Thursday 17 August 2000

Pic of the day: This is how the Norwegian "Signatur" trains look. Be warned.

Signaturally

OK. This is now officially not fun. I've been on the Signatur train for a couple hours, a bit under half the run. To start with the start, I discovered I'd got a seat in the Family coupe, which is to say, the screeeeaming babies coupe. A random number of seats were also turned the wrong way, with the back against the driving direction. They can not be turned. Needless to say, I got one of these. Some poor soldier got the neighboring seat. At least they don't pay full price - I suppose it's still 1/4 price, as it used to be.

Sleeping was not a great success, after all. I eventually gave it up and went to get me some food. The only previous time I took the Signatur train, they had a delicious bacon pie which made it all worthwhile. This time they had spinach quiche. I am not that adventurous. Instead, I chose the pasta with champignon and creme fraiche. It turned out to be a prefab which they heated in the micro, and it did smell like micro too. On the bright side, they used adult champignon, not baby. I do not eat baby champignong, because there is no human born who can see the difference between a baby champignon and the corresponding toxic shroom, which is not too rare around here. Not that cooked mushrooms are exactly appetizers either. But I ate some of these. There were also strands of grass, which I suppose would be great for your digestion if you somehow managed to swallow them. I gave up on that. And the pasta were long strands which were totally slippery from the creme fraiche. Luckily I brought extra shirts.

The estimated arrival time on the ticket was for driving at full speed, but the Signatur trains are all at reduced speed these days, and have been all summer, because they break down when run at full speed. This was duly informed about on the Internet as well as at the station. But the arrival time was still given for full speed, so I'm going to arrive (if at all) half an hour later, or perhaps one hour later, than I told Cutie.

Oh, and there was 2 functioning toilets in the entire train, as far as I could investigate. Needless to say, these were placed almost as far as possible from where I sat, and were in use when I came to call on them.

***

Hi again. By now, I am sitting on the guest bed. Yes, I have it all to myself. Which may be just as well for all involved, but let's not go into that again now. I've eaten a light meal together with SuperWoman, Cutie (who is going to America in a week or so) and their mother and aunt. I've discussed politics with SuperWoman, who for some obscure reason thinks that Norway should join the European Union, even though her heart is in America. As well it should be. There can be no real progress in democracy without adopting the American concepts of personal responsibility. If people are not able to take responsibility for their own lives, as far as circumstance allows, how can they govern a country?

But with the exception of Great Britain, the EU is pretty much as mired in socialism as we are - in fact, half of EU even has higher taxes than us - and adding another layer of rigid Eurocracy all over the place is not going to improve things, in my humble opinion. I'm all for international cooperation and even a common valuta. But not cementing bad traditions.

Anyway, this is hardly the games that lovers play. She is one of the most beautiful things that have legs instead of a stem, and we discuss European politics. I even looked at her lovely blue eyes, dark in the soft light at the table, and said: "Your pupils are just a little less dilated than your sister's." Quick, someone make a comic about us! Hmm, "SuperFriends" would be a good title ...

***

Had a minor panic attack on the train for the last hour or so. They seem to be coming more frequently now. Hmm.