Days 23-24: Bergen-Oslo

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The cruise finished at noon in Bergen. We disembarked and used our new favourite app, Here We Go, to navigate to the apartment where we were to bed down. Martine was a bubbly presence as a host, with a refreshingly untidy place, and she helped us with a plan to see as much of the town as possible in the few hours we had available. Highlights were an impressive town square, 12^th-century palace and that famous row of coloured shop frontages along the Bryggen foreshore. And we did make the trip on the funicular railway up the mountain overlooking the city for a spectacular view, which was enjoyable even without going too near the edge. An even better view is enjoyed by a handful of goats – they must by definition be mountain goats – that live on the steep slope directly under the parapet.

Next morning saw us on the train to Oslo, a six-hour ride billed as one of the world’s great railway journeys. It lived up to that reputation, taking us through an arc from lush green-bordered mountain lakes and streams, up into bare and icy places surrounded by mountains patchy with snow, and back again. As we puzzled over the route map a young woman opposite offered us some help. It turned out that she grew up along the route and knew the line intimately, which was of great benefit for photography: “Photo now!!” “Beautiful icy lake after the next tunnel, but you’ll only have a few seconds!” She gave us historical vignettes about the towns and the railroad itself, and was all-round entertaining company. She was an electrician, and pointed out along the way a formerly derelict hotel where she had been employed in renovations. We asked in jest if it was now safe to stay in, and she replied in the same spirit, “I can only guarantee the parts I worked on.” We told her she should give up her day job and become a tour guide.

Our flight next morning was to leave at 7:05am, which was a long time pre-dawn in this part of the world. For that reason we had booked into an airport hotel, our first experience of that form of accommodation. Turns out they’re like an ordinary hotel except everything is more expensive and there’s nowhere to go for a walk before or after dinner.

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