Ja, vi elsker..
Written: Feb 09 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: That I can actually write on my own country.
Cons: That the overzealous Epinions suits want me to rate it from 1 to 5...
The Bottom Line: Norway is one of the greatest countries on Earth. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a native..
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| WWFRulz's Full Review: Norway |
In case you're wondering, "Ja, vi elsker" are the first words to the Norwegian national anthem, roughly translated to "Yes, we love". Adding a little on to that, making it make a little more sense, it is "Yes, we love this Native land". I'm not going to try to translate the rest of it, even though I speak the language fluently.
Being born in Norway, having lived there for the first 8 years of my life, and having visited several times after my move to the US, I can honestly say that Norway is one of the greatest countries on Earth. While you might find me a bit biased, I have visited several other Scandinavian countries, and I find that Norway has the best of all of them.
Norway is a mountainous country, somewhere around 324,220 Square Kilometers, translating roughly to about 155,000 Square Miles. Because of the mountainous regions, and the heavy snowfall in winter, Norway gets 100% of its energy from water-driven mills. Therefore, the air is not hassled with as much pollution. Norway also shares the Scandinavian Archipelago with Sweden, a larger country with less mountains.
Geographically, Norway is famous for its many beautiful and stunning "fjords", most of which are open for boat travel. These inlets are wide and long, and are mostly surrounded by large and majestic mountains.
Municipal Information
Norway is a constitutional Monarchy, with a royal family as a polished spearhead, and a Parliament to do the real dirty work. The royal family, headed by King Harald and Queen Sonja, do little more than make public appearances. Nevertheless, the Norwegians love their king and queen with all their hearts. Norway also holds a world record for most women in Parliament, including the former prime-minister, Gro Harlem Brutland. Government officials are elected every 4 years, by anyone over 18. There are many different parties, and there is always much debate over who will win.
Justice wise, Norway is one of the loosest countries in the European Union. Believing in second chances, a life sentence is 22 years and 10 years heavy probation. The last person to be excecuted in Norway was the World War II traitor, Vidkun Quisling, who was shot by a firing squad in 1946 or 47. Since then, the Norwegians have been actively anti-death penalty. Another interesting thing: the policeman in Norway do not carry guns, believing that guns can only provoke violence.
The monetary unit in Norway is the "Krone" or "Crown". Last time I checked, roughly 9 Norwegian Kroner is equal to 1 American Dollar. Things are expensive in Norway. Gas prices are always the first thing that strikes tourists in the face. It is roughly $1.50 per Liter in Norway, which means that a gallon would cost somewhere in the vicinity of $5.00.
Food and accomodations are equally expensive. One thing is for sure: if you want to live well in Norway, you might have to take out a home equity loan.
Norway is separated into several states, or "fylker". In all, there are 17 of them, all with many, many counties, or "kommuner". My guess of Norway's current population is somewhere around 5.1 million people.
Educational Info
In Education, Norway is a far advanced than most other countries, including the US. The large amount of taxes assure that everything is of the top quality. Also, Norway prides itself on its near flawless literacy rate, which is somewhere in the vicinity of %99.1. All education is free up until High School and college. Most people pass on to college, or at least some sort of trade school.
When I went to school, the 1st grade age was 7, but it was changed the year after I moved to the states. As far as my all-Norwegian educated mother tells me, Norwegians begin to learn (very) basic Algebra in 3rd grade. Also, English is a required class from 3rd grade and up. This assures that any English travelers will find almost no trouble getting directions from a good samaritan passer-by.
Norway is also known for having some of the best medical training schools in the world. I'll go more into this in the next section.
Medical Info
Norway is known around the world for having some of the best hospitals in the world. Unfortunately, Norway does not have enough native doctors, and many of the physicians in small towns and counties are from weird places like Chile and Guatemala. This can cause some interesting problems, but not too many. However, if I was to get hurt anywhere, Norway would be the place.
Norway's average life expectancy is around 77 for men and 88 for women. They are also known for having some of the best rest and retirement homes for the elderly.
I think that pretty much sums up many of Norway's strong points, other than culture. Trust me: if I went in to Norwegian culture, you'd be reading for quite some time. Therefore, I'll let you see for yourself (if you ever plan on going there).
Reccomended Travel Destinations
Here is the point you've all been waiting for: the travel section! In this loong-@ss section, I'll review some of the things such as Airports and docks, as well as the 3 major cities and things to know about them.
Airports
Airports in general are easy to get around in. All of the airport staff in any major airport is required to speak English, and there's always someone who speaks other European languages such as French, German and Italian. Most airports are very easy to get around in. Unfortunately, only one airport in Norway can be called a "major" airport.
Gardemoen Lufthavn, or Airport, is the current airport in Oslo, the Norwegian capital. It is actually a very nice airport, with a polished look and a great and helpful staff. It is also easy to get around in, and has signs pointing the way to every gate, as well as the usual sings that tell the time of arrival and time of departure of flights. It also has the basic commodities, such as souvenir stands, news stands and currency exchange.
There are many minor airfields in Norway, ensuring that you can always go somewhere on the 2 major airlines, Braathens and SAS.
Boats
If you really want to experience Norway's spectacular coastline, you'll want to travel with "HurtigrutA", or the "fast-route", which is a big boat route that travels from Bergen in the southern tip of Norway to Kirkenes, which is in the very far north. Though it will cost you a fair bit of money to go all the way, you can step off at any of the 9 ports inbetween. The boat has full accomodations, including room and board.
Reccomended Travel Spots
Here is where I will go semi-in-depth on the 3 major cities in Norway: Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim.
Olso
Oslo is Norway's Capital city. If you want parties and such, Oslo is the place to go, with many clubs and hotspots for party-sick night-owls.
The county of Oslo has somewhere around 1.1 million people in it. It is Norway's main port. It is also where the house of parliament, or "Stortinget" is housed.
Some of the places to visit in Oslo:
Vigerlands Parken
Olso University
Gamle Byen (Old City)
Akers Hus
Aker Brygge
To tell you the truth, however, I have spent minimal time in Oslo, so I'm not the Nr.1 authority on it. In short, if you're one of those young couples that enjoy parties and such, Oslo is the place to go.
Bergen
Bergen is a very beautiful city, rich in history. It is also Norway's Nr.1 fishing city. The one downside: It rains. A lot. But, this should not keep you from visiting this stunning port city. It is the birthplace of famous Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Also, this is the place to step onto the Hurtigruta. If you are going to Norway, Bergen is one of the places you should defintely visit. People there are very friendly, and will help you find your way. Bergen has a population of roughly 230700 people.
Places to visit:
There are over 1200 parks to visit in Bergen
House of Grieg
Bergen is a city for those not afraid of a little rain. If I was a foreigner, Bergen would be one of the first places I'd visit. Go there.
And last, but definitely not least...
Tronheim
Before I start, I must say I know hoards more about Trondheim than the rest of the country combined. Therefore, I'll go into depth much more here than anywhere. Trondheim is a city which a few years back celebrated its own Millenium birthday. That's right, folks, it's over 1000 years old. It was once the capital of Norway, as well. Tronheim is a county with somewhere around 150000 people in it. It is a great city, as well, with enough history to take up volumes. The entire region of Sør-Trøndelag is definetly worth visiting.
Places to Visit
Torget (Town Square)
Nidaros-Domen (Nidaros Cathedral)
Studentersamfundet (Student-Society)
Bakklandet (A hilly region of the city)
Tyholt Tårnet (Tower of Tyholt)
Munkholmen (Monk Holm Monastery)
Kristiansten Festning (Kristiansten Fort)
Various Churches
Also, if you have a week or more to spend, I reccomend going across the Trondheim Fjord to Fosen, a collection of 9 counties. Fosen is a history-rich farming community with many nice people and a love for tourists. While some of the communities you come across might be small, they're friendly, and will always point you in the right direction. I would reccomend this area to anyone who enjoys mountainous regions and lakes.
At this point in time, I'd like to reccomend a few other places to visit outside of the 3 cities I just went through and the cities they're in.
Kristiansand Zoo-Kristiansand
Tromsø
Bodø
Røros
Kirkenes
At this point in time, those are really the only specific places I will reccomend. However, if you really want to feel the true spirit of Norway, I reccomend that you rent a car and drive through the country. While this can cost you a bit of money, it is well worth it.
I will leave it at this: if you are old enough to appreciate nature and a beatiful country, I encourage you to save your money and go to Norway. If you don't appreciate the mentioned, then you have no life..
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
WWFRulz
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Member: Andre Eian
Location: Salt Lake City
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
Watch for my upcoming review of America..
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