Oslo to Bergen: First Glimpse of Glaciers

OSLO, NORWAY -- June 16, 2006

I took the morning train from Oslo, through the rugged terrain of southern Norway as it skirted across hundreds of kilometers, closing the gap between its eastern and western borders. The 470-km journey from Oslo to Bergen has long been touted as one of Norway's highlights, the best-of-the-best train journey, and a rare look at snow-capped mountain highlands, wild tundra, and glacial lakes that mystify and bewilder multitudes with their raw beauty.


Comfy in my first-class chair in a compart- ment I shared with dozens of day-tripping Norway-in-a-Nutshell tourists, I peered out streaky window to the scenery ever-changing just beyond the glass. I overheard the couple behind me as they talked of Virginia, and immediately felt a connection with these people I had never seen nor spoke to before. It's funny how you bond with travelers. Somehow you seem to belong in the same circle, as misfits in a foreign country, and age nor social class nor musical taste nor most other things that normally matter when choosing your cirlce of friends seems all that important.

It didn't take but a few seconds before I struck up a conversation with them. Otis and Susie, a charming older couple, were, as it turned out, from Virginia Beach, Virginia. They were visting Norway for the yearly gathering of the ... organization, of which Otis had recently been named President of his local chapter. After a few minutes of bubbly conversation, I let it spill out that today was my birthday. Not that I expected anything in return. But this day only comes around once a year, and I wanted to share it with someone.

Suzy reached into her handbag and pushed a bottle of mineral water into my hands. "Happy Birthday," she said with a giggly smile. Otis, eyes sparkling, warned me that there might be some singing later. I pretended it wasn't important, but secretly hoped that I'd leave the train later than day, having been serenaded by a few new friends. It just didn't seem like a birthday without a little "Happy Birthday" well-wishing.

As Susie and I talked on, Otis excused himself and moved to the front of the train compartment, where I couldn't help but overhear him talking in a low voice to the gray-haired group of tourists seated ahead. With his husky whisper, I heard him utter my name, and a few fuzzy details about my being a teacher, and taking a sabaatical to travel around the world, and finally, that today was my birthday. I tried to focus on my conversation with Susie, but the buzz of voices behind me was proving all too distracting. And then, with the stage presence and class you would expect from someone recently named as President of a prestigious service organization, he called the entire car to attention to deliver a birthday greeting. I beamed, a bit sheepishly, as a carful of strangers raised their voices to wish me a happy day. It was a sweet gesture. My mother would be proud.

~Melanie