2015-12-23

From Oslo by train

It turns out that even if you can't get a reservation for a train on specific time, there still might be a place for you on that train. And you won't need to sit on your luggage after all. I talked to three nsb (Norwegian rail) officers hoping at least one of them was a conductor of my train. None of them was. But one of them told me to go to wagon, choose a place from 13 to 20 and just wait for conductor. And so I did. The conductor didn't show until the train started moving. Technically they can ask you out, but humanly they won't. And if you have a rail pass(which means it's a ticket valid for specific dates), then in worst case there is some space in restaurant wagon. Standing there for three and a half hours would have been quite difficult, I think.
Once I got on a train and it left Oslo, I couldn't take my eyes off the window. And the weather was quite nice. Medium height mountains, bays, fjords, valleys painted with the warm shades of sun. White or brown wooden houses, following same design principles - similar and different at the same time. The railway was dangerously going across the lakes, rivers, tunnels. Sometimes it seemed like there was only a half meter between a rock wall and a train window. Good weather ended soon. The mountains hid their peeks in the pillows of clouds and cloaks of fog - but it still looked magical to me. Though there was no snow to be seen, the small lakes were frozen and looked like mirrors on the surface of earth. Only the reflection wasn't quite clear - as if it has been covered with hot water steam. The spring water on the rocks - tiny waterfalls - that was frozen too!
As the train moved towards my destination - Nelaug - everything became engulfed with a light rain, the sky was just gray and everything else was of that colour as well. The two-coloured houses of white and brown fitted into that landscape very well.
Nelaug was just the train station where we had to get off - we were going to far more disconnected place - Åmli - no trains, just local buses going there. Therefore, a friend had to pick me and her boyfriend from train station. As we got off, she was already waiting for us.

No comments: