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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