Praise the Lord! A few miracles worked here!
Wonderful, long awaited Reunion
Marilyn arrived last night (early this morning) but there were several miracles to accomplish it. There was a “Chinese Convention” (every hotel desk clerk said) in Oslo and no rooms (in the inn). Polly and Jim Naylor said last night on the train, that I might have trouble – but that was another understatement. They had only been only been able to find dorm rooms. I arrived on time and immediately began checking for available rooms. Our Nutshell train leaves in the morning at 8:11 so we needed some quick sleep. The first clerk said, if you find anything, take it. Most clerks smiled and said there were no rooms closer than ½ hour cab ride or 2 hour bus ride. I was visualizing us sitting up in either the bus or train station – leaning into each other, heads nodding and bobbing. Not what I had in mind. Finally, right across the street from the train station – The Olso Rico Hotel, I can’t say enough good about it – the clerk was just “giving out their last room”! I can’t believe it. I should/could/would have come here first. It can’t be your last. If you have that one, you must have another. He said, “give me an hour, I may have another”. I said, I’ll wait. A half our later, yes. Thank you, Lord. It is time to start praising the Lord, more and again. Praise the Lord. And breakfast, too. A nice complete breakfast – with herring. And no long, expensive cab ride – but right across the street from the train station where we needed to be at 8 am. So here we are, not a cloud in the sky and neat cottages as we ascend into the mountains. I have said, there are sheep “everywhere” and I don’t know where they all are, we have passed just three in 2 ½ hours. We soon get off at Myrdal and ride a narrow gage train down to the fjords. More to come.
It is an unusual feeling to get off the 1st class comfort of a train you know so well, but you are 11,000 miles from home and don't know any one. You have been told you will be picked up by another train, but it is not there, yet. It is a nice warm day but we are at 3000 feet elevation. The train does eventually come, but it is a little uncomfortable waiting........and what a spectacular ride down. This has a drop in elevation at a rate of 55%. I didn't know what that meant but it is steep. Many waterfalls, but one especially with a nymph singing......really - look close....
The train ride ends in Flam and there is a Princess Cruise ship. Our cruise was really much like a cruise from Seward to Whittier, Alaska. Spectacular! We had a great short talk with a couple of viking enthusiasts, recreating the days of yesteryear (1000 or so, ago). 
A bus then took us back up the hill to Voss but with a stop at a beautiful Hotel. We got into Bergen about 20:30.
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