The Nordic Company

Friday, September 26, 2008

Norway - Vigeland Park Speaks to the Heart

Recently, I asked one of my returning clients if she could have spent one extra day anywhere on her trip, where she would choose. I guessed she would pick another evening in the magical Tivoli in Copenhagen, Denmark . Or perhaps she would clamor for one more afternoon to soak up the serene Sognefjord from the balcony of the historically vibrant Kvikne’s Hotel. However, her answer was even better than that.

“Vigeland Park!” she replied, without a thought. “Those statues make me laugh!” She was referring to the 212 bronze and granite sculptures, hand-made by Norwegian Gustav Vigeland, that were situated in a park just 3 kilometers outside of Oslo. It may sound elegant at first, but Vigeland Park is no ordinary sculpture garden. The human forms take on anatomical arrangements and poses that can only be described as amusing. The Monolith is a human spire of 32 naked bodies towering 46.32 feet high. The Fountain is a series of men, using their backs to support the bowl of a fountain. My personal favorite, is the Crying Baby, a statue of a small child throwing a temper tantrum. I imagine all of the mothers strolling the park chastising their bawling toddlers by saying, “See, if you continue to cry – you will turn into stone, just like that one! And then I will have to leave you here!”

All of the statues depict natural human activities such as running, wrestling, nursing, hugging, etc. yet they all seem to elicit an unusual level of delight from onlookers – as though no one is used to seeing what they look like in their day to day form. My client went on to explain that she could think of nothing more relaxing than an afternoon in Vigeland Park, a bottle of wine and picnic basket, and ample amount of time to observe the locals. I wasn’t sure if she was referring to the Norwegians or the statues, but it didn’t matter. The beauty of what Gustav Vigeland has created is that the line between the statue and the human life is blurred. When we go to Vigeland Park, we see reflections of ourselves being projected as objects of art and admiration – and almost instantly, despite being thousands of miles away from home in a beautiful, but foreign country, we feel comfortable in our own skin again.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Scandinavia - Norse Mythology and the Misadventures of Loki

Although each of the Norse gods possess their own individual attractions, the mischief-making god, Loki, happens to be a favorite of the locals to invoke upon unsuspecting visitors. He is known as the “father of lies” and does much to merit that name in terms of silly deception, malicious behavior, and outright trickery. If you’re a chronic troublemaker, you can be sure you’ll be attached to the persona of Loki in no time.

Loki was the son of two giants and a notorious shape-changer. One day, he observed the gods struggling to create the god, Asgard, and he craftily offered his assistance. Loki suggested that the gods contract a giant to do the work and he knew of just the right one, a giant that owned a strong stallion capable of lifting and carrying anything. The gods agreed, but they were worried when the giant demanded the Sun, the Moon, and the beautiful goddess, Freya, as payment for his services. Loki assured them that this would never happen because he would see to it that the giant did not complete his work on time.

True to his word, when the god Asgard was nearly completely, Loki used his shape-changing abilities to become a gorgeous young mare. That night, he crept into the work camp of the giant and seduced his strong stallion. They galloped away into the fields, never to be seen again. Without the stallion, the giant realized to his dismay, that he would never be able to complete the work on time and therefore, the gods had no obligation to give him the Sun, the Moon, or the goddess, Freya.

You will find stories such as these scattered throughout the rich, cultural history of Scandinavia. Oslo now serves as a focal of Viking history, boasting the impressive Viking Ship Museum, among other attractions. We encourage you to dive deep into the history of Scandinavia in your travels. When you know the enchanting stories that have circulated through the shimmering fjords, daunting glaciers, and serene countryside, it makes your destination that much more alive.

www.godchecker.com

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Scandinavia - Norse Mythology & the Creation of the Earth

We have a new Blog about Scandinavia and our insider's view with our custom travel and tours. Please continue to follow our blog posting on our new blog Insider's Scandinavia - Great Places to Go and Things to do!

There are many geological explanations for the exotic splendor of Norway, but the mythological account is perhaps the most creative. The story goes that at the beginning of life, there was only fire and ice – so imagine a land closely resembling the country of Iceland. These two worlds united and out of them was born the fire giant, Ymir and the icy cow, Audhulma. From Ymir and Audhulma, came the god Bor. After some time, Bor produced the three gods, Odin, Vili, and Ve.

Odin, Vili and Ve were very clever and they decided to kill the fire giant, Ymir and use his body to create the earth. They used his flesh for the soil, his blood to fill the ocean, and his bones to make stone. His brains formed the clouds and his skill became the heavens. In this way, they made a very strong and beautiful earth – including the fjords and countryside of Scandinavia.

To populate this land, Odin, Vili, and Ve uprooted two tree trunks and formed the human race. Today, those who carry this Norse ancestry have spread out all over the world. They live in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Baltics. Those of Scandinavian descent live throughout the U.S. as well – a lot of them right here with us in the heart of the Midwest!

People who feel these strong ties to the land of their ancestry as well as those who are struck with an insatiable curiosity for the mystique of Scandinavia make up the bulk of our clientele base. We are happy to serve you in planning a culturally rich, historically enlightening, and all-around entertaining excursion to the wonderful world of Northern Europe. Odin, Vili, and Ve would be proud to know that so many have enjoyed their handiwork.

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

We invite you to learn more about Scandinavian travel by visiting our pages dedicated to Norway tours, Norway travel and Norwegian coastal voyage trips.

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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Scandinavia - An Introduction to Norse Mythology

You’ll not be long in Scandinavia before you realize just how much Norse mythology and folklore permeates their cultural identity. From the looming Viking ship in Oslo to the enchanting fables told by country folk, it is evident that Scandinavians remain in touch with their past.

Norse mythology and belief system is a pagan faith derived primarily from the Germanic people and Anglo-Saxon mythology – with a Scandinavian twist. The colorful Norse legends and religious practices have been passed down orally from the 11th – 18th centuries. At around the 18th century, a famous poet and politician of Iceland by the name of Snorri Sturlson, took it upon himself to record these tall tales and customs. He published two books, Eddas and Heimskringla. Both are praised for their detailed chronicling of Norse mythology.

There is too much information to share with you in one day regarding the complexities of the Norse faith, so over the weeks, I will introduce you to some of its basic concepts and more popular icons.

Scandinavians believed first in nine worlds or realms of existence; the world of Aesir, the world of Vanir, the world of humans, the world of fire, the world of ice, the world of the dead, and the worlds of elves, dwarves, and giants. Odin was their most highly revered god and the protector of the nine worlds. Most importantly, he was the god of war, death, wisdom, and poetry. He was usually depicted with two ravens on his shoulders, personifying Thought and Memory.

Many of our clients travel to Scandinavia solely to dig deeper into this enchanting world of Norse mythology, while others simply enjoy the story along with the scenery. Whatever you interest is, there is nothing that compliments the mystifying mountains, gleaming glaciers, and unique landscape of Scandinavia more than a tall tale of the North! Our tour guides offer excellent insight into the history and mythology of Scandinavia on our group tours and if you’re traveling independently, we always suggest striking up a conversation with a friendly local – they’ll have plenty to say!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Scandinavia and the Olympics

In addition to keeping ahead on the latest travel news, we also like to see where our Scandinavian friends are traveling to! Scandinavia and the Baltics have been making their mark on the 2008 Olympics this year in Beijing with their fair share of medals. Most notably, Denmark received their first medal of this year’s Olympics – a bronze in dressage. The medal was won by Princess Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein on her horse, Digby. Digby was bred and trained by the royal Denmark family. Latvia also took gold in cycling and Norway came home with gold in rowing.

We will keep you posted as more events take place. The talent and physical accomplishments that Scandinavians bring to the world abroad can attest to their fit and active lifestyles back home. The fjords, mountains, and glaciers offer a natural playground for Scandinavians to hang out in. We invite international travelers to experience this scenery and adventure as well. Take a hike up the breathtaking Jostedalbreen Glacier or through the mesmerizing Hardangervidda Plateau. Other opportunities include sea kayaking, cycling, and fjord ferry rides. For more information, call us today!

We invite you to learn more about Finland travel as well as Scandinavian travel by visiting our pages dedicated to Iceland tours and Iceland travel; Norway tours, Norway travel and a Norwegian coastal voyage (also known as Hurtigruten); St. Petersburg travel and Sweden travel.

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Source: http://www.denmark.dk/en/servicemenu/news/sportsnews/danishdressagedeliversolympicmedal.htm

Monday, August 18, 2008

To Norway or Not to Norway?

A certain dilemma has come up enough with our clients that it is worth addressing. It is a common one for a lot of travelers. Often times, people try to fit a lot into an itinerary with a very small amount of time. When our clients come to us with an ambitious itinerary, we are inclined to advise them otherwise, unless they are an extremely savvy traveler. We want to show you the very best of Scandinavia, but at the end, we don’t want you out of breath!

There are plenty of reasons why people prefer to do what we refer to as “time-traveling.” Some people are only interested in taking photos, others are trying to tack on a little mini-vacation after business, and still others simply can’t agree on what they want to see, so they try to see it all. We try to remind people that a vacation should feel like a vacation. With that in mind, we design our itineraries for ample amount of respite in between travel time and taking on the cities and countryside. It is important that all aspects of your trip remained relaxed, giving you the opportunity to soak up the scenery and get to know the culture.

Commonly, we have travelers that are interested in doing a Finland, Sweden, and Denmark rotation, but then decide at the last minute that it would be silly to leave out Norway.

“Can we just spend a day or two in the capital and do a little fjord tour or something?” they ask.

“Certainly, you can,” we say, “But that would be doing Norway a great injustice.”

Norway is such an inspiring and breathtaking country that you will find that most tours encompassing all of Scandinavia still tend to spend the bulk of their time in Norway anyway. Where you might see Copenhagen in Demark or Stockholm in Sweden with an extra day of countryside, Norway is sure to be given at least four to five days of fjord cruising, waterfall viewing, and of course, strolling the charming streets of Bergen and Oslo. This is because Norway has so much to offer to so many different travelers.

We hate to outshine the other Scandinavian countries because they are all equally unforgettable in their own right, but when advising our clients on whether or not to “squeeze” Norway in, we shake our heads.

“It’s better to save Norway for next time,” we advise. “Norway is a country that you can easily spend two to three weeks on alone. If you’re just there for a day or two, you’ll fly away feeling like you’ve been teased.”

“But I don’t know if I’ll make it back there again,” our clients sometimes worry.

"Oh, you will,” we promise. “We’ll make sure of it. That’s why the Nordic Company is here.” And sure enough, a year or two down the road, these clients come back to us and exclaim, “I’m ready for Norway now!” And of course, we eagerly reply, “We’re happy to help!”

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Finnish Dessert - Oh Mämmi! Finland’s Surprise

Finland certainly has one of the most unusual-looking specialties when it comes to Scandinavian desserts. The Finns often like to use their traditional Easter delight known as Mämmi as a joke played on visiting foreigners. This is due to it’s strong resemblance to…well, you can decide for yourself from the photo!

Despite its unique appearance, the Finnish dessert Mämmi, is incredibly delicious, we assure you. It is made from water, rye flour, and powdered rye milk, and then seasoned with dark molasses, salted, and dried. It is usually served with a large helping of vanilla ice cream (yum!) or spread over bread. It was originally preferred during lent for its laxative abilities as this was useful during the process of purging and purification. However, its popularity has ensured that it is now ensured year round.

There are many different ways of making Mämmi, but no worries because there are many different cities in Finland for you to try it in. Travel to Rovaniemi, Porvoo, Tampere, Turku, Savonlinna, and of course, the glittering capital of Helsinki to sample all the unique options. Traditionally, Mämmi is baked in a slow oven in cardboard boxes that are made to look like birch bark baskets. The preparation takes several hours, including a chilling process of approximately 3-4 days, but it is definitely worth the wait!

If you are interested in a recipe for Mämmi, please click here:

Works Cited:

http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=26050#oven

We invite you to learn more about Finland travel as well as Scandinvian travel by visiting our pages dedicated to Iceland tours and Iceland travel; Norway tours, Norway travel and a Norwegian coastal voyage (also known as Hurtigruten); St. Petersburg travel and Sweden travel.

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