THE FLAM TRAIN

                              A Short but Spectacular Train Ride

            Norway is one spectacular scene after another of mountains, waterfalls and fjords. The journey on The Flåm Railway is regarded as one of the highlights of any trip to Norway. The 20-km-long train ride from the mountain station of Myrdal to Flåm, located beside the fjord, takes around 55 minutes.

            The railroad built in 1914 took 20 years to complete. The first cars were steam driven. On the journey, you have views of some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in Norway with an ever-changing panorama of tall mountains and cascading waterfalls. The slow moving train stops at the best views.  At one stop we could get off to take pictures and admire an absolutely spectacular waterfall. Spray from the falls nearly drenched us, but none of us cared.

            At Voss we changed trains for another short ride. Then it was back on the bus for a fantastic steep ride over many hairpin turns. What a great ride, but I was glad I’d left the driving to someone else! At the fjord we waited for the ferry to cross the bus to Eidfjord.

            This train ride rivals Switzerland’s much longer, all day Glacier Express that passes over spectacular scenery leaving one gasping in wonder.

KOLBENZ,GERMANY

CUTE STATUES

Manhole covers are seldom of interest, but In Koblenz, Germany our guide on a walking tour stopped at one and explained, “The French occupied this area for twenty years and it was home to French refugees during the French revolution. Of course only males were here and eventually some of them married German girls. Their offspring were called schangel. This brass cover depicts a mischievous little boy. All the covers in the city are like this, and later we’ll stop by a statue dedicated to him.”

            When we got to the statue it was a surprise to all of us the first time that little bronze boy spit a mouthful of water onto the plaza. He was pretty cute and got a laugh out of us.

            Many statues are around the city. Some are red sandstone, others bronze. They all depict and commemorate common people who were known in the area. In one plaza is a woman who sold produce every day. On the square is the town character who drank too much and who one night decided to play the drums in the middle of the night waking his neighbors. The statues keep the town’s history alive and are a sweet addition to its character. They are adorable and can’t help but make you smile much of the time.

            We ended the walking tour at the History Column celebrating 2000 years of history. Our guide interpreted the fountain, “Mother Mosel sits in the rear of the boat while Father Rhine sits in the front guiding the oarsmen. The boat is full of wine kegs. The column rising from the center of the boat depicts various periods of time in the city’s history.”

            It is an unusual but meaningful monument.