After failing to take the trip I wanted to take the other day, I got on a different train today and I ALMOST made it to a town I wanted to see! The train schedule to Kristiansand permitted me to get on in the morning, then arrive with just enough time to walk around for an hour before jumping on the return train to Oslo. So, I did my part and got on the train. Only there were no trains leaving Oslo today, so I took a bus to Drammen before getting on the train to Kristiansand. So far, so good.
The train was running half an hour late because of the situation where you had to bus to Drammen first. Okay, so 1/2 an hour to walk around Kristiansand instead of an hour. Still, I was excited to see more of this beautiful country and catch a brief glimpse of a pretty seaside resort town. Finally, a little after 4 in the afternoon, “We are now approaching Kristiansand” came across the loudspeaker. I visited the restroom briefly as the train was coming to a stop and heard another announcement, which I failed to understand because it was all gobbledygook (that is, softly-spoken Norwegian).
I got off and, about 10 seconds before the train set off, realized I was probably not in Kristiansand. The sign said Vennsela. I thought perhaps that was the name of the station in Kristiansand. I looked at the sign with the map and train schedule, but it was in a different format from any I had seen before. By the time I realized I was in a small town 20 minutes before Kristiansand, the train was fast disappearing.
Yeah. So. Tiny town on the tracks, on a holiday when all but the gas station and pizza shack are closed. And it started raining. Perfect. Thank you, state-run railway.
For the record, someone who had gotten off at this stop told me that the announcement I couldn’t hear while in the restroom (called a "water closet") was actually the conductor correcting the mistaken message that we were approaching our actual destination. I really should get better at the language. Oh well. At least the train is comfy and the scenery is amazing. Next time I’m in the area, maybe I’ll finally see Kristiansand!
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| Sweet Vennsela |
For the record, someone who had gotten off at this stop told me that the announcement I couldn’t hear while in the restroom (called a "water closet") was actually the conductor correcting the mistaken message that we were approaching our actual destination. I really should get better at the language. Oh well. At least the train is comfy and the scenery is amazing. Next time I’m in the area, maybe I’ll finally see Kristiansand!
Moments like this are best handled with an attitude I first saw years ago when someone told me his story about being scammed by someone selling watches on the St. Petersburg streets. He said, “I didn’t get the watch I paid for; instead, I got a story.”
