After my breakfast of brown cheese (I am developing a taste for the stuff) and whole grain bread washed down with dark coffee, we pack up and head downstairs to the train station. As it turned out, the Comfort Hotel Grand Central was an excellent location to spend a few days while we transitioned to Norwegian time. Indoor shops, visitor center, money exchange, restaurants and the hotel are all connected to the train station. Convenient and comfortable, we accidentally made a great choice.

Because I am impatient, we get to the track about 40 minutes early. Another train is unexpectedly moved onto our track ahead of our train, causing some confusion for tourists. For once, I am not the one anxious about catching the train. I help an elderly woman navigate the exchange. Another gets on the wrong train, but thankfully gets off again before it departs.

For this journey, I splurge and get first class carriage seats. They are roomy and somewhat privately tucked into the front corner of the train. They also have wide reclining seats and a table. Complimentary coffee and tea is available for all seven hours of our journey from Oslo to Bergen. The windows are large and afford excellent views of the countryside.

I settle in for the long haul. Book, music, and camera are at the ready. Luggage is safely stowed. At first the scenery is industrial and grey. Not much to look at.

Eventually the landscape turns to suburban towns. Still not much to look at except apartments and businesses. Finally, we arrive in the area along the fjords. Farmhouse after farmhouse rolls by. Red barns dot amber fields. The sky is grey with the promise of snow. Quintessential Norway. Postcard worthy Norway.

A few hours into the journey I want food. The lady a few rows ahead of us has packed a homemade lunch and it smells good. An aroma of home cooked goodness wafts throughout the car. We decide to check out the dining car menu. I am interested to see what our options are. Turns out that the Norwegians have a strange fascination with hotdogs. I, sadly, do not. So, we settle for surprisingly good pizza. I am offered a garlic dipping sauce. When in Norway….you try the dip. Especially if you reject the hotdogs.

Walking through the general boarding cars to get to the cafe, I am thankful to have booked the upgrade. The other train cars are crowded and noisy. A few even smell. On the plus side there is a kid’s playground on board and even a car to store skis. It seems a lot of people brought skis. Where is everyone going?

The snow started to fall heavily about halfway through the trip. As the train climbed in elevation, the snow became more pronounced. The trees were suddenly covered. Drifts the height of the train were kept back by wooden barricades. Houses were visible only by the roof lines. Lakes and rivers were frozen over. At one station, snow kites were flying riders across the frozen fjord. I didn’t even know snow kiting was a thing until I looked it up.

The train climbed even higher into the mountains where ski runs were busy with people enjoying the fresh powder. The train stopped at a station with literally nothing around it. Six cross country skiers hopped on board as the snow swirled. I have no idea where they came from.

The top of the mountain fades seamlessly into the clouds of snow. In the mountain towns, both children and dogs are outfitted in colorful snow suits. Skiers drag their supplies on sleds. Houses dot the landscape with no viable roadways. I wonder if the only way in is to ski.

Eventually the train track turns down the mountain. Mists rise off the fjords. Cows and sheep fill the pastures. And everywhere I look there is rushing water. Rivers and waterfalls of melting snow roar down the mountain. Beauty overwhelms me on all sides.

Five hours in and the fjords get wider. It is starting to get dark and the mountains turn hazy. Towns appear on the banks. Real towns with shops and schools and roads line the water. I am saturated with the beauty of the surroundings. I take way too many pictures. None of which will capture the glory of the moment.

It is after dark when we disembark in Bergen. It is a little warmer here, so we decide to walk to the apartment we have rented. It is uphill the entire way. I have a 10 lb pack and a mid size suitcase to wrestle up the steep and winding streets. The narrow staircase is steep. I run out of steam and stop to rest.

The spectacular views of this day are not over. Standing and looking over the streets of Bergen, I am grateful we are here. And I am glad we chose a scenic journey aboard the Bergen line.