Day 42 - Reconnecting with Family & Friends
“No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other’s worth.” Robert Southey
August 2, 2023: I first met my cousin Marit in person in June 1981, when I was 17 years old and took my first trip to Norway and we have stayed connected over the years. It is amazing how no matter how much time passes between each visit, it is almost as if no time has passed. We have become close friends as well as cousins over the years. There is a quote by the English poet Robert Southey that reads, “No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other’s worth.” I absolutely agree.
Today we made the trip to Askim, Norway which is about 55km south of Oslo. Marit was working, so we had lunch with Rune, Knut and Marit (Ottersen) before they headed back to Fredrikstad. Later in the day we headed to Oslo to meet up with her. Jens, their youngest son joined us and we were meeting Jørid, their daughter in the city where she is attending university. I have known both of them since they were very young and have watched them grow up on each visit I have made to Norway. It is so fun to see them as adults, living their own lives.
When we got to Oslo and had everyone assembled, we headed to grab some dinner. We ended up at a local place called Postkonoret (Post office in English) that serves great pizza. I forgot to take a picture of it, but mine was had parmesan cheese, basil and ham and was delicious! After dinner, we walked around Oslo to see some of the changes since I was here in 2019. So much building has taken place over the past few years during COVID and recently. Down by the harbor it is has become a vibrant area with lots of restaurants and apartments. They even have even created a man-made beach right in area and a place where you can get a sauna. It is so cool there and the architecture is so creative and eye appealing. We will be in Oslo later next week, so I hope to see even more of the area and get some more pictures.
Finally, we headed back to Askim for the evening in preparation for our trip to Kristiansand for the weekend. We stayed up late talking and catching up. It will be so nice to relax and spend time together over the next few days.