Good news for all you film fans. The annual Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF for short) held in Bergen, Norway is getting ready for its close-up. Showcasing international films, the event gets off the ground at the end of October (23rd) and runs just a little over a week until … Read more
Pure and simple. That’s the essence of Norway from its fjords, as clear and clean as they look, to its people, whose frank gaze and forthright attitude are equally refreshing. Freshness also distinguishes Norwegian food. Blessed with more than 15,000 miles of fjord-indented coastline, bathed by four bodies of … Read more
A black messenger bike parked outside THE THIEF emblazoned with the hotel’s name is a subtle hint. “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” On a dark, dreary and very wet spring morning in Oslo’s Tjuvholmen neighborhood, which is surrounded by water, the wind is gusting outside … Read more
These days, the big word in Norwegian drink circles is actually pretty small. It’s mikrobryggeri. “We’ve had microbreweries in the U.S. since the 1980s,” you scoff. True, and after three decades we’ve got upwards of 2,000. But consider this: The Vikings were among the first to brew hand-crafted beers. And … Read more
When it comes to art, one doesn’t tend to think about cartoons. An overlooked medium, it not only provides humor but a window on society that’s sometimes lost on the average reader. I wondered, for example, how much time the average read for a cartoon is, especially one that pokes … Read more
For everyone making plans to attend one or more festivals around the world, Norway’s in the middle of hosting its much anticipated Nuart Street Art Festival in Stavanger. Nuart began way back in 2001 exhibiting urban art but in 2005 Nuart chose to focus exclusively on street art, essentially art … Read more
I’m far up in the northern reaches of Norway, where my guide says it is the “last wilderness in Europe,” where the surrounding forests, he says, are filled with moose, lynx, bears and wolverines. Fourteen hundred miles, straight as the crow flies, is the North Pole and Russia is a … Read more
September is one of the most important months in the year for everyone in the fashion industry. With summer behind them, designers, models, buyers and PR professionals kick the industry into high gear with the start of fashion weeks all over the globe. Fashion insiders spend hours each day watching … Read more
“The Norwegians sure take their sun seriously, don’t they?” said Pop after he saw that we were fellow Americans touring Norway. We’d just zoomed past a few townspeople sunbathing in their backyards and a guy mowing his lawn shirtless. It was a hot, sunny day in Alesund, a popular fjord … Read more
Stuffy, staid English-ness? Yes, St. Ermin’s is just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Park and the ceiling lobby is finished in full on Rococo plasterwork rivaling the Sistine Chapel’s decoration. And true, it does feel like Mr. Darcy might walk down the grand staircase at any … Read more
It’s Friday Night and you’re in livin’ for the weekend mode. But you still don’t have a plan in place. If you’ve got a smart phone and are an app-junkie like yours truly, think about taking these nightlife apps for a spin. Wendr DEVICE: iPhone only for now – … Read more
I think my editor loves me and likes to see me suffer, by giving me some of the most taste-tempting culinary writing assignments imaginable: The flavors of Finland, Barbecue, and the Caribbean, among others. This time, though, I can’t blame him, because it was me who recently visited and absolutely … Read more
A William Wallace impersonator cuts a menacing figure on the cobbled streets of Edinburgh. His face painted blue and white – the colors of the Scottish flag – he wears a fur coat and wields a mock medieval weapon, while rhapsodising in a thick Scottish accent about freedom. In case … Read more
The TSA agent looks at my passport and back at me with a skeptical look. “You’re traveling to Tahiti by yourself?” I nod, indicating yes. While French Polynesia is often synonymous with “honeymoon” and “romantic getaway,” I want to see what it has to offer the solo traveler. I figure … Read more
When I told family and friends we were getting ready for a trip to Montana, here were the various reactions: “Montana? What are you going to do in Montana?” “Do you have family there?” “Are you guys doing that “yuppy glamping thing” I’ve been reading about?” The responses were simple: … Read more