daniel Hecksher, Note Design Studio studio works across the fields of architecture, interior, product, graphic, and design strategy. Notes’ pieces for Le Chance, Menu, Sancal, Fogia, and Design Within Reach, among other brands, have become renowned worldwide.
Inspired by the tension and dynamics of a trapeze act, the Circus collection, designed by Antoni Arola, stands out for its refined structure and its signature conductor bar, delicately balanced by opposing elements to create a captivating display of light.
The studio blends its wide-ranging experience with an adaptive, innovative mindset to reveal new opportunities.
The studio blends its wide-ranging experience with an adaptive, innovative mindset to reveal new opportunities. Whatever it designs or makes, the designers always aim to engage the senses, evoke genuine emotion, and stimulate meaningful dialogue. Whether an office, a playground, a publication, or a chair, they always pay close attention to the endless possibilities for interacting intimately with our surroundings.
The collaboration between Note Design Studio and Vibia brought the MUSA collection and the Chromatica color palette to life.
Inspired by the tension and dynamics of a trapeze act, the Circus collection, designed by Antoni Arola, stands out for its refined structure.
The collaboration between Note Design Studio and Vibia brought the MUSA collection and the Chromatica color palette to life. Musa Lighting Collection is the result of an intensive manual research phase, using paper models that influenced its organic expression. A delicate and elegant design where a symbiotic interaction is established between the small hand-blown opal glass sphere and the dish that holds and reflects it. Its ability to work anywhere underscores its poetic physical form. A design that appeals to the touch, to the day-to-day, and the familiar.
Innovative designers with an impressive track record seem to have a bright future.
Swedish Designers Searching for What is Missing, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
In Scandinavia, time is not experienced as a straight line of deadlines and productivity cycles. It is circular, seasonal, and deeply embodied in daily habits. There are hidden seasonal traditions that shape Scandinavian daily life.
In Scandinavia, people structure their lives around light, temperature, and natural transitions rather than fighting them. This approach explains why visitors often feel a subtle calm in everyday routines, even during harsh winters. To truly learn something new about Scandinavia, you have to look beyond postcard landscapes and focus on the quiet customs people repeat year after year. These seasonal traditions that shape Scandinavian daily life are not ceremonial or nostalgic—they are practical systems for staying balanced in a demanding climate.
Winter: Endurance, Stillness, and Inner Life
Winter is not treated as a problem to solve but as a condition to adapt to. Long darkness encourages slower mornings, earlier evenings, and an intentional narrowing of focus. Candles are lit not for aesthetics but for emotional warmth. Coffee breaks become social anchors, and silence is culturally acceptable rather than awkward. Sauna sessions, especially in Finland and northern regions, serve as both a form of hygiene and an emotional reset. Through winter routines and seasonal traditions that shape Scandinavian daily life, people learn to conserve energy, tolerate discomfort, and maintain mental clarity when external conditions are unforgiving.
Winter symbolizes stillness and inward energy. Photo: Harri P/Unsplash
Spring: Release, Renewal, and Controlled Optimism
Spring arrives gradually, and so does optimism. Instead of dramatic transformations, Scandinavians ease back into social life. Homes are thoroughly cleaned, symbolizing both psychological and physical renewal. Seasonal foods shift toward greens, herbs, and lighter meals, supporting digestion after months of heavier fare. There is a cautious joy in spring—an understanding that light has returned, but patience is still required. This restraint prevents emotional whiplash and reinforces long-term emotional stability rather than short-lived excitement.
Summer: Intensity, Presence, and Collective Joy
Summer is brief, and everyone knows it. This awareness creates urgency, but not stress. People spend long hours outdoors, eat later, sleep less, and gather frequently. Midsummer celebrations mark not abundance, but presence—being fully available while conditions allow it. Social hierarchies soften during the summer months as nature becomes a shared living space. Work schedules often relax, acknowledging that productivity looks different when daylight stretches late into the night. These patterns reinforce connection and memory-making across generations.
Autumn: Preparation, Grounding, and Acceptance
Autumn is a season of psychological preparation. Harvesting, preserving food, and organizing homes are all part of a cultural mindset that values readiness over denial. Social calendars slow without disappearing, and people naturally turn inward again. There is no panic about the coming winter—only acceptance. This emotional training builds resilience, making seasonal transitions less disruptive. Autumn traditions reinforce the idea that endings are not failures, but necessary pauses before renewal.
Autumn is about grounding in the seasonal traditions that shape Scandinavian daily life. Photo: Mary Ray/Unsplash
Seasonal Living and Longevity
Seasonal living supports long-term health by aligning daily expectations with natural cycles rather than forcing the same pace year-round. Stress tends to ease when rest becomes socially accepted, and periods of lower energy do not carry pressure to perform. This mindset contrasts with the always-on routine common in many parts of Virginia, where productivity often takes precedence over recovery. The difference helps explain why Scandinavia is frequently discussed as one of the best retirement destinations, not only for its healthcare systems and infrastructure, but also for how aging fits into everyday life. For many people in Virginia, especially those reassessing priorities later in life, this cultural flexibility offers a compelling alternative. That perspective resonates strongly for Virginians looking to relocate abroad, particularly retirees who want a calmer rhythm that supports longevity without sacrificing purpose.
Aging, Independence, and the Seasonal Advantage
Seasonal awareness also influences how older adults remain independent. Cities and communities are designed for walkability, predictability, and social continuity. Daily routines remain manageable even as physical capacity changes. That is one reason many observers consider Copenhagen the ideal city for seniors. The city’s rhythms, public spaces, and cultural respect for slower pacing allow older adults to stay active without pressure. Seasonal living reduces isolation by embedding people in shared cycles rather than isolating them through constant change.
Seasonal Eating and Emotional Regulation
Food traditions shift noticeably throughout the year. Winter meals prioritize fats, warmth, and fermented foods that support immunity and mood. Summer diets become lighter, fresher, and more hydration-focused. That is not diet culture—it’s emotional regulation through nourishment. Traditional eating patterns reflect the understanding that nutrition is key in battling stress, especially in environments where external conditions already challenge the nervous system. Seasonal eating reinforces stability without obsession.
What Other Cultures Can Learn from Scandinavian Seasons
The value of Scandinavian seasonal traditions is not in imitation, but in perspective. You don’t need long winters or midnight sun to apply seasonal thinking. Adjusting expectations, honoring rest, and celebrating intensity when conditions allow are universally relevant ideas. Seasonal awareness reframes productivity as sustainable rather than constant. It offers permission to live with variation rather than resist it.
Other cultures can benefit from some of these habits. Photo: Brooke Cagle/Unsplash
These Are The Seasonal Traditions That Shape Scandinavian Daily Life The Most
At their core, seasonal traditions that shape Scandinavian daily life are about cooperation—with nature, with the body, and with time itself. These traditions do not promise constant happiness or comfort. Instead, they offer stability, resilience, and meaning through repetition. By respecting seasons rather than ignoring them, Scandinavian cultures have built systems that quietly support wellbeing across a lifetime.
Hidden Seasonal Traditions That Shape Scandinavian Daily Life, written explicitly for Daily Scandinavian by Astrid H. Whitmore. Astrid is a cultural anthropologist focused on everyday rituals, seasonal living, and how long-term well-being is shaped by routine rather than ideology. Her work examines how people adapt their habits to light, weather, and natural cycles, with particular attention to aging, resilience, and emotional balance. She writes about seasonal traditions not as folklore, but as practical systems that support stability, independence, and sustainable living over time.
The Royal Danish Ballet, founded in 1748, is one of the world’s most renowned ballet companies and comprises 55 exceptional dancers.
The company was founded with the opening of the Royal Danish Theatre in 1748, and it has been its home ever since. The Royal Danish Ballet School was founded in 1771 under the leadership of French ballet teacher Pierre Laurent (1730–1807), and Vincenzo Galeotti later developed it. August Bournonville founded the school’s methodology.
The 600-seat opera house on the harbor front has been the Royal Danish Ballet’s home for over 250 years. The company is led by artistic director Amy Watson. Today, the Royal Danish Ballet is a modern ballet company with both Danish and international dancers.
The 600-seat opera house on the harbor front has been the Royal Danish Ballet’s home for over 250 years.
One of the company’s early masters, Vincenzo Galeotti, is considered the veritable founder. He was master of the company from 1775 to 1816, and introduced ballet d’action and prepared for the advent of romantic ballet.
Inside the Royal Danish Theatre
During the half-century that the Danish dancer August Bournonville led the company (1828–1879), he choreographed about fifty ballets, of which about a dozen remain in the company’s repertoire. The works are highly influenced by the French school of dance, since Bournonville studied in that country, and include key roles for male dancers, undoubtedly written with himself in mind. After his death, one of his successors, Hans Beck, used the basic steps he learned in Bournonville’s classes to establish the Bournonville school, which teaches contemporary dancers the tradition of the old master.
The third great period of the Danish Royal Ballet came in 1932, when Harald Lander took over the helm of the corps. Trained in the United States and the Soviet Union, he both adapted traditional ballets and choreographed original works for the company. He encouraged local choreographers, who went on to create prominent works that won international acclaim.
The challenge as a dancer is as much mental as it is physical.
All dancers retire at the age of 40. However, not all of them quit at the theatre. Henriette Brøndholm started at the company’s ballet school when she was nine years old and now works as the shoe manager at the theatre. From her own performances, she knows how much black toes hurt. “When the audience is there, and music plays, it doesn’t matter how much it costs you in toenails and blisters,” she says. “It’s all worth it.”
“The challenge as a dancer is as much mental as it is physical,” says lead dancer Astrid Elbo. “I need to concentrate and visualize like an athlete – planning the day, thinking about nutrition, and getting extra protein.”
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Related: Norwegian Dancer’s Dream Comes True
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Artistic director Amy Watson.
Artistic director Amy Watson was born in 1981 and trained as a ballet dancer at The School of American Ballet in New York. She became a corps dancer at the Royal Ballet in 2000, appointed soloist in 2003, and principal dancer in 2007. She began teaching at the Royal Danish Ballet in 2016 and assisted with the ballet’s productions until her retirement as a dancer.
Age-old Finnish sauna rituals, spanning thousands of years, are sacred, purifying practices focused on cleanliness, relaxation, and connecting with nature.
Finnish sauna culture was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists at the 17 December 2020 meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. As authorized by the state, the Finnish Heritage Agency commits, together with Finnish sauna communities and promoters of the sauna culture, to safeguard the vitality of the sauna tradition and to highlight its importance as part of customs and wellbeing. The word sauna itself is of Finnish origin.
Harvia infrared sauna.
Finnish saunas are less about chatter and more about calm. The sauna is a place for quiet reflection, mental calm, or light conversation. It’s an age-old ritual of contrasts – hot steam, followed by a quick plunge into cool air.
Core traditions include creating löyly (steam) by throwing water on hot stones, using a vihta (birch whisk) to improve circulation, and alternating between intense heat (70-100∘C) and cold plunges, such as lake swimming or rolling in snow.
Its roots are difficult to trace, but its earliest versions are believed to date back to 7000 BC. This points to the fascinating history of saunas and their deep cultural significance in Nordic life. Bathhouses were recorded in Europe during the same period, but Finnish bathing habits were poorly documented for most of Finnish history.
Harvia Ventura sauna cabin.Harvia, the Finnish maker of saunas and heaters keep the tradition alive by focusing on natural materials and heaters engineered to give you the perfect löyly that only a sauna can provide.
A Nordic survey on media literacy shows that more work is needed, as young Nordic people find it difficult to keep up with the news.
Comparable data on media literacy in the Nordic countries are now available for the first time, thanks to the Nordic Media Literacy Survey – a new study by the Nordic Council of Ministers, conducted by the media authorities in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Just over 12,000 people in the Nordics took part in the survey. The results show that although media knowledge is good, there are significant differences across age groups.
Vital for resilience and democracy
One-third of adults aged 16 to 44 find it difficult to keep up with the news, while around one-fifth of over-55s do not verify news content they suspect is fake. These examples demonstrate the need for continued investment in media literacy education in the Nordic Region.
Finland’s Minister of Education and Minister for Nordic Co-operation, Anders Adlercreutz..
“Media literacy is an important component of Nordic societal resilience. By educating children and adults in source criticism and equipping them with the tools to detect fake news and attempts to influence, we can strengthen our resilience and our democracy. This survey is an important step towards being able to improve our analysis of and work with these important issues at a Nordic level going forward,” says Finland’s Minister of Education and Minister for Nordic Co-operation, Anders Adlercreutz.
Overall, the survey shows that the Nordic countries are very similar, despite some differences. The biggest differences are not between countries, but between different age groups.
Younger people are more digitally savvy, while older people are more knowledgeable about traditional media. Photo: Readability.
“Younger people are more digitally savvy, while older people are more knowledgeable about traditional media. Knowledge and understanding of different media types, how they work, and how this can affect content is important for both source criticism and source trust,” says Catharina Bucht, analyst at the Swedish Agency for the Media and project lead for the survey.
Unique venture
The purpose of the survey is to provide a picture of media literacy in the Nordic population and to build a knowledge base to promote media literacy. The survey is the first of its kind and sheds light on knowledge, abilities, and attitudes towards the media.
The survey shows that the Nordic countries are very similar, despite some differences.
“The Nordic countries are working actively to promote media literacy. However, we’ve lacked a common basis for assessing people’s actual level of knowledge. Which areas do we need to improve? And what groups need more help than others? This survey helps to shed light on these questions,” says Bucht.
Danish Company Fredericia Furniture honor Danish design masters and produces old masterpieces crafted to last.
Fredericia Furniture creates Scandinavian design that encourages human well-being wherever people live, work and connect. Items they have chosen to reproduce are designed by Børge Mogensen, Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby, Cecilie Manz, Erik Jørgensen, Erik Ole Jørgensen, Hannes Wettstein, Hans J. Wegner, Hugo Passos, Jasper Morrison, Jørgen Gammelgaard, Kaare Klint, Maria Bruun, Mogens Koch and Nanna Ditzel.
Encouraging customers to conscious consumption has been at the core of Fredericia’s company ethics ever since it began in 1911.
Børge Mogensen on his Spanish chair.
Fredericia’s pioneering work with Børge Mogensen (1914-1972) is based on combining a timeless, modern aesthetic with durable construction and suitable materials. Fredericia took over the rights to Børge Mogensen’s design in 2005.
Børge Mogensen was one of the most influential designers in shaping Danish Modern design and Fredericia’s founding designer from 1955 until his untimely death in 1972. As a pioneer with a strong belief in democratic design, he played a key role in establishing Denmark as a culture of furniture design. He found inspiration worldwide to create everyday objects that would endure for generations. Mogensen’s most recognized pieces were developed through his collaboration and friendship with Andreas Graversen, Fredericia’s CEO, from 1955 to 1995. Together, they believed in honest design, natural materials, and enduring quality.
What set Mogensen apart was his contribution to a visionary design movement grounded in a humanist approach that shaped every aspect of his work. He believed furniture should be honest, functional, and free from unnecessary ornamentation. For Mogensen, design was never about the object but the people who used it. By designing furniture that demands less attention, Mogensen believed he created more space for life itself—for presence, reflection, and the small rituals of everyday living.
Mogensen chair
Fredericia’s goal has always been to create furniture that becomes more beautiful with age and is intended to be passed on from generation to generation. These core values are rooted in a sense of responsibility and use of natural materials. The company’s ethical methods of production and respect for the people using the furniture every day are are essential.
”A successful pipe is for me is characterized by the words balance and rhythm,” says Norwegian pipe maker Bård Hansen. “A balanced exterior adds to the the calm I wish you as a pipe–smoker.” A dying craft is very much alive in Norway. Tabago is Bård Hansen’s brand, Norway’s sole contemporary pipe-maker. He learned his craft in Lillehammer and is now working from his workshop situated at Bryggen in the center of Bergen.
Before the turn of the century, Hansen worked as a computer engineer and HSE auditor for the Norwegian National Railways. The pipe-smoking eventually developed into a hobby that he wanted to find out more about. So he went to Lillehammer where part of the Lillehammer pipe factory was supposed to be preserved. It wasn’t, but he met a retired worker from the factory who had taken care of the pipe-making equipment. Hansen said he would be happy to buy it if the retiree would train him.
Pipe smoking was the “original” way of smoking tobacco.
Pipe smoking was the “original” way of smoking tobacco, a habit colonists from Latin America in the 17th century brought with them.
When pipes are shaped by hand, variations in shapes increases. Every pipe becomes somehow unique. Smaller pipes are handier when you go outside. However,when you have plenty of time, a bigger pipe is your best choice. A larger pipe-head will absorb more of the the heat from the tobacco and provides you with a cooler and tastier smoke,” explains Hansen.
Every pipe is somehow unique.
The Mesna pipe series from G. Larsens Pipefabrikk in Lillehammer was long one of the classic pipe brands in the world. Today, world-class pipes are made in a small workshop at Bryggen in Bergen.
A Dying Craft Very Much Alive in Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg
HOFOR – Greater Copenhagen Utility – create sustainable towns and cities. The company’s new white paper “Towards a sustainable industry” is about competitive, efficient and resilient production. Learn more about large-scale heating in Copenhagen. Copenhagen is pioneering large-scale heating using energy from biomass that would otherwise go to waste. The system supplies hot water and warmth to 98 per cent of its residents.
Everything that HOFOR does on a daily basis – down to the very last detail – is about creating sustainable towns and cities, because people will still need to live in them in 100 years’ time.
The white paper analyzis, among other issues, why carbonizing industry is essential for meeting global climate and resource challenges.
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Related: Green Living in Copenhagen
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This white paper covers insights into Denmark’s experience within energy, water and resource efficiency in industries ensuring sustainable industries. Deep diving into the industries of food & beverage, resource-intensive industry, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical, and industrial symbiosis, cases and solutions are presented to showcase efficiency measures across a wide range of industrial sectors.
Key takeaways from the white paper: