For some ridiculous reason, we opted to take the first train from Oslo to Stockholm today. If we’d understood the ramifications of twilight and maybe two hours of darkness every day, maybe we’d have opted for a later departure time than 7:30 a.m. At any rate, we boarded, and since my Viking had insisted we would be fed during the journey had nothing on us in terms of food. Four hours later, absolutely starving, we purchased truly expensive peanuts and gobbled them up.

    The The passing scenery is much flatter than our Norway in a Nutshell vistas, but as always, lush, green, and panoramic. Farms dot the landscape. It seems as if every scrap of land is devoted to growing food or raising sheep and cattle. We arrive in Stockholm around three in the afternoon and are pleased and relieved to find that our Radisson Blu hotel is located not a couple of minutes from the train station. Our Floridian Norwegian friend, Bjorn, has once again used his infulence (he managed a few Radisson’s) and we’re upgraded to suite once again. Not only that, but a welcome fruit basket and a half-bottle of wine awaits us.

WhatsApp has turned out to be a traveler’s best friend. We text my friend, Tamarind, who’s 60th birthday and her desire for a Baltic cruise prompted this whole trip. Not a few hours later, we’re dining at Luzette, a restaurant located in Stockholm’s Central Station. What an incredible day! A new country, old friends, an incredible dinner, and copious red wine. What more can a gal ask for???