^TM

THE OSLO GRAND, GATEWAY TO THE NORWEGIAN WAY OF LIFE

I had just checked into my room at the venerable Oslo Grand Hotel, Ibsen�s favorite place to stay. It was dusk. Standing by the floor to ceiling windows I could look out and see the dramatic Parliament building; below in snow lay a tree-covered Commons, lit by twinkling Christmas lights.

My guestroom was large enough to host a party for twelve dancing lords and their ladies. The carved baroque twin armoires seemed to hold secrets of prior visits, royal and otherwise, and the king-sized sleigh bed was covered with various shaped pillows and embroidered butter-yellow linens.

So thrilled was I with my �digs� that I hurried across the hall to a friend�s room to invite her to enjoy my view.

Along came the Monumental Bore, a burly mustachioed man who swooped down on me. "Miss! Miss!"

I looked up into a scowling face. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, Miss! We are going to need two more bathtowels—Right away! Room 312! Oh, and an extra pillow!"

It used to be that just kings and queens and Prime ministers and opera stars and retired railroad magnates stayed at "The Grand Hotels" of Oslo and Stockholm. Today, you�ll find you meet all kinds. Rock stars on the circuit (with their traveling staff and fans galore), famous authors doing "The Book Tour", and Nobel Laureates, accompanied by their proud families, are but a few of the chosen who elect to stay here. And let�s not forget the loud-mouthed gent I met in the corridor.

He might have been the person who inspired Noel Coward to write, "Why do the wrong people travel?" Coward�s song of the foibles of the ignorant tourist continues: "Personally I�ve yet to find that longitude and latitude can educate those scores of monumental bores.... They clack around like flocks of geese, demanding dry martinis on the Isles of Greece."

That said, it should be emphasized that staying at Oslo Grand Hotel means you will find a high level of service (just not by me!) and richly decorated spaces. Built in 1874, and renovated this year, the hotel has instituted every service amenity a business traveler would need (fax, Internet, screening rooms, secretarial services, as well as meeting rooms for up to 400). Centrally located in the compact capital city and just a few steps from the waterfront, the Grand has 290 rooms, suites and junior suites, on seven floors. Its five restaurants, including a Texas-themed nightclub called Bonanza, plus sauna, fitness center, massage and swimming pool make this a special place to headquarter (and work out) while you do business and discover the charms of the city.

"Ornate" seems to be an inadequate word to describe the lobbies, chandeliers, staircases in the hotel. Marble mantles, Grecian statuary, Oriental rugs are but a few of the furnishings that make you feel that you have wandered into one of the salons reserved for royalty. Down in the lobby, try to avoid the Bore, but don�t be surprised if you run into the Prime Minister or a visiting European princess.

In an old-fashioned manner, its young and spiffy management team assures you will be met at the dock or airport, transported along with your baggage to your room(s), and if a maid and butler are not in tow, why, the hotel will send them up � "Right away!" � to your room, to unpack your steamer trunks, and press out the wrinkles in your silk shirt or cashmere jacket before you venture out to the Royal Palace, the Castle, the National Gallery, the Cathedral, or even off to the ski slopes or the sauna.

In traveling in this northern country, it�s wise to try to be like the Norwegians, who fit a little of everything into their lives. Daily they eat four meals, yet all seem slender and athletic. A friend explained: "We eat breakfast, go to work, grab some lunch. Then, after work, we have a light supper and go out to ski for three or four hours. When we come home at ten we have a light snack and then go to bed."

Authentic Norwegian cuisine, including some of the finest salmon in the world, smoked and unsmoked, is presented in several of the hotel�s restaurants—including the Julius Fritzner, the Grand Cafe and the Palmen. Both international and French meals are served as well. A full wine cellar holds vintages from Europe, South Africa, California and New Zealand.

No visit to Oslo is complete without a city tour, which the hotel can arrange for you. To get an understanding of some of the oldest ships in the world, visit the ones preserved in the Viking Ship Museum. A trip to the Resistance Museum shows the Norwegians� brave endeavors in World War II. Find out about Norwegian culture and beliefs by examining some of the statues at Vigeland Park. Walking along its paths, I saw families playfully posing by the snow-dusted sculptures, both revealing the free spirit of the country. (Vigeland�s graphically posed figures were considered very controversial when first exhibited.)

It could be said that some Norwegians have a bit of an inferiority complex when their country is compared to Sweden—it is not as industrialized, as touristed, as well-known as Sweden, its sister country to the east. Those are precisely the reasons that make Norway a gorgeous, fresh and individual place to travel. Every Norwegian you meet seems poised either to ski off to a winter chalet or swim at a cottage on a lake. You can start in Oslo and do the same.

THE GRAND, STOCKHOLM�S CENTER OF ACTIVITY

Slightly larger than the Oslo�s Grand, at 310 rooms the Grand Hotel of Stockholm appears to dominate the waterfront cityscape. The architecture is positively baronial here in one of the world�s prettiest cities. Stockholm is larger, more urban and more crowded than the Norwegian capital and its canals lace around the city�s giant buildings like slender silk ribbons around large packages. Bridges, parks, castles, monuments and museums are everywhere. So are auction houses, crafts shops, crystal stores and factory outlets. Directly in front of the hotel along the Stockholm Stream you may catch a boat that will take you to some of Sweden�s 24,000 offshore islands.

Perhaps the most singular event of the Stockholm Grand�s year occurs in December, when the Nobel Prizes are announced and awarded. The hotel houses the nominees and their families, who are entertained royally by an adoring staff.

On the morning of the Awards, a lovely young Swedish girl, dressed in white and bearing a headdress of lighted candles goes to the rooms of the honorees and awakens them with a Swedish breakfast of glogg (spiced wine) and gingerbread. She looks like a portrait done by the country�s popular artist, Carl Larsson.

Later in the day at a nearby royal building, the actual awards and dinner are given to honor the persons selected, including the one chosen to receive the peace prize, established by Alfred Nobel, the famous Swede who made his money in munitions.

The Grand Hotel has to be counted among Stockholm�s most elegant public and private spaces. It was designed by a Frenchman, Regis Cadis, who had a sense of the spectacular. In its early years, in the 1870�s, upon entering the lobby, you might be met by two (uncaged) bear cubs, which terrorized and/or delighted the guests.

The hotel�s Mirror Hall (a copy of the one in Versailles) and the Winter Garden (with a 65-foot high glass ceiling) vie with each other for most spectacular public space. Individual guestrooms are richly decorated with original oil paintings and handcrafted furniture. Comfortable upholstered chairs, a working desk and assorted tables and lamps make each room feel like a suite.

Meals in the Verandah dining room feature a magnificent Smorgasbord of all the foods we associate with Scandinavia. One of the trademarks of dining in one of the hotel�s several restaurants is the richness of its linen and the heaviness of its cutlery. Although I have never been to a royal banquet, the serving settings come close to what I imagine it is like. Service is impeccable. The wine cellar boasts 25,000 bottles.

As in Oslo, Stockholm abounds in rich cultural treasures: Gamla Stan, the oldest section of the city, dates to the 13th century and in its former burgher houses, you will find restaurants, craft shops and several museums. The tiny twisting streets lead as well to the Royal Palace. Hotel guests are directed to the top shopping areas of the city by hotel staff: both Norrmalm and Ostermalm, within easy walking distance, have stores that specialize in fashion, interior design and antiques.

As a city, Stockholm is considered one of the ten most popular venues for congresses, and certainly The Grand contributes to the allure. It curries design, manufacturing, medicine, and business groups, which it can easily accommodate in its large meeting halls and intimate salons.

After a dinner at The Grand Verandah one evening, a guest was heard to say, "The difference between the King and me right now is the fact that we happen to be on opposite sides of the Stockholm Stream."

Both hotels are open year 'round and are remarkably cozy and welcoming in winter.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Back to TravelLady Magazine