Saturated

It got really close today. Don't know about you, but I almost had tears in my eyes. We took a 7 hour train ride from Oslo to Bergen. This landscape is absolutely stunning. I was so Saturated In Beauty that my eyes almost leaked. Of course, taking quality photos or video from a fast moving train is almost impossible. I'll attempt to describe it. Train from Oslo to Bergen

Norway is all that, and more, in terms of splendor. The hills and fields roll. The mountains are forested with ample pine and birch; at times so high that they are snow-capped. The adorable homes and farms are widely scattered, and only occasionally clustered around a village. They are painted a variety of vibrant colors. But, more often than not the landscape is natural, untouched Mother Nature. If you don't see water from one side of the train, just look out the other side.

Norwegians seem very fastidious. Everything is straight and orderly... from their piled wood, to everything you see their fingerprints were upon. Crop fields are postcard quality and look like someone edged them as a Royal Garden. There is absolutely no litter. There are absolutely no billboards or advertising of any sort.

Then the train begins to climb, so slowly you notice it most by what changes outside. Gradually the trees vanish, and everything becomes white. The snow, ice, and lakes are slowly thawing this lovely, clear bluish water... cascading down streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Very nice homes are still occasionally scattered about, but to our amazement there are no roads, cars, or electric lines leading to them. These must be vacation homes, and it's a wonder that they can be reached.

As we descend from these higher elevations the trees return and the mountainous land is towering and there are often tremendous cliffs... I mean really big ones that make your neck hurt. Eventually the regions become more and more populated as we reach sea-level and the city of Bergen.

It was seven hours like that, and it passed in a wink. The train was sleek and whisper quiet, with big windows for gawking. Despite a very light passenger load, I met Emilio and Susan from Austin, Texas. Emilio and Susan As Americans we enjoyed chatting a bit; they lived just outside of Philadelphia (Swarthmore) awhile back.  I've noticed that, in general, the local people keep to themselves more... sort of quietly polite! Certainly that may change as we go along.

So to avoid becoming too long winded, we'll begin the sharing of Bergen tomorrow. It's different from Oslo and there are a few unique surprises.

Thank you all for coming along. And a special thanks to Ben for fixing the video situation. We'd be lost without him holding the virtual screwdriver!