Saturday 10th July 2010
I leapt out of bed at 6:45 am as the alarm sounded. Um – that does sound impressive. Perhaps I was start again. I eased myself up as the alarm sounded and sat on the edge of the bed for a minute or two. Then gaining a bit more consciousness I dressed and packed my pj's into the bag.
My plan was to get down to breakfast before the large group did. But no by 6:55 am they had already taken every chair and table space in the dinning room and spread out into the lounge. Also most of the items on the buffet had been taken. Not to worry because they had not discovered the porridge. Just as I was spooning this into my plate the group burst into song which I assume was a grace.
Once they had finished breakfast they gathered around the lounge piano and sang a song in four part harmony. They were very good and I decided that they just had to be a travelling choir of some sort. They were mixed ages from about late twenties upwards. Then they were into their bus and off. Suddenly the hostel was quiet again and relaxing. No doubt that a group can very easily dominate the surroundings.
I noticed that the lounge was dedicated to the founder of the hostel movement who established the first hostel in 1900, which was they year I understood this one was originally started. I knew it was the first in Norway but perhaps it was the first overall? Anyway there is a large painting of the founder and another painting which are donated by Hosteling International, so there is some significance about the lounge.
The route bus was ready to start its run from the hostel car park at 8:15 am and I got on for a five minute ride to the train station. That saved a good 25 minute walk pulling the bag and I would have had to go up a hill as well.
About 9 am the train opened its doors and everyone rushed to find their seat. No need to rush really as they are all allocated, so I guess that the rush was really to find luggage rack space. AS I had the same seat number as I had coming, I knew that I could fit my bag in front of me against the wall. This time I was facing the direction of travel.
We travelled along the rail getting the same commentary at the same spots as when I arrived. Never the less this time I was not videoing and could pay more attention to what was being said. It was interesting to see the landscape in the morning light and see what a difference it made. Some stood out more clearly while other views were the reverse and looked much flatter than two days ago.
Finally after an hour plus, we pulled into Dombas where the next train would arrive in about 15 minutes.
This was the same Trondheim to Oslo express I had come to Dombas on and now I was able to continue the trip to Oslo.
I guess that the best way to describe the scenery is to say 'more of the same' . Yes there were mountains, narrow valleys and wider ones as well. In the wider valleys there was plenty of farming. At times, the farms rising up the mountain sides to the tree line often with the farm house at the top, reminded me of the picture book view of alpine valleys and farms in say, Switzerland. Some of the valleys were quite long and wide and I began to think it was a lowland plain. But then the train would rise up the mountain side again, perhaps we would pull through a gorge and the farming was left behind.
For a while we followed alongside an often wide river. In time this became a lake which I seem to recall ended up at an hydro electrical dam.
My seat on this sector was one set to face the next seat so that when you looked straight ahead you were looking straight into the face of the opposite passenger. I had the position which meant I had my back to the engine. Fortunately there seemed to be enough leg room.
I dropped off to sleep and came to, to find we had stopped at Lillehammer the site of a Winter Olympics several years ago. I did spot the impressive ski jump on the hill side but didn't manage to get a decent photo of it. A little later we passed the big domed venue of the Olympic Ice Skating events.
Now we continued on around another lake. The lakes are often very picturesque.
Finally we stopped at Oslo Airport and then sped along for 30 minutes to Oslo Central, the end of the line for this train. However, after a 50 minute wait, I was to head off to Bergen on another train. Yes a long day of train travel. Thirteen hours of it in total. But right now I had time to get a meal – Vietnamese Chicken Noodles. Although tasty enough I don't think many Vietnamese would own up to it.
My seat to Bergen was a window facing travel direction and I had the adjoining seat free the whole journey.
The travel brochures sell the train from Oslo to Bergen as the 'taste of Norway. They claim if you do this ride then you have seen every type of landscape Norway has to offer. And basically that claim is true. You do get a good cross section except perhaps for the fjord views, which did surprise me.
Coming down to Oslo I noticed how the trees were so much taller than I had seen previously. But now they were getting smaller again. It has a lot to do with altitude and on this trip we reached 1222 metres at Finse. I know these details because the PA system announces it and the information appears on the display panel in the carriage.
This is another of the alpine snow areas with little vegetation, bare rounded rock and lakes of varying size filling all the depressions. Right across the area there were scattered cabins, cottages and even houses. Some were occupied with children outside waving at the train and others with smoke swirling up from the chimney. There was still snow on the surrounding mountain tops and I reckon, a couple of glaciers as well. There was an area of hotels or winter resorts as well. Then we went into the 10. 3 km Finse tunnel. This was not a continuous tunnel as often it was a housing over the railway line to protect it from snow. Where this was the case there were moments when a gap in the construction mean we burst into the open and then as quickly back inside. You just had time to think 'take a photo' before it was too late.
A few miles before Finse we had traveled through Geilo, an area covered in low conifers and lakes. Scattered amongst the trees were lots of houses and some hotels or lodges. I assumed that this was a fishing area, but as it was at a high altitude and not that far from Finse, I now wonder if it was also a winter ski area?
We stopped at Myrdal were the railway to Fam leaves from. I would be keen to go on this if I can work it in. However it is a two hour trip from Bergen.
Now from over 600 metres the train descended to around 50 metres at the next stop and we could glimpse a section of fjord. But then more ups and downs before finally arriving at Bergen.
Everybody quickly headed off trolley bag in tow. I had no trouble finding my hotel which was about three blocks along on the right. My problem – well a small one- came doing the automatic check in and key issue.
I had brought along my booking number and my pass word (which they had used my cell phone number for). I had the instructions, but the machine didn't seem to have English. OK I worked through the Norwegian instructions and filled in the boxes and put my credit card in and out came the receipt and off I went through the doors which someone else had got open. Then I realised that I had no idea what my room number was. Fortunately, when I put my booking number in again all me details came on screen plus an English language choice. So I just had to kick 'print key card' and I had room number Internet code and a key card. And there was an elevator.
A nice airy room desk and comfortable chair. Bathroom across the hallway and just for two rooms. I thought for shared facilities a one to two ratio was pretty good. The hotel is called "City Box Hotel" I am still trying to work out why they would chose a name with 'Box' in it.
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