On to Gothenburg

Leaving Oslo under cloudy skies

Arriving to rain in Moss

We were booked on the 1 PM express train for the 4-hour trip to Gothenburg. We could have gone earlier or later to get more productive use of the day, but opted instead for the $30 ticket and a good excuse to lounge around after breakfast. We saddled up about noon, spent the last of our NOK on snacks and headed south along the coast. We reached Moss at the end of the first hour and then had to switch to a motorcoach for a 1-hour detour around track work.We picked the train back up in Halden, just north of the Swedish border.

Bus from Moss to Halden

Fredriksten Fortress in Halden

No time to get out and explore Halden, but Frediksten Fortress prominently standing guard over the town makes it clear that this place has a military history, and the proximity of the border with Sweden suggests the mostly likely antagonist. In fact, Fredriksten has some claim to fame as the place where a particularly aggressive Swedish king was actually shot and killed on the battlefield in the early 1700s. Other the the fortress, Halden was long

Downtown Halden

Saugbrugs paper mill, Halden

known for its pulp and paper mill, but I read that more recently it has become something of an IT center.

West Sweden countryside

Very comfortable trains

Harvesting North Sea wind

The remaining 2-hour train ride passed through Swedish countryside that alternated between forested lake country and farmland. It was tough to stay awake against the gentle rocking of the train, and the result was a number of bad photos where I missed the shot through bad reflexes.

Missed the sign for Ed (Sweden)

Great room at the Radisson Blu in Gothenburg

We finally arrived and checked in at the Radisson Blu a bit after 5 PM. This is the third Radisson we've used on this trip and it is by far the best. Friendly folks at the desk (a welcome change after Norway) and a huge comfortable room. Proximity to the train station was a big plus. After cleaning up from the road we headed out for dinner and eventually sat in an upscale seafood establishment, Fiskekrogen. Should have taken pictures of the food, but I left my cell phone charging in the room. Ended up paying way more than I has intended, but the meal was excellent and the service impeccable.