Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Viking Norwegians sailed in their long
ships to the eastern coast of “Vinland”
(America) as early as the 10th century.
The Norwegians,
by Arthur Spencer
(David & Charles), is the best book
on the market today for understand-
ing the Norwegian people and their
advanced society.
ADVENTURE
The Kon-Tiki Expe-
dition,
by Thor Heyerdahl (Washing-
ton Square Press), made into a film,
details the saga of a modern Norwegian
“Viking,” who set out on a raft with
five comrades and sailed 6,920km
(4,300 miles) in 1947—all the way
from Peru to Polynesia.
Kon-Tiki Man:
An Illustrated Biography of Thor Heyer-
dahl,
by Thor Heyerdahl with Christo-
pher Ralling (Chronicle), highlights
Heyerdahl's attempt to document his
idea that Polynesia was settled by peo-
ple migrating west by water from South
America rather than from Asia.
LITERATURE & THEATER
Bjornstjerne Bjornson (1832-1910)
was a kind of Renaissance writer: poet,
dramatist, novelist, journalist, editor,
theater director, and public speaker.
Still one of the towering figures of
Norwegian literature, he won the
Nobel Prize in 1903. There are Eng-
lish translations of some of his most
evocative creations, including his cele-
brated rustic novel,
Arne,
first pub-
lished in 1859, and
The Fisher
Maiden,
published in 1868.
The Governor's Daughter,
by
Camilla Collett (several editions),
published in 1854, is considered the
first modern Norwegian novel.
Fourth Night Watch,
by Johan Falk-
berget (1879-1967), is part of the
Nordic Translation Series of this Nor-
wegian novelist whose early poverty
and toil in the mines dominates his
work. In this volume you get not only
memoirs but some of this much-loved
novelist's best poems as well. Many of
his works emphasize the virtue of hard
work and Christian love.
The Ferry Crossing,
by Edvard
Hoem (Garland), a publishing success
in 1989, depicts a tiny Norwegian
coastal village in an unorthodox story
form.
Ibsen Plays: One to Six,
by Henrik
Ibsen (Heinemann Educational), pres-
ents the works of Norway's greatest
playwright, including
A Doll's House
and
Hedda Gabler.
The works of Sigrid Undset
(1882-1949), one of the most impor-
tant of all Scandinavian writers, are
still read in various translations
around the world. She is mainly
praised today for her three-volume
masterpiece,
Kristin Lavransdatter,
which tells of love and religion in
medieval Norway. Awarded the Nobel
Prize for literature in 1928, her later
work includes such widely known
works as
Ida Elisabeth
in 1932 and
The Faithful Wife
in 1936.
FAST FACTS:
Norway
Area Code
The international country code for Norway is
47.
If you're call-
ing from outside the country, the city code is
2
for Oslo and
5
for Bergen.
Inside Norway no area or city codes are needed. Phone numbers have
eight digits.
Business Hours
Most
banks
are open Monday to Friday from 8:15am to
3:30pm (on Thurs to 5pm), and are closed Saturday and Sunday. The bank
at Fornebu Airport is open daily from 7am to 10:30pm, and there's
another bank at Gardermoen Airport, open Monday to Saturday from
6:30am to 8pm, and Sunday from 7am to 8pm. Most
businesses
are open
