Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/217

Rh bare, and were covered with patches of snow. Leaving this beautiful town our train rapidly ascended until we crossed the Kionlen mountains and the frontier between Sweden and Norway, (about 2000 ft. above the sea-level) and reached Storlien, the first station in Sweden.

We had our dinner here, and I must pause for a moment to describe the novel and primitive fashion in which they supply dinners at this Railway stations. There is nothing like ordering things or being attended upon by waiters. There is plenty of good things heaped on the central table, and each must help himself as best he can in the general rush and confusion! One has first to find a plate and spoon and knife and fork, and when he has done that, he helps himself to some soup and then to some meat and potatoes and vegetables. Fruits, cakes and cream there are in profusion on the table,—specially cream which is rich and plentiful in Norway,—and the only difficulty is to get at them in the crowd! When all is done, you go to a counter on one side, pay the price of the dinner and get a ticket, which you hand over to the man waiting outside on leaving the place. I rather liked this kind of arrangement, being specially blessed with a good appetite and a strong partiality for cream!

Leaving Storlien we went through the most beautiful scenery. Dark pine-covered hills stretching in varying forms on every side of us, rushing mountain streams with frequent waterfalls clattering on their stony beds, and here and there a beautiful lake surrounded by hills and reflecting on its bosom the dark woods around.