J&J's European Adventure

29 June

Oslo to Bergen

The train ride from Oslo to Bergen was one of the best we will likely ever experience. We went through some beautiful alpine country above tree line. Some of it reminded me a lot of the Summit Lake area of Alaska.

In Bergen, we had our closest call lodging-wise. We checked in at the local tourist center and learned that NASA, of all organizations, was having a convention in town and EVERYTHING was full. Without riding a bus for an hour to a nearby town, we had only one choice – a hostel with only a dorm. It was raining, so park benches were out of the question, and too late in the day to buy a tent, so we took it. It turned out to not be horrible, but pretty bad. Janene got off to a good start when she learned that the check-in clerk is from Wheaton, Il. and currently lives on Blanchard St., about one block from where she grew up. He attends Wheaton College, which is a religious school, and is doing volunteer work for the summer. I guess the hostel is some sort of semi-mission for the unwashed, as there were little sayings and homilies posted all over the place. If you're going to be a missionary, Bergen, Norway, ain't a bad gig. When we went to find our beds, OMG!, we found that it was in a 60-bed dorm.

We ate supper in a kebop shop run by a Kurdish Iraqi. He didn't seem to mind that we were American devils. We also bought some groceries in the most cramped store we've been in. It was like a well-stocked rat maze. The hostel didn't even have a TV, so I went out questing for a place to kill some time and watch the Spain vs. Portugal World Cup match. Bergen is a pretty town of moderate size, but it is definitely quiet after normal business hours. I walked all over town in the rain looking for a bar before I finally went into the Clarion Hotel and bought a beer at their bar. As I was sitting there, it dawned on me how cool it was to be sitting in a bar in Norway next to a Japanese guy, watching Spain and Portugal play soccer. And the strangest thing of all may be that I'm starting to enjoy watching soccer! The hostel staff didn't check my breath for alcohol when I got back after the game, so it was all good.

Daily miles: 4.69

Expenses:
99.79€ (Intermission hostel, kebops, groceries)
168.58€ (Fjord boat & Flam train tickets)

Train to Bergen