Our final discovery: Norway!

Here we are, in Norway, our final destination. I am feeling a little bit sad because we learned so many things, have met so many interesting people… But, it is almost time to say goodbye to this wonderful experience.

Now, I am going to inform you about the culture in Norway. I did not know a lot about Norway, I heard that it was a beautiful country but very cold. As you already heard from Lauren, we are in North Cape now.

We arrived in Oslo on Monday. It was really strange, because we could not understand anything! The Norwegian language sounded very strange! It is their first language. The inhabitants’ second language is English and the majority in Norway can speak English fluently. German, French and Spanish are some other languages that are taught as a second or third language.

The Lutheran Church is the state church in Norway. The majority of the inhabitants is Christian, but there are many other religions too, like Lutheranism (the second largest religion), Roman Catholicism and many others. Its national holiday is on 17^th May.

 

 A lot of food in Norway is influenced by the United States; fast food is becoming very popular in Norway. Pastas, pizzas, meatballs, cod… But you can still find some traditional meals prepared with fish and meat. Rakfisk is an example. It is made from trout that is salted and fermented for two to three months. It must be prepared very hygienic and careful. Torsk is another example. It is cod that is poached and served with boiled potatoes and melted butter. Lutefisk is another meal prepared with fish. It is a modern preparation made from stockfish that has been steeped in lye. And Fiskesuppe is a soup made from – yes – fish! It is a white soup, prepared with vegetables, like carrots, onions and potatoes. When you do not like fish, like me, you will find enough meals prepared with meat like meatballs, pork, stew, sausages, lamb, sheep, mutton etc. If you want more information about the meals with its ingredients, click on the link bellow:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_cuisine

Fruits and berries are very popular in Norway. Certainly strawberries, bilberries, raspberries and apples are widely eaten. So it will be no surprise that the Norwegian people use a lot of this fruit species in its desserts. Examples: cloudberries with whipped cream, strawberry-apple pie…

Pastries are a delicacy in Norway, think about sponge cake, homemade cakes, waffles and cookies. Meringues are known as “pikekyss”, Cardamom is a common cake and Krumkake is also well-known in Norway.

 

We went exploring Oslo and I found out that Edvard Munch (1843-1944), the famous artist who painted “The Scream”, was born in Norway.

In Norway, winter sports are very important and have a large history too. The most popular winter sports are skiing and cross-country skiing, also known as “langlaufen”. In summer, soccer is an important sport. The most popular indoor sport is handball.

 

An example of typical Norwegian music is “kveding”, a ballad. “Joik” is music by which the singer is leaded by a tambourine. The most famous composer is Edvard Grieg (1843-1911). The first composer born in Norway, was Ole Bull (1810-1880). Norway has become well-known in the area of Jazz and also the Norwegian black metal is one of the most important music styles in the world.

This is one of our last days, here in Norway. I am tired, but I am going to miss the experiences and the friendly people like I said before. The meeting were sometimes exhausting, but also very interesting. We made a lot of contacts with different countries that are going to be useful in the future.

So, I am going to say goodbye. If we are going to travel again, I will let you know to share my experiences again! I hope you enjoyed our blog!

So, take care of yourselves and maybe we will see each other again in the future!

Liesbeth

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_language

http://www.noorwegen.org/index.php/noorwegen/bekende_noren/edvard_munch

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noorwegen#Nationale_feestdag

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway#Music

Three relevant real-life examples:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_cuisine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Munch

http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/07/the_norwegian_miracle.html