The Olavsbrev

There were a few pilgrims waiting outside the PIlgrims Office at the Pilgrimsgård waiting for it to open at one o'clock. There were two volunteers working through the process. Unhurried, welcoming, just quietly getting things done and answering people's questions. So it took a little time to get to the head of the queue.

At that point, a woman arrived who clearly didn't intend to queue and marched straight up to the office door and demanded attention. No matter that everyone else had been waiting patiently, she clearly was much more important. One of the volunteers came over and did help, but I was finding it difficult to remain calm in the face of this entitled behaviour.

The Olavsbrev is a lovely, simple document with a decorative border of Norwegian wildflowers. I asked for a description, but they were unable to find the explanation sheet in English, so I'm not able to identify them at the moment.

Once the record keeping was done, I put a pin in the world map of pilgrims who have arrived this year. I am the seventh Australia so far. and I am in the low 800s of all pilgrims who have registered this year.

I realise that a little earlier, I had chatted briefly with Josef, the German pilgrim I had met equally briefly on the road near Matfors, at the very start of this journey. He had finished a few days ago. It was a nice way to finish.Read more