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挪威 @ 北欧半岛游记
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00:01There's a lot of talk about Scandinavia at the moment.
00:05Their food is setting the gastronomic world on fire.
00:10That's insane.
00:12Nordic noir dramas have us glued to our screens.
00:16And Sweden, Norway and Denmark
00:18are officially three of the happiest countries in the world.
00:22I want to find out why.
00:24I can smell it. I can smell it from here.
00:27Is it their connection to nature?
00:30And their breathtaking landscapes.
00:33Having a good morning.
00:34Their spirit of cooperation.
00:36It's about trust, that we actually do trust each other.
00:39And does the famed dark side of Scandinavia really exist?
00:43To crack the Norse code,
00:46I'm about to immerse myself in Scandi-mania.
00:57This time, I'm in Norway.
00:59It's the Scandinavian country I know the least.
01:03It seems something of an enigma.
01:06It's famous for its stunning fjords.
01:09I don't think any postcard would do justice to this view.
01:13And, of course, for its fishing.
01:16There you go.
01:18It's food is steeped in mysterious traditions.
01:22Smale hove.
01:23But a new, confident Norway is emerging, with modern tastes and trends.
01:29It's amazing.
01:32Just lovely.
01:33They're even reinventing television.
01:35Seven times and four minutes.
01:38It used to be a poor country.
01:43But the reality is that Norway is now one of the richest nations on the planet.
01:48And its incredible prosperity is all down to one thing.
01:52Oil.
01:54So what effect is 500 billion pounds of oil money having on a modest country like Norway?
02:04My journey begins in Bergen on the west coast.
02:09Traditionally, the heart of the fishing industry and famed for its early 18th century buildings.
02:19But this historic port is now mostly used for the supply vessels that service Norway's oil rigs.
02:28The North Sea oil started to flow here in the late 1970s, rapidly transforming Europe's poor relation into its wealthiest
02:37uncle.
02:3970,000 people work on Norway's oil rigs, but going offshore is not without its risks.
02:47Today, I'm taking part in an emergency oil rig evacuation procedure.
02:52And as far as I understand it, it involves being inside a completely sealed lifeboat that's kind of shot into
03:00the water from a tower.
03:02So I think this tower over here, I can see the orange base of the lifeboat.
03:07It's all loaded up and ready to go.
03:08I can't see anybody, though. I don't know where everybody is.
03:12Oh, my God. Well, what's this one?
03:19Uh, so that's just the nursery slopes.
03:22This is the real deal.
03:23And I'm starting to think that maybe this is my ride today, not this.
03:28And it's about twice as high.
03:31Oh, my goodness.
03:34Look at the angle.
03:36That's insane.
03:38When that hits the water, there's going to be quite a jolt.
03:42Still, it's all about safety. What could possibly go wrong?
03:46I'm going to be taking the plunge, along with a group of authentic Norwegian oil workers.
03:52Boot sits.
03:54Okay, ready to go.
03:57Is it a bit like a fairground ride?
03:58In a roller coaster, you know, you see it, and now it's going over.
04:02There, it's just, now it's happened.
04:05It's pretty sudden.
04:07Yeah.
04:08This lifeboat will drop from a height of 30 metres into the water below, just as it would
04:16during an emergency evacuation from an oil ring.
04:19I can lend you a hand to squeeze if you're getting scared.
04:23Oh, that's very kind.
04:25You will see a red flashing light.
04:27That means we're putting pressure on the releaser.
04:29Everybody just please remain seated with the seatbelt's castle.
04:34We're already at a very steep angle.
04:35It's quite weird getting into a seat.
04:37It's already tilted.
04:38I'm at 45 degrees.
04:43I've never been so tightly strapped in for anything before.
04:47I feel like an astronaut or a racing car driver.
04:51Listen up, everybody.
04:52This is a message on behalf of the Coxway.
04:54We will now be given a permission to perform a free fall.
05:01Okay, that's the engine.
05:03So we're not far off now.
05:07I feel the whole thing vibrating.
05:12I guess I'd rather be in here than in a burning oil room.
05:36That was great.
05:38That was great.
05:40Free falling.
05:41It didn't last long, but that was quite a sensation.
05:43My heart's beating quite fast now, and it's just a real moment of free-floating like a spaceman.
05:50And then quite a gentle, sudden change of sensation as we hit the water, but it wasn't a sudden jolt.
05:56It was a kind of...
06:00It's good.
06:01Can we do it again?
06:04This kind of training is an important part of an undoubtedly demanding job.
06:09But with an average annual salary of over 100,000 pounds and a work schedule of only two weeks in
06:16every six, it's not hard to see the appeal.
06:18On your four weeks off, what do you do?
06:21I've got completely different hobbies.
06:23I have some vintage Volkswagen.
06:25Beetles or campervans?
06:27Beetles.
06:28It's not completely different because it's mechanics, but it's had nothing to do with work.
06:33Do you think people who work on the rigs offshore generally get to spend much more time with their families?
06:39You spend whole days at a time with your families and your kids.
06:42Yeah, especially when they are small, you know, because then you can stay with them all day.
06:47Yeah.
06:48The idea of two weeks' work always being followed by four weeks' holiday.
06:54Who wouldn't want to go for that?
06:55And, of course, it has proved hugely popular here in Norway, and it draws some of the most talented individuals
07:01in society into this extremely important industry.
07:05But I can't help wondering whether that might also create some kind of a talent drain.
07:10What might all these people have been doing if it wasn't for the oil industry?
07:13Could they be stimulating whole new businesses and industries for Norway?
07:17Might future-proof it against the day when the oil runs out?
07:22But unlike so many other oil-rich countries, Norway is extremely restrained with its oil wealth.
07:30Bergen's skyline is more Cornish fishing village than Dallas or Dubai.
07:36Most of the £500 billion oil revenue is invested in ethical funds to protect the country's future.
07:44They spend less than 4% of it a year.
07:47So where does this Norwegian restraint and modesty come from?
07:51I'm going to read something from a book that almost all Norwegians have read.
07:57Or if they haven't actually read the book, they've read this bit.
08:01These are the so-called laws of Yante.
08:04You're not to think you are anything special.
08:07You're not to think you are as good as us.
08:10You're not to think you are smarter than us.
08:14You're not to think you are more important than us.
08:17You're not to think you are good at anything.
08:20It's a pretty austere, almost repressive set of ideas, really.
08:26And I'm sorry to say, I think I fall down on most of them.
08:30You're not to think you are good at anything.
08:32I like to think I am quite good at cooking.
08:35Seriously, though, you wonder whether a set of ideas like this might be holding Norwegians back a bit.
08:41This is an incredibly prosperous nation.
08:44But is it perhaps lacking a little ambition?
08:48The Yante-Lorven are taken from a work of fiction from 1933.
08:53But this social code is still very much part of the Norwegian collective psyche.
08:59And in many ways, Norway remains an old-fashioned country.
09:04Before the oil, Norway was built on its commercial fisheries.
09:08And Bergen's harbour was the epicentre of the industry.
09:13And I can't come here without taking a look at how the powerhouse industry of old Norway is faring today.
09:21So I've arranged with a local chef to go on a fishing trip a little way up the coast.
09:26Hi, Christopher.
09:27Hi, how are you?
09:28Christopher Hartuft is the owner of Lissverket, which has gained a reputation as one of the best restaurants in the
09:35country.
09:36He likes to source his seafood from as close to Bergen as possible, unlike some of his competitors.
09:43You do a lot of traditional restaurants just target the high-end fish, the turbots and the cod.
09:48Absolutely.
09:49And also what is considered high-end.
09:51Like, you'll find sea bass on the menu here.
09:55But they're probably using farmed fish from the Mediterranean.
09:57Yeah, exactly.
09:59Why would you use a Mediterranean-farm fish here?
10:02It's crazy.
10:03After oil, fishing is still Norway's second-largest export industry,
10:08employing 28,000 people in a fleet of around 6,000 vessels.
10:13But Norway has been more successful than most of Europe in managing its fish stocks in a sustainable way.
10:20Our cod fishery is probably the best regulated fishery in the world.
10:24And, of course, you don't discard fish in the Norwegian, so it's illegal.
10:30Christopher is hoping to serve Haik in the restaurant tonight.
10:34Here comes the net.
10:35And these tangle nets are an effective way of targeting the species.
10:40This is tricky.
10:43How do you get that out?
10:45I keep catching myself.
10:48These are really big mesh nets.
10:50We're not catching any small fish at all.
10:52They're all a really good market size.
10:55Including yet another fine hake.
10:58There you go.
11:00Another prized fish still thriving in these waters is the monkfish,
11:04a fearsome creature that needs careful handling.
11:08Whoa!
11:09Look at that.
11:10I would not put my arm in that mouth.
11:13Look at that.
11:14Sound advice as its huge jaws snap shut around its prey in a fraction of a second.
11:19Come on, Jim.
11:21And this one?
11:24Mistake.
11:25Uh-oh, shit, shit, shit.
11:28Just open, open, open.
11:31Okay.
11:36Yeah, just a few little teeth marks, but didn't get through the skin.
11:44Well, I can smile now, but I was worried there for a moment.
11:47If someone handled you like that, you'd probably invite them as well, huh?
11:53With all the nets hauled, we're heading back to port, while I've still got my fingers.
11:59The Norwegian North Sea fisheries might not be what they once were in terms of driving the whole economy of
12:05the country.
12:06They've definitely lost out in that respect to the oil industry down the years.
12:11But they've still got a lot to be proud of.
12:13They're commercial, but they're also sustainable, and they're still genuinely prosperous.
12:19Thank you very much.
12:23Thanks, everybody.
12:26Norway's fishing industry may have taken a back seat to its oil industry, but the oil wealth means expensive restaurants
12:33like Lidsverket are booming.
12:35So we need to crack on and prepare that hike.
12:38Busy tonight?
12:40Super busy.
12:41Lunch was the busiest day we've ever done here.
12:43And we were out fishing.
12:44That's right.
12:48I have to say that's one of the most beautifully taken Hague fillets I've ever seen.
12:52Perfection.
12:54Under Christopher's watchful eye, it's my job to trim the fillets for service.
12:59Should I just take a little bit off there for you, or are you happy with that?
13:02All right.
13:02Okay.
13:03Perfect.
13:06How many Norwegians do you have working in the kitchen?
13:09All our apprentices are Norwegian, and our cooks are European from abroad.
13:14Have you found it hard to recruit into the kitchen from Norway?
13:17Yes.
13:19If you target your career towards the oil industry, you make more money and you have a lot more time
13:23off.
13:24That's a symptom of how well Norway's doing.
13:26It's hard for you to get people in the kitchen.
13:28Right.
13:28But at least everybody can afford my food.
13:30Ha, ha, ha.
13:32The smile has come back.
13:36If you want to open a great restaurant, then you need to put yourself out there.
13:39But if you're Norwegian, the antes law says, don't try too hard, don't be too ambitious.
13:44If you say, I want to be successful, then, you know, you get cut down.
13:48Success is something that someone else has to give to you.
13:53Christopher's commitment to local seasonal ingredients is typical of the new Nordic cuisine that's sweeping Scandinavia.
14:00So then we're going to...
14:02Add a generous, unhealthy amount of butter.
14:04Add some crushed garlic and some thyme in there, and then start basting.
14:08Our super fresh hake is also served with baby courgettes and chanterelle mushrooms.
14:21Wow, look at that.
14:22I tell you what, it's actually really tender.
14:28It's amazing.
14:29It's so full-flavored and juicy.
14:32Super, super nice.
14:34The depressing thing is that now that I've had it, like, a two-hour-old hake, it's never going to
14:40be fresh enough.
14:41You're going to be on the boat every day now, bringing it back yourself to the kitchen.
14:44Right.
14:45Christopher jokingly describes his food as new fjordic.
14:49And tomorrow I'll be heading out to the iconic waterways that define the Norwegian landscape.
15:04I want to delve deeper into Norway's past,
15:08so I'm leaving Bergen behind me and setting out in search of stunning Norwegian scenery,
15:14which turns out to be a little more elusive than I'd imagined.
15:19Here we are.
15:23Ah, that is nice.
15:25I've come a couple of hours out of Bergen in search of spectacular views of the fjords.
15:31I keep getting spectacular views of the inside of tunnels.
15:36Norway's mountainous terrain is pierced by over 900 road tunnels, stretching for almost 500 miles in total.
15:45Oh, daylight.
15:47They do make a lovely tunnel, though, the Norwegians.
15:50I'll give them that.
15:51That is rather nice.
15:55But as I head towards the small town of Vos, the fjords finally start to reveal themselves.
16:04They're giant passages of seawater, shaped by glaciers over millions of years,
16:10now snaking inland from the sea and sculpting the iconic Norwegian landscape.
16:16This is Hardanger Fjord.
16:20I don't think any postcard would do justice to this view.
16:24The scale is astonishing.
16:26And this is the second biggest fjord in Norway.
16:28The sea is 100...
16:31Well, this is the sea, but the open sea is over 100 miles that way.
16:37Incredible.
16:39Before the road tunnels were built, the villages around here were remote and inaccessible.
16:45Combine this with the cold, dark Norwegian winter and starvation was a real prospect,
16:51which is why there's a strong tradition of preserving food here.
16:56And the village of Vos is home to one of the most infamous of them.
17:04I've come to meet a local sheep farmer who's got a reputation for cooking a rather unusual dish.
17:10And I suspect this fire might have something to do with it.
17:13Hi.
17:14Hi, hi.
17:16Hi, hi.
17:16I'm Hugh.
17:18I'm meeting Ivar Lurney, and John Harvisholm is helping out with translation.
17:24Oh, my God.
17:25What's happening here?
17:28They are burning a sheep's head.
17:33Why?
17:35Because we're going to eat them.
17:37Okay.
17:38Take it, burn away the wool, so you can eat the skin also.
17:41Okay.
17:41So this is not the cooking process, this is just the removal of the wool?
17:45Yes.
17:45Preserved sheep's head is one of Norway's more unusual food traditions, but this machine is anything but traditional.
17:53So Ivar shows me how it used to be done.
17:56How long does it take using this method?
17:5820 minutes.
17:5920 minutes per head.
18:01Okay.
18:01So the machine saves you a bit of army?
18:04Yeah.
18:05Norwegians are no longer starving round here, but there's still a demand for sheep's heads, and Ivar sells 70,000
18:13of them each year.
18:13That's why he's devised a slightly more mechanized means of production.
18:19The gas-fired sizzler processes 15 sheep's heads at a time, and can get through a thousand in a day.
18:27After this, the heads are salted for a couple of days, and then smoked.
18:32And Ivar's smokehouse gives a whole new meaning to the term Nordic Noir.
18:39So these have been smoked.
18:41They have been smoked.
18:43Yeah.
18:43Before it was smoked, it was salted, and then sawn in half.
18:47Dinner for two.
18:48And that's the treat that's in store?
18:50That's the treat in the store.
18:53That's all.
18:54Not sure how hungry I am.
18:57Here it comes.
18:58Dinner time.
19:00Boiled for three hours, the heads are nice and tender, or at least tender.
19:04Well, it definitely still looks like a sheep's head.
19:06It's served with boiled spuds and mashed cabbage.
19:09This is very much old Nordic cuisine from the thrifty peasant tradition.
19:14His nickname is the smaller holy king.
19:17I'm having dinner with the sheep's head king.
19:20It's...
19:20Swole.
19:23Start with the eye.
19:25Really.
19:26I was thinking of getting to that a bit later.
19:28I think I draw the line at eyes, but Yante's law says I'm not to think I'm different from anyone
19:34else.
19:35It's very tender.
19:37Salty, smoky, lamby.
19:40So I bite my tongue, which turns out to be better than the eye.
19:44Now, the tongue is very good.
19:52Blimey.
19:53I'm glad that's over.
19:54I mean, I totally approve of using every part of the animal, but that machine, the only one in the
20:01world.
20:02I don't think the world needs another one to get out of here.
20:13The next morning, it's time for me to leave rural Norway behind and head for the bright new lights of
20:19the capital.
20:20Well, the gentle glow, anyway.
20:22This is Norway, after all.
20:25Really looking forward to this bit of the trip.
20:28Seven hours of peace and relaxation.
20:31Through some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet.
20:35On the Vos Oslo line.
20:38The train track climbs through the mountains to 1,200 metres above sea level.
20:43And it's reckoned to be one of the most spectacular train rides in the world.
20:48In fact, it's become the unlikely star of a record-breaking documentary that could change the way we all watch
20:55television.
20:56Hi, Thomas.
20:57Thomas Hellum is the producer of a Norwegian television phenomenon.
21:02Slow TV.
21:03This is the journey.
21:05This is actually the journey, yes.
21:06That we are doing now.
21:07Yes.
21:08This is your show that's become so famous.
21:10That's one of our shows, yes.
21:11From Nordsjøen, along Fjord and Vatten, to Fjells, up on Hvite Vidde, down over Dala and down to the sjøen
21:20again.
21:20We told them about the idea.
21:22We are going to make a documentary about the Burden Railway.
21:25Yes, that's nice, he said.
21:26And how long is it going to last?
21:28No, the whole journey.
21:29Yes, but how long is it going to last?
21:31The whole thing, seven hours.
21:33Seven hours and four minutes.
21:35The longest documentary of the history of the Norges history is actually a documentary.
21:40Your film was shown during prime time.
21:43That was the brave thing.
21:44It's about eight o'clock, continuing until half past three in the morning.
21:49About 1.2 million out of Norway, five million.
21:52What's part of it?
21:53Ridiculous.
21:54That's ridiculous.
21:55So this was actually something different that people liked.
22:02Thomas followed up with a five-day ferry journey and a knitting competition.
22:07All achieved record viewing figures, creating event television out of, well, non-events.
22:15Do you think slow TV is more interesting to Norwegians than, I nearly said, than normal people?
22:22What I mean is than other people.
22:24No, I don't think we are that different.
22:26I think this could work in any country.
22:29And you have the London buses.
22:30Every country has some iconic...
22:33Yeah, that's a great idea, the number 32 bus.
22:36There must be some people who did think it was quite boring.
22:40Because it is.
22:44As the train weaves its way through tunnels and up into the snowy mountains, it's certainly a mesmerizing sight.
22:52And maybe the reason it's been such a success on TV here is down to a touch of Yantyloven.
22:58It's easy on the eye and full of charm without trying too hard.
23:03Maybe it would even go down well in the UK as an antidote to the kind of high-octane, fast
23:08-cut, glitzy stuff that we all seem so addicted to.
23:19After seven hours of slowly unfolding beauty, we approach Oslo.
23:32Oslo, here we are.
23:34The capital, of course, but it's much more than that.
23:36It's changed so much in the last ten years.
23:38But it's really become the expression of Norway's 21st century self-image.
23:44And I can't wait to see what that looks like.
23:47I'm also looking forward to meeting two of the most famous Norwegians of all time.
23:53What does the fact say?
24:02In contrast to the understated charms of Bergen, Oslo is a bright, gleaming city that's powering ahead into the 21st
24:10century.
24:12It's here that Norway's newfound wealth and confidence are on show for the world to see.
24:19Cutting-edge architecture makes bold statements and suggests that here, perhaps, the modesty-inducing laws of Yanty have been overruled.
24:30But there are two young people from Norway who've arguably made a bigger impression on the outside world than any
24:37of this.
24:48My daughter sent me a link to a YouTube clip last night, and she said,
24:52If you're in Norway, you should try and see these guys.
24:55But if you meet a friendly rose, will you communicate by more...
25:03It's the oldest brothers. Without a doubt, the most famous Norwegians on the planet at the moment.
25:08Brothers Bard and Vegard Ilvisaker have been entertaining Norway with their musical spoofs and comedy sketches for over ten years.
25:17But their new dance number, the Fox Song, has seen their fame go truly global.
25:23Take it from the top.
25:24It was the top-trending YouTube video of 2013, with over 300 million hits.
25:32But despite their international success, the brothers' main focus is still on their weekly show for Norwegian TV.
25:40You've got five minutes?
25:41Yes.
25:41Are you sure?
25:42Nice to meet you.
25:43Hi, I'm Hugh.
25:45Do you want to sit in our guest?
25:46I'd love to sit in your guest.
25:47It says it's gone crazy, isn't it?
25:49Yeah. It's very funny because recently we found a post-it note in our office that we wrote as a
25:56joke that says,
25:58main goals, uh, play the Fox in every continent.
26:02It didn't say world domination.
26:04It didn't.
26:05No. But it's, you know, it implies, I guess.
26:08Do you know how many YouTube hits? Do you check every half hour to see what the number is?
26:11No, we, we have stopped checking.
26:13Is that arrogant? To stop checking? I mean, it's arrogant when you check too much as well, so.
26:18Do you ever go back and read Jantilovn to just get that in order, the whole arrogance thing?
26:23That's good. That's research.
26:24That's research, yeah.
26:25Yeah, that's, that's good. Jantilovn is, uh, it's now something we have to consult.
26:30Yeah.
26:30With this whole going to America thing is actually, it's something that you shouldn't do, according to Jantilovn.
26:37But, does it embarrass you if I say you are now the most famous Norwegians in the world?
26:42Yes, that's embarrassing. It's not true.
26:44Well, isn't it, though?
26:46Name one Norwegian who's ever in the history of time been more famous than you are right now.
26:51Amundsen.
26:51That's in the South Pole.
26:52I can tell you, more people have heard of Ilvis than Amundsen in the UK, and probably in the rest
26:57of the world.
26:58At least this month.
26:59That's, uh, that's the other post-it note.
27:07Before Ilvis, Norwegians were certainly not famous for being famous, but they have produced their share of winter sports stars.
27:15And the Holmen-Kolens ski jump, built in 2010 at a cost of 30 million pounds, is not only an
27:22expression of Norway's new wealth and confidence, it's a monument to one of the country's genuine claims to fame.
27:31Skiing is, without a doubt, the biggest sport in Norway. In fact, they pretty much invented it.
27:36There are even cave paintings dating back 5,000 years, and pictures of people skiing in them.
27:43Ski jumping was also a Norwegian idea, and a pretty barmy one, if you ask me.
27:49They've been throwing themselves off ski jumps since 1809.
27:54I'm here in October, and sadly, there's no snow yet.
27:58But that's no deterrent to my inner Norwegian thrill-seeker.
28:03Am I good to go?
28:04Nervous or excited?
28:06Excited and nervous.
28:08What they've got in store for me is a 360-meter zip wire.
28:13Oh, my God!
28:15And now that the fog's rolled in, the end isn't even in sight.
28:20Yeah, you ready?
28:21I'm ready.
28:22Three!
28:22Oh, my God.
28:23Two!
28:24One!
28:25Jump!
28:26Whoa!
28:31It's literally a leap into the unknown.
28:34But if I could see how far down it went, I probably wouldn't have jumped in the first place.
28:39Whoa!
28:41Whoa!
28:45This way of descending might make Eddie the Eagle look like a high flyer.
28:50Oh!
28:51Wow!
28:51But for me, it's pretty high-octane stuff.
28:54Woo-hoo!
28:57Along with its architectural ski jump and gleaming new buildings, Oslo also has a booming nightlife.
29:04Here, the city's well-heeled, bright young things can throw aside old-fashioned jantiloven notions of modesty and spend freely
29:13on Norway's notoriously expensive alcoholic drinks.
29:18I'm heading to Fuglen, one of Oslo's go-to bars.
29:22I'm heading to Fuglen, one of Oslo's go-to bars.
29:23Hi.
29:24I'm looking for Halvor.
29:25Well, that's me.
29:26Hey, how are you?
29:27Barman Halvor Digenes has been winning awards for his boundary-pushing cocktails, and I'm ready and willing to find out
29:35why.
29:36So what's really hot right now, what's the cocktail of the moment?
29:39At the moment we're doing mushroom cocktails.
29:42Mushroom cocktails?
29:43Doing wild mushrooms?
29:44Yeah.
29:44We've been in for always picking chanterelles.
29:48Halvor's chanterelle cocktail is made using Geneva, a kind of gin with a malty base.
29:55Another key ingredient is a 35-year-old vintage sake.
29:59Wow.
30:00And then we have this barley wine.
30:02Three things I've never even tasted before.
30:04They've all gone in.
30:05This is the chanterelle syrup.
30:06Then we have this wheat beer vinegar from Denmark.
30:11So this is stirred?
30:13Yep.
30:13So you just want to get that cold now.
30:15You're not trying to fruct it or break it up.
30:17Just want to keep it still.
30:21Of course.
30:23Then we'll add some pepper.
30:25Oh my goodness.
30:28Skål.
30:28Skål?
30:30What's that?
30:31That's absolutely amazing.
30:33Just lovely.
30:34There's a dark side going on here.
30:36It's the Norwegian dark side coming out, isn't it?
30:39It's the winter.
30:40The woods and the winter.
30:42May I finish it?
30:43Yeah.
30:43I mean, obviously not in one gun.
30:45That would be undignified.
30:46But it's beautiful.
30:49The Fugland Bar also gives me a chance to meet some of Oslo's young urbanites.
30:54Hi.
30:55Yeah, yeah.
30:55I have your drinks.
30:57There's something I'd like to talk to them about.
30:59But it's not an easy subject to broach.
31:02Your country went through an extraordinary, completely unforeseen tragedy a couple of years
31:07ago with Anders Breivik.
31:09What were your first impressions when you heard that news?
31:12Yeah, I was working just like the next block.
31:15So like the whole...
31:16I worked in a shoe shop and the whole ceiling just came down and like there was like smoke
31:22everywhere.
31:22And then I saw that like the building that was completely gone is the building where my boyfriend
31:28works, but he was one of the closest people to the bomb who survived because he was sitting
31:33in on the second floor facing outwards towards the car.
31:38On the 22nd of July, 2011, Anders Breivik planted a bomb in the center of Oslo that killed
31:44eight people.
31:49During the chaos that followed, he traveled to the island of Utoya and entered a Labour Party
31:55youth camp dressed as a policeman.
31:59He then proceeded to shoot 69 people dead, most of them teenagers.
32:05Breivik claims he was motivated by an anti-Muslim and anti-multiculturalist agenda.
32:11His actions have been a terrible blow to Norway's fledgling confidence on the world stage.
32:18It's just terrible.
32:19I can't believe that people have those opinions and kind of act them out.
32:26There are groups building up who are like having these sick thoughts.
32:33Someone who's been outspoken about the Breivik massacre is the former justice minister and
32:38crime writer Anne Holt.
32:41Hello.
32:42Her best-selling novels explore the murkier side of Norwegian society.
32:47But like many people, she found it hard to believe that the attacker was a lone Norwegian.
32:53In the hours and possibly a few days after the tragedy of July the 22nd, one of the questions
33:01inevitably being asked is, might this have been a foreign attack?
33:06I was absolutely convinced that this was a Muslim attack upon Norway.
33:11I jumped to it.
33:13I mean...
33:14And everyone else did too?
33:15Everyone else did.
33:16But it became clear the same night that this was a Norwegian man's work.
33:22And still today, I am so fascinated, if I can use such a word, of the fact that this
33:30was a one-man job.
33:33I would think it impossible.
33:34Well, as a crime writer, that must be a pretty extraordinary notion.
33:37I mean, first blow up the whole government quarter, and then drive out and kill tens of
33:45tens.
33:46It was 67 kids in cold blood.
33:54But...
33:54But I didn't think it was possible, so I jumped to the wrong conclusion.
33:59And I'm quite ashamed of that.
34:01Well, you wrote a very powerful piece, not long after the tragedy, in which you said that
34:08Norwegians need to remember that this guy is a product of Norwegian society.
34:14That is true.
34:15And I feel very strongly that we, as a nation, we are in denial of that fact.
34:21We have, in very many ways, isolated this as an incident kind of natural catastrophe.
34:27It's really weird that we do not want to go more heavily into the fact that he is a result
34:34of a political movement that also takes place here in Norway.
34:42Brevik was sentenced to 21 years in jail, the maximum sentence in Norway.
34:48Many have speculated that he will never be allowed back into society, but that would make
34:53him an exception in the Norwegian justice system.
34:56Almost all prisoners in Norway will be released, whatever their crime, which is why the penal
35:02system here has a strong focus on rehabilitation.
35:10I've come to a very beautiful island.
35:12Beaches, cycle paths everywhere, very comfortable accommodation.
35:17The sort of place anyone might love to stay for a Scandinavian holiday, but this island
35:23is a little bit different because, in fact, it's a prison.
35:29The prison island of Bastoy is an hour's journey south of Oslo.
35:34But here there are no armed guards, no locks on doors, and the crew on the ferry I've just
35:40come over on are actually prisoners.
35:45Hi.
35:45Hello, hello.
35:46Welcome.
35:47Karim.
35:48Karim is one of the island's 115 prisoners.
35:51Come in here.
35:51This is the kitchen.
35:52He shares his house with three other inmates.
35:55So this is the living room.
35:58That is nice.
36:00It's a great room.
36:01We have a nice view.
36:03Yeah.
36:05You look very well organized in here, Karim.
36:08Nice TV in your room.
36:09Yeah.
36:10Computer.
36:11Are you online any time you like in here?
36:13Not in the room.
36:13We cannot send emails or chat on Facebook.
36:16This is a prison, even if, okay, we're on an island, everybody thinks it's very nice.
36:22We have the summer, but it's still a prison.
36:25Do you mind if I ask how long your sentence is?
36:28I said nine years.
36:29Four?
36:30Drugs.
36:31Okay.
36:32And so where are you at now with that?
36:34I've been in prison for two and a half years now.
36:37And this freedom you have to wander about the island, meet your friends from other houses,
36:43do you think that opportunity makes a difference to how people can then adjust when they get
36:48back into society?
36:50Yeah.
36:50I think so.
36:51What do you want to have after somebody has been in prison?
36:55Do you want to have a more normal person as your neighbor or do you want to have a sick
36:59person that's something because he's been too long in prison?
37:04Some of the prisoners here have committed violent crimes.
37:08But perhaps even more startling than the apparently easy-going lifestyle of Bastoy's
37:14inmates is their re-offending rate.
37:17As Bastoy's governor Arnie Nielsen points out, it's only 16%, compared to around 50% in the UK.
37:25Here we try to build up a self-respect instead of just establishing prison regimes where we
37:32treat people like animals.
37:35Because that doesn't work.
37:36You know, people have used the phrase, this is a holiday camp.
37:40So, what's the problem?
37:43Because the main issue for us is reducing the re-offending.
37:47You have lost your freedom.
37:48So, for you to experience the time here, not so bad, but the place where I can live in
37:54a peaceful way and enjoy the sun and the sea and so on.
37:59What's the problem if you change your way of living?
38:02Well, one thing seems entirely clear is you can't argue against the Norwegian system on
38:06a basis that it doesn't work, because it does work.
38:16They say you can judge a society by the way it treats its prisoners.
38:20And Norway treats its prisoners extremely well.
38:23And I think that's an indication that it is a fundamentally civilized and just society.
38:29Of course, if I or my family were victims of some horrible violent crime, I might very
38:35well feel differently.
38:36But if right now someone was offering the UK a chance to switch wholesale to the Norwegian
38:42prison system, I'd grab it without hesitation.
38:51From shiny new Oslo and the sophisticated south, I'm heading to the frozen north, where
38:58an ancient form of sea life has become the toast of new Nordic cuisine.
39:12700 miles north from Oslo is the Arctic Circle.
39:16And I've arrived at the remote fishing community of Nordscot.
39:21Until a few years ago, this place was only accessible by boat.
39:25And it's a reminder of what Norway was like before the oil.
39:29Before it was the fourth richest country in the world.
39:32That's got to be one of the most stunning views I've seen in Scandinavia so far.
39:37And I've come here to see a friend of mine who's making a living up here, harvesting what
39:41for me is one of the most delicious of all shellfish.
39:45It's out there under the sea.
39:47So to get it out, we've got to get into the sea.
39:50And right now, it's about two degrees centigrade.
39:57This old fashioned fishing village now finds itself on the culinary map of modern Scandinavia.
40:03And it's all thanks to a Scot, Roderick Sloan.
40:07Good to see you.
40:08Really good to see you, man.
40:10Hi, Paul.
40:11Hi.
40:11How's it going?
40:13Great to see you.
40:15Blimey, what's the plan?
40:17We're just going to go out to like a really sheltered spot, pick up some beautiful sea urchins.
40:21Sounds amazing.
40:24Members of the starfish family, sea urchins are one of the oldest creatures of the sea.
40:30They've been eaten by humans for over 3,000 years.
40:34And the urchins rod dives for are reputedly so delicious...
40:37Hold on tight, boys.
40:39Here we go.
40:39..that they're in high demand in Scandinavia's top restaurants, including Noma.
40:46But it wasn't the urchins that first won his heart.
40:50You're obviously not Norwegian.
40:51You're a Scot.
40:52How did you end up coming here?
40:53I fell in love with the Norwegian.
40:55You fell in love with the Norwegian.
40:57Came to Norway to make a lot of money in this rich economy,
41:00fell in love with the Norwegian, became a poor fisherman instead.
41:03And now you're in love with Norway too?
41:05Very much so.
41:06It's a wonderful culture that's very similar to the culture back home in Scotland.
41:11But I've been here for 16 years now.
41:13There are quite harsh conditions to be making a living out here.
41:17That's how you see it, you know, it's like a little bit harsh.
41:21But I love it.
41:22It's a part of me.
41:24It's almost part of my soul now here.
41:26Go!
41:38The water's less than 10 metres deep here, so the urchins should be easy to find.
41:45To protect the seabed and conserve the urchin population, Rod harvests them by hand, taking only the biggest.
41:53He then leaves the site alone for five years to repopulate.
42:03Amazing.
42:05Absolutely brilliant, Rod.
42:06Thank you so much.
42:07The best way to enjoy sea urchins is, of course, straight from the sea.
42:13Beautiful.
42:14Extraordinary creatures.
42:16There's about 700 species on the planet.
42:18They're not all edible, but these ones are.
42:20These are Norwegian greens.
42:21They've been on the planet for 450 million years.
42:24Really?
42:25So they probably used to be eaten by sea-swimming dinosaurs.
42:29They could, actually.
42:30Nessie!
42:33This looks a little bit brutal, but I guess this is a very simple life form.
42:39That just looks so good, doesn't it?
42:42It does.
42:43Ah!
42:43So much of that rich orange roe.
42:46Ooh, that's cold on my hand.
42:48Here goes.
42:52Ah!
42:55That is just about the most delicious thing I can imagine.
42:58They've got such an intense flavour, and it's seaweedy, but also creamy.
43:04Just unique.
43:05I'll never get all of these.
43:07I don't think I ever would.
43:08They're very, very special.
43:12My taste buds satisfied for the moment, we're heading back to Nordscon.
43:18Rod's asked some of his neighbours over for a sea urchin-inspired supper.
43:23We'll be serving some of our catch raw,
43:26but I'm also preparing a sea urchin butter to top some locally-caught halibur.
43:31Looks roe-y, doesn't it?
43:33It does.
43:33It's got that flavour.
43:35That's going to do the job, Hugh.
43:36Pop it in the fridge to get nice and hard, and crack on with preparing the halibur.
43:43In winter, this part of northern Norway gets just an hour or two of daylight.
43:48Candle light is considered essential to keep spirits high.
43:52Despite their endless coastline, Norwegians are not traditionally adventurous with seafood.
43:57OK, here we go.
43:59Perhaps that's why it's taken a scot to unlock the potential of the urchins here.
44:04If you don't like it, no problems.
44:06Just try it.
44:06Just taste it as I see to my kids.
44:11First ever sea urchin over here.
44:14OK, it's the best.
44:19I think I have another one because it looks really good.
44:21The sceptical locals have been won over by raw urchins in the half shell, so I hope they'll like my
44:27roasted halibut topped with my special butter.
44:30Sea urchin butter, that's a first for me.
44:33It's looking really good, Hugh.
44:34So now we have a potato, carrot and artichoke gratin and some crispy dull seaweed around the fish.
44:43Dinner's a good chance to discuss some of the issues I've explored in my Norwegian journey, including, of course, oil.
44:50The offshore, onshore life is so good and so well paid that maybe it's a bit of a talent drain
44:56for Norwegians.
44:57You can go to many countries where they have had one economy and it's not sustainable.
45:03In particular, a natural resource which is not reusable.
45:06Which is finite.
45:07Yeah.
45:07One of the things I've talked to quite a few people about is Janteloven.
45:10Is that now completely outdated in Norway? Is Janteloven extinct?
45:15No, it's still there.
45:16You can be successful, you're just not allowed to talk about it.
45:20What about Ilves? Are they too successful?
45:23Not according to my children.
45:25They started very modest.
45:27Their success are earned.
45:30And everybody, of course, wondering, what does the fox say?
45:34What does it say?
45:40My Scandinavian adventure is almost at an end.
45:43And I've had the most incredible time.
45:46I've seen some of the most stunning scenery in the world.
45:49I've seen innovation in energy and industry.
45:53I've tasted some absolutely wonderful food.
45:57And I have to admit, I've rather fallen in love with this part of the world.
46:01Not that these countries are without their problems.
46:03But the thing about Scandinavians is they're good at dealing with problems.
46:08And wherever I've been, whoever I've talked to, I've found them upbeat and optimistic and full of pride in the
46:15country that they live in.
46:16Thank you very much.
46:17I really have made some friends for life.
46:20I've got to know some countries that I'll be visiting for the rest of mine.
46:30It's divided opinion up and down the country and even been discussed in Parliament.
46:34The residents of James Turner get to have the last word in Benefit Street tomorrow at half eight,
46:39with a live debate on the state of welfare straight afterwards.
46:42From America's best assets to America's most wanted next tonight, though,
46:47as Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren star in red.
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