It’s taken me a year to succeed in making-electronic-reservations-for-friends-in-another-country-with-short-notice department. I started trying about a year ago in Scotland. Finally last week in Norway, I scored.
While in 0slo, I practiced by getting tix to live music events in-person at ticket booths. For instance, I got an orchestra seat to Cosa fan tutti in Oslo’s magnificent opera hall by the sea. And later, my friend Sus and I bought tix to a blues & booze shrimp cruise.
Then when we were in Trondheim, we met Megan and Sverre, a musician and retired math professor who own an antique shop. Glad it occurred to me to ask for their recommendations when we were together. They told me about Antikvariatet, a music café that hosts an open mic on Sunday nights.
It’s difficult to make an online reservation when you know 10 words in Norwegian. And it’s awkward to invite only a few when you’re traveling with a gang of 23. Especially following the generous example of a fellow traveler who had managed to create two dinners at Norway’s finest restaurants when we arrived in new towns. He even researched, reserved, then invited all who wanted to come and adapted accordingly. It helped that he spoke the language.
With all this togetherness though, I was craving a 4-top for conversation sake. Besides, I suspected the venue was small. Solution: Invite the three others from our supper group back in Seattle. They all said yes. I also coached others about how to make their own reservations (and some did). It really wasn’t much trouble and, was it ever worth it!
I tried again to make e-reservations, this time in the activity department. I invited the whole group, “Come join me at Pust, the sauna in Bodø. It floats. It’s gorgeous, cedar-lined. They say Norwegians love it, especially in the winter. Never mind the optional swim in 5 degree (C) water.”
Needless to say, we had tons of fun splashing around. As we said out on the road together, working on our BS degrees, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”
*Photo Credit: Kathy Buholm
Always Bridging 