Árdís - 01.01.1962, Page 39

Ársrit Bandalagas lúterskra kvenna
37
A Stranger In The Land Of
The Midnight Sun
LILJA M. GUTTORMSSON
In 1947, before I had an irikling of the fact that I would be
going to Oslo in Norway, I attended a silver-wedding anniversary
celebration at the home of the honoured guests, Rev. Sigurdur
Olafsson and his wife, Ingibjorg, good friends of mine. I left the
office after work and arrived at their place in Selkirk just as
lunch was being served out on the lawn. I saw many faces there,
some familiar, some strange. Among the strange faces was that
of a Norwegian girl who was in Canada visiting relatives at the
time, but I did not meet her, nor did I hear about her then.
When I was preparing for my departure for Norway in the
fall of 1949, I went to pay a farewell call on the Olafssons. During
the course of my visit they told me about the lovely Norwegian
girl who had stayed with her aunt, a neighbour of theirs and who
had become their friend. They wanted me to meet Unni in Norway
so their daughter, Josephine, introduced me to her aunt who gave
me Unni’s address in Oslo. I was grateful for this information and
looked forward to meeting a potential friend, a link with the
strange country I was about to enter.
I telephoned Unni shortly after my arrival at the Canadian
Legation in Oslo, and we arranged a meeting. Each of us described
her appearance and had no trouble finding each other at Major-
stuen, the depot from where the electric trains depart for the
hills of Holmenkollen, Frognerseteren and other places. We liked
each other, and a warm friendship was established then and there.
Unni told me she was taking me to the Holmenkollen Tourist
Restaurant, where we could enjoy the view. Soon our train pulled
in, we entered and found seats. Then the conductor came along
and collected our fare, handing us the tickets and change with a
polite, “Takk! Vær sa god!”, which means, “Thank you! Here