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Norway: The Royal Palace The great ball room at the Palace Henrik Ibsen, the dramatic poet, in his home at Christiania The old Church of Gol, a quaint twelfth century church reconstructed in the royal park at Osoarshal The Oscarshal royal gardens and Christiania from the chateau The old fortress of Frederikssten at Frederikshald Village church and homes of Kongsberg beside the bridge-spanned rapids of the Laagen Victoria Hotel, adorned with reindeer antlers Country girls in haying time—out-look over Bolkesjo and Folsjo to the Himingen Mountains Waiting for passengers on the road near Bolkesjo—peak of Mt. Gausta over height at left More Articles About Norway |
( Originally Published 1907 ) This has for several generations been the traditional place for royal receptions, and now that the young King and Queen have come to Christiania, these fine old crystal chandeliers will light up many an interesting assemblage of citizens and guests. The well-known democratic simplicity of Norwegian taste keeps the display on a scale more modest than that of other European capitals, where much is made of title and family, but Norway has brains and beauty, and sufficient wealth to keep up her dignity whenever occasion demands it. The language chiefly spoken here would, of course, be the tongue common to Norway and Denmark, but German, French, English, and perhaps half a dozen others might very likely be heard at any gathering of special size and distinction. Many Christiania people are fine linguists, speaking several languages besides their mother tongue. The Norwegian whose work did most in his time to extend a knowledge of Norwegian literature through the reading and theatre-going world was without doubt Henrik Ibsen, though his lifelong friend, Bjornstjerne Bjornson, has worthily earned fame almost as great. We have the privilege (very unusual during the great man's latter days) of being admitted to his home on a street near the palace, only a short time before his death. See the map for precise location. |