It all starts on Friday night. The 2230 night bus to Oslo Bus Terminal. When the loud people had gone I could sleep. But not well. A very fragmented sleep and then I arrived in Oslo 0530. With no reason to stay in the Bus Terminal I chose to take the airport bus to Gardermoen Airport 0540. A 45 minutes rides and I could relax in my seat. At Gardermoen Airport I found the check-in machines for Scandinavian Airlines and soon I had my boarding pass in my hand. Then I went through the security line. First priority was finding somewhere to sit in the terminal. Later my gate would be announced but not now 3 hrs before the air plane was due to leave. I was really sleepy and tired but I could not sleep here. Or could I? I would not risk losing my flight so NO. First I bought a cola light and a snack and then a hot dog with cola light. Actually I bought AA batteries first, but I could not eat them :-).
Sleep, I could have slept so much better on the plane if the man behind me had not decided that my seat belonged to him and jerked the seat towards him several times. That really interrupted my sleep. HE slept by all his weight on the tray. At least I felt like it was all his weight. My next chance for a rest or sleep came in Frankfurt Airport after this over 2 hrs flight with heavy winds against the plane. In Frankfurt Airport I found some wonderful high chairs with neck and leg support. Wonderful except that it was 6 chairs and tables linked together on the one side and 6 on the other so it was often enough for one person to be moving to feel the moving for the others. Wonderful chairs but that was a design flaw to have them all linked. Almost 2 hrs almost-rest until I went to the train station. First I had a ChickenBurger Meal at McDonalds and then I went all the way to the main-line station and then it was an 1 hours trip to Karlsruhe. Again it was relaxing but not sleeping.
I recognized Karlsruhe but I found it impossible to find out which train/bus to take to my hotel. So I took a taxi. 9 Euros. What a seat and to be there with my legs out, RELAXING. Lovely! Then I came to Hotel Blankenburg. It was nicely situated with the Staatstheater just about opposite the hotel. Lovely staff, nice room. I could/should probably sleep before going to the theater. A shower and a change of the whole pouch/skin cover. But it seem that it was really nothing wrong there just my being nervous and my skin really does not like being covered so it itches. But it did make me feel ready for opera. Changing the whole thing made the itching stop.
And then it was 1830 and I could collect my ticket at the theater. I could now look around to see if there was any body else from José Cura Connexion. YES. Norway, Austria, Germany, Spain, Japan etc was there. We were all excited. Some of us had already seem this production with Cura several times and some, like me, was only coming for this Saturday performance. If I am not mistaken José Cura's wife with 2 sons and 1 daughter were there too.
For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com
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