ROCKING ON A TRAIN FROM OSLO TO BERGEN

 Our suite had a king size bed in the main bedroom and a small twin bed in an alcove. I took that one, hoping no one would hear me snore.

But when I noticed that both of them snored also, I totally relaxed and slept well!!!   MORNING CAME!

Nothing new so far...later...

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We returned to the hotel restaurant for a wonderful breakfast. We were so hungry and enjoying our food so much, we didn't

notice "Golden Boy"had walked up to our table.

"May I sit with you Ladies for a minute?" We nodded. Yes.

  He had such a bright, happy face. 

He continued, "I hope I didn't scare you waving. My name is Henry _____ "

We introduced ourselves;  we immediately became Miss Eve, Miss Asta, and Miss annie!

"You see, you (meaning me) look just like my grandmother, who raised me on her farm. When she died last summer she left all her money to me; she wanted me to see all the things she had dreamed of seeing but never did. That's what I am doing in Europe. 

"Grandma would love it that I am eating in the same

restaurant that a hundred years ago Henrik Ibsen strolled to EVERY day!! He would lunch with  famous writers and artists, diplomats ...this very place, Ladies! She would be so excited! Of course you know he influenced George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and Eugene O'Neil!"

"I guess it sort of slipped my mind, Henry." I answered defensively. haha.

 Henry took no notice of my comment. "Today I am going to take the train trip to Bergen. Are you ladies going there too? Why not? I'll look out for you. I need to go back to my table now, but I am also staying here. Here is my room number...call, if I can help in any way." 

Well, he sure wasn't at a loss for words!! We were stunned!! "To tell the truth, I wanted to take that train trip today to Bergen. 

But I hated to go by myself and hated to leave the two of you before you go to Stavanger!!"

Eve got on her cell phone.  "Nicklas, our new friend Annie is  going on the Bergen Rail today  to Bergen. She is so old (she winked at me!) that Asta and I think we should go with her. We can fly from Bergen to Stavanger!! I know you are glad we are leaving Oslo!! Okay? See you in a couple of days."


So we quickly got our stuff together. We had just enough time to walk across the roof of the Oslo Opera House
 before  going to the train station!!

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In only a few hours we were not only ON the train, we were moving along. Oslo station.

We learned no other train ride in Europe is at a higher altitude

than this one between Oslo and Bergen, Norway's two largest

cities. We will be going through dazzling scenery with the most

spectacular stretch being over Europe's highest mountainous

plateau. It will take about 7 hours. We are pretty excited.

 

A few stations  along the way.

 ,

                       MYRDOL,where we made a detour to Flam. 

FLAM 

Henry told us about the detour to Flam. We are so glad we

took it. It is surrounded by steep mountainsides, roaring waterfalls and deep valleys. The Flam Line is a 12.6 mi. long railway between Myrdal and Flam. It has 10 stations, one bridge and 20 tunnels!! It is the steepest standard gauge railway in Europe. We were warned not to stick our arms out the windows!! We always thought the Pippin at the Memphis fairgrounds was scary!...anyway Eve, Asta and I just loved

every minute of the entire train ride.

Getting back to Henry. We had been afraid he would be

a pest. But he seemed to know EVERYBODY and only came to our seats now and then. Every stop we made was awesome beyond my ability to describe.

The trains were very nice. We could buy food inside as well as at the stops we made. But who could think about food?? The train extravaganza ended at Bergen at this railway station!! 

Eve and Asta decided to leave by train the next morning instead of flying. We hear it is a beautiful trip. We found a little hotel for the night and then started out walking. This was so different from Oslo. (oh, Oslo...we wanted to see more!) We walked until dark.

 

We loved the colorfully painted buildings!  We walked until it was dark. We went to the hotel.

It would have been sad to see my friends leave the

next morning for Stavanger, if they hadn't made me promise to come to visit them before I left Norway. With that settled, the goodbyes would not be so hard. Also,

I was getting some confidence now...and I would be fine!  

In general conversation I finally asked, "Why did

Nicklas hate for you to be in Oslo so much?"

They reminded me of something I had seen on TV;

 Oslo 

 v                     where camp was 

 News: Between 20  & 30 have been killed and several others wounded after a man described as blonde-haired and "Norwegian looking" opened fire in a Norwegian Youth Camp several hours after a bomb went off in Oslo..

  "in July a young man set off a bomb in Oslo and 2  hrs later at a camp just north of there.  if it hadn't been in July,  (when so many take vacation,) many more would have been killed. But the police assured us there was no danger now, and we believed him. Nicklas didn't!" 

Ben wouldn't have believed the police  either!!

But Oslo had taken it hard...first violence since WWII. I felt ashamed I had not taken it more seriously at the time....This was just one more story of bloodshed...and now knowing this is important to me personally. I love Oslo.

We sang some, talked some more.Then agreeing today was GOOD, we went to sleep.!!

I will tell YOU MORE, when I know more. Love, annie

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