Page 220 - WDT MAGAZINE PORTUGAL
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The magnificent Opera House is covered in
Carrara marble with a roof that is also a slanted
walking platform. “The architects wanted it to look
like an iceberg,” said Sem.
We dined at the reborn historic Ekeberg
Restaurant high above the city where views take
in all its seacoast glory, where the charming
maitre’d Robert Berggren told us, “everything you
need lies within 20 minutes of Oslo: beaches for
bathing, small islands for camping, Olympic ski
resorts.”
We raved about the seafood delicacies we
enjoyed at Tjuvholmen Sjømagasin, two blocks
from The Thief, declaring it among our best dining
experiences anywhere. This canal-side restaurant
is all about seafood, even including its fresh fish
market. Mosts of its dishes are are cooked on a
charcoal grill, “which is why they taste so
heavenly,” notes the restaurant. Wine pairings
here are equally delectable.
Heading to Alesund, we departed from Oslo
Central Station on the Dovre Railway to Dombas,
climbing craggy mountains that seemed to be filled
with myths and trolls. We then transferred to the
Rauma Railway that follows the emerald-green
River Rauma through spectacular mountain
scenery, arriving at Andalsnes for a two-hour bus
ride to Alesund.
If you must choose just one place to spend
time in Norway, make it Alesund. Literally one of
the most picturesque coastal villages I’ve ever
seen, Alesund lies on an island where a huge
tragedy turned into an opportunity.
“We probably have the biggest concentration
of Art Nouveau buildings in the world,” Bente
Saxon, our guide from Destination Alesund, told
us. The reason: a devastating fire on January 23,
1904, “erupted in a sea of flames that destroyed
the entire city -- some 850 buildings -- in 15 hours,
leaving 10,000 people homeless.”
“Alesund’s great fortune was the fire
A view of the Art Nouveau gem,
Alesund, from high above at Aksla (the
shoulder), a viewpoint reached by a
418-step hike uphill.
Right: The facade of the fascinating
City Hall in Oslo where every element
is Norwegian. The Nobel Peace Prize
is bestowed here every Dec. 10.
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