Älesund is where my soul was nearly singing in inspiration. Art Deco and Art Nouveau have been favorite styles of mine since I was a child. If you’re like me, this is where you need to go in Norway. The story starts on a somber note. With a fire in 1904 that displaced more than 10,000 people, destroying over 800 structures. A construction boom occurred, and European architects brought a new style to the rebuilding efforts: Art Nouveau. It has resulted in the town twice being voted the most beautiful in Norway! No two buildings are the same as there was usually only one building for each architect. This isn’t Huassmann’s Paris. Though I adore that too. In Älesund, every bend reveals a new jewel. But even modern buildings often pay homage to the old through color. Outside one such building, a hotel, was a box-shaped sauna and an enormous plunge pool fed directly by the fjord. Other colorful buildings drew me to their reflections in the water and the way the color bled across the surfa...