On time for Connections
A big concern on
our Scandinavian adventure was being on time for departures,
connections and prearranged meetings. Our tour guide tried to
encourage punctuality with this little reminder: “The first time
you’re late to the bus, you’ll have to sing; the second time,
you’ll have to dance. The third time, you can sing and dance all
you want, because the bus will have already left!”
Not only did we
have the bus to worry about, but there were also many other modes of
transportation, such as ferries and trains. Being late or missing a
connection would result in a headache for everyone involved.
After spending two
nights in Stockholm, Sweden and then another in Copenhagen, our tour
group was driven to the Copenhagen harbor and put on a ship for an
overnight cruise to Oslo, Norway.
People were
friendly, spoke English and were willing to talk with us. One crew
member who worked in the snack bar by the pool shared stories about
her life, as well as her views on the world in general.
Another nice
conversation happened at breakfast when Al and I shared a table with
two women who grew up in a fishing village on the coast. Just after
breakfast though we got caught up in the crowds of people all wanting
to disembark in Oslo and were late getting to the tour bus.
Fortunately, they didn’t make us sing!
We didn’t stay in
Oslo, but headed for Telemark, about 118 miles away. There were two
interesting historical stops along the way. One was a centuries old
Stave church constructed from Norwegian pines. Built on a stone
foundation with twelve staves as the support system, the church was
constructed to “last forever!” The wood used in the church had
been preserved by the sap flowing from the original pines which were
left standing for several years after they were notched or topped.
Another stop was to
see a former hydroelectric plant built on the side of a steep ravine.
During WW II, the Nazis gained control of the plant, planning to
produce “heavy water” and export it to Germany where scientists
were rushing to develop a nuclear bomb. This was averted by a
surprise attack from a group of daring soldiers, as portrayed in
“The Heroes of Telemark.” No doubt some of the local men
participated in that raid, climbing up the ravine to the plant on a
cold winter night and then making their escape on skis. Courageous
and patriotic people!
After spending the
night in Telemark at a rustic but modern ski lodge whose buildings
were topped by sod roofs, we drove along lakes and fjords to
Hardangerfjord. From there, a ferry took us to Bergen, located on the
west coast of Norway, where we would stay for the next two days.
The beauty of the
fjords, folk tales of trolls and Norse mythology all served to
inspire Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg, who made his home in
Bergen. A gondola ride to the top of one of the many surrounding
mountains gave us a spectacular view of the city. It was cool and
windy on the mountaintop. Fall was fast approaching.
Before leaving the
city, our group enjoyed a walk through “Old Bergen’s” pastel
buildings, all adjacent to one another and with the passage of time
leaning to one side. From Bergen, we traveled by bus and ferry to
Flam, another beautiful village, then by train back to Oslo. It was
another day when it was important to be on time.
The trains took us
through many miles of tunnels dug out by the hands of hardy railroad
workers. While transferring from a cog railroad to a more modern
train, we heard the legend of a maiden who lured unsuspecting workers
into the forest. Suddenly a figure in a long red dress appeared near
a waterfall, dancing and motioning to the trees behind her. Just one
more reason to always be alert and watching!
“Be on guard! Be
alert! You do not know when that time will come.” Mark 13:33 NIV
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