"The Nordic News Network" (NNN) and more at Monocle Magazine

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A video of a 2007 interview between Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Tyler Brûlé of Monocle Magazine. Go to the Monocle web site for more in-sites into the worlds of Design, Culture, Architecture and much much more.

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OSLO::Fjord City

Norway’s capital city has a strong profile as an environmentally friendly city – “the blue and the green and the city in between”. In 2003 Oslo was a winner of the European Sustainable City Award.

The Fjord City Plan is an overall strategy towards urban development of the waterfront. It includes urban renewal of a string of waterfront properties in the heart of Oslo. The aim is to create better connections between the City Center and the fjord, providing unique and modern physical surroundings for living, work and leisure. Areas will be opened to the sea for future development including housing, recreation, culture and business.

The Fjord City exhibition covers 900 square metres and includes models of the planned construction projects along the inner Oslo Fjord. Click here to see a video.

Visitors will get a chance to see new models and illustrations of Oslo S (central station), Tjuvholmen, the winners of the architecture competitions for the new Munch Museum, the Deichman library and the Astrup Fearnley Museum. A large model of the booming Bjørvika area will also be on display.

Oslo Tap Water - good enough to drink!

Image of Cafe at the National Gallery in Oslo

Click here for the link

Norwegian Society Orientation Course Part 2: Free Things

For those readers just blogging on, this particular "sub-blog" is an ongoing mini-series that is part of White Out's own version of the Norwegian Society Orientation Course. (See Part 1 for more information.)

Part 2: Free Things

Those of you who have read Part 1 are by now, familiarized with the processes involved in grocery shopping. Many Non-Norwegians have expressed various degrees of shock regarding the fact that one must pay for grocery bags in Norway. This is indeed true, however this fact must be tempered by the fact that there are many things in Norway that are also free!

The following, is a short list of some things that are free in Norway:

• Health Care
• University
  
• Many Museums
  
• Gift Wrapping

Some very astute readers may argue that a few of the items noted above are not really free since they are subsidized by taxes. Still, getting one's Master's Degree for almost free does make paying for grocery bags seem like pittance to pay.

Gift wrapping however is really free!!

Gift wrapping stations are located near store exits and are well equipped with paper, tape, scissors and ribbon! This feature is particularly handy at Christmas time. For those readers who lean towards excessive ribbon use, and/or elaborate paper layering, the gift wrapping station can be extremely financially beneficial as well. 

Gift wrapping stations can be found at:

• Granit - nice brown paper with white string 
  
• Tannum bookstore at Paleet - nice selection of paper and ribbon
  
• XXL - sporting store - only if you lean towards electric green paper and black ribbon