While my last blog post, much like many of my others, was a tale of debauchery and delinquency, this week’s will have a much different tone. Last week, during my self-declared “fall break” (SLU Madrid does not have fall break … woof), I gallivanted with one of my best friends to a rather distinctive destination: Norway! Though this location may seem like a random place to spend six days of one’s abroad life, I am always down for a new escapade, and when my friend Emily said that it was the one place she couldn’t leave Europe without seeing, I hopped on board for the adventure of a lifetime (not kidding).
We began our Norwegian journey in Oslo Central Station as we embarked on a train heading for Flam via Myrdal. Let me just say, trains are truly the best way to travel. They are spacious, cozy and sans security lines, not to mention the picturesque views that follow the rider from journey to destination. En route to Flam we met a man who was currently serving in the Norwegian Air Force but whose lifelong dream was to one day attend university and travel to America. This was a humbling moment for me as I often forget just how privileged I am to be attending such a great school and have boundless travel opportunities.
We had a great conversation with the man, who was presumably around our age, about his life. He told us about how he used to live in Ghana when he was a child and that he spoke English and Ghanaian while he lived there. I am continually impressed with Europeans’ proficiency in other languages and their appreciation for other cultures—including America, which is something we so much take for granted. We proceeded to converse with him about everything from his education to his time in the air force to how excited he was to get home to Bergen to see his family whom he had not seen in a long while. He even flattered me by saying he thought I was Swedish but was quick to add (verbatim) “until you opened your mouth.” Maybe it’s a backhanded compliment, but I’ll take it!
The rest of the day was spent traveling on a scenic train ride deep down into the fjord, passing waterfalls and riding through questionable manmade tunnels with a superb view of the water below. My family has a tradition of watching White Christmas each Christmas, and one of our favorite scenes is when they are on the train heading to Vermont to spend Christmas under its snowy canopy. The weather looks so cold on the way there, and the dining car looks so cozy with the booths and such. Our train mimicked the White Christmas train, as it was adorned with wooden paneled walls and cushioned, old-fashioned seats. I may or may not have burst into a rendition of “Snow, Snow, Snow” on my way down the mountain. It truly made me feel like Christmas was on its way.
We made it to Flam and then took a fjord cruise to our next destination, Aurland, a charming and scenic small town located deep within the fjord. It was a ghost town when we arrived, as most people had already left for warmer climates for the season or were inside bundled up away from the cold. The best part of Aurland was the panoramic walk we took up the main road that led us up a mountain. The views were absolutely majestic and unreal. The sky was baby blue, the water was black but clear. The mountains were sprinkled with waterfalls here and there, some of them even iced over. Following the walk, we were semi-attacked by a herd of sheep who were baaa-ing and growling at us the whole way down the mountain. I mean, I would be bitter if I was kept outside in the Norwegian cold all day too.
The final chapter, which I must leave for my next blog, involves the cussing out of a fjord cruise captain, a $100 cab ride, room service, Dr. Gregory House and drunken soccer fan belligerence on an 8-hour train ride. Stay tuned.