The sun finally arrived after a long period of cold and rainy weather. My husband’s former wife’s family—mother, sisters, and close relatives in four generations—decided to celebrate the event on the beach at the bottom of a long and narrow fjord.
I’m used to being with many people, but not at an improvised event to celebrate a long-awaited sun. My husband’s former wife’s youngest sister took the initiative and summoned the family to the bonfires.
A hundred meters below her house, leftover building materials, and newly cut birch tree branches became a big bonfire on the beach. The family arrived by car, and many of them by boat. Most of them live just across the fjord and have been living there for centuries.
Our hosts in Halsa, Guri and John were the oldest present, and one of Guri’s sisters arrived with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I felt I was back in the Viking era, when strong women ruled the community while the men plunder the countries south of them.
The Norwegian government has led a policy that allows people to live well in the countryside. Even if young people still have to travel out to find work, many stay, build a healthy society and care for the legacy of the past.
Here are some pictures:
