Kitesurfing at Vollen

The illustration above was taken on a cold (+3 degrees C) October 15th morning, when according to the kiters, the wind was far from optimal and they could only use the waves fairly close to the shore. In general of course, the whole fjord would be their playground. I asked how long they felt they could continue to enjoy surfing and they laughed and said “Until the ice comes, probably February) and then we go to the snow slopes in the mountains.” As always in Norway, it’s all a matter of dressing correctly for the activity in question…

Cafés and restaurants in Vollen

Kafé Oscar

Oscar café is famous throughout the greater Oslo region – for wonderful views of the fjord right into Oslo. You will find cakes, breads & sandwiches in the traditional building from 1870. So if you don’t want to sail away for a picnic as our local baker is doing in Jordfald’s humorous sign outside, then this is a place for breakfast, lunch or afternoon snack.

Opening times: Mon – Sat: 09:00 – 17.00 hrs, Sunday: 10:00 – 17.00 hrs.

And you might like to save some crumbs for the birds visiting the Piano Bird-table outside! Or take a look round the cafe, to find the statue of a boy throwing a stone towards the fjord…

Little England Tea Rooms

English/ American/Indian/Pakistani food, sandwiches, cream teas and lots more in an old skipper’s house from the beginning of the 19th century.
Opening times: Saturdays: 11:00 – 17:00 hrs & Sundays: 12:00 – 18:00hrs

Oslofjord museum café

Whether or not you want to look round the boat exhibition in the museum, the café is a great place for a snack, coffee or an ice-cream when you are going to walk along the coastal path, look at the boats in the harbour or even have a swim.
Opening times: Monday – Sunday in summer from 11:00 – 15:00 In winter, only Sundays

Eléa Greek grocery store, take-aways and café

This is where we find wonderful products from Greece – figs in brandy and honey, ginger preserves which are delicious with cheeses. Newly baked cake (my favourite is the gorgeous lemon cake) just to name a very few. You can enjoy a good cup of coffee and piece of pie or cake inside or out, according to the weather and season. And just recently Eléa has been granted a licence to sell wine with a meal at the café.
Opening times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11:00 – 17:00; Saturday 11:00 – 16:00 and Sunday 12:00 – 16:00

Vito’s Italian Restaurant

I took this photo on a mid-December day as I was walking down Vollen skog road to the village. Vito’s Restaurant is the large yellow sunlit building lying in the marina. This is our favourite eating-out place in Vollen village. However the Italian family who run the restaurant, take their holidays in winter, so it is open for the spring to autumn season from April.

You will find a translation of Vito’s menu in Sheeps Inn apartment. Some of the dishes, such as lasagne and pizza are available as take-aways.

Local supermarket – REMA 1000

Our village supermarket is just a few minutes away – walk down to the main road, turn right and take the under-road tunnel. Rema 1000 is right in front of you in the lower floor of the white building. There is a good selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and meat as well as breads, grocery and household articles. Opening hours:

Saturday: 08:00–21:00
Sunday: closed
Monday – Friday: 07:00–23:00

Right to Roam

In Norway there is a huge possibility to walk, cycle, ski or sail over the whole country. These rights are set out in detail in the Norwegian Environment Agency’s brochure, Right to Roam. There are also extensive coastal paths and tracks along the sea and fjords. In Vollen we are lucky enough to have a wonderful coastal path. Vollen is a very peaceful and safe village but some roads suitable for jogging or walking are used both by motorists and pedestrians. In summer we have many hours of daylight, but by Mid-September the days are much shorter and in the winter months, especially before the arrival of the snow, motorists find it difficult to spot pedestrians crossing roads or walking where there is no footpath. Children, dogs & horses are equipped with reflector vests. At the very least, people should wear reflectors when training. If you don’t wear a reflector vest, the best place to put bands on is at ankle level.
You will find six reflector bands on the window sill in the kitchen. Please borrow a couple of bands and enjoy getting around Vollen by night – safely.

Oslo fjord boat museum in Vollen (Oslofjordmuseet)

For most Norwegians, boat life means having your own boat – be it a little sailboat for a youngster of 9, an 8 foot rubber dingy with a small outboard, a competition yacht, a day cruiser and many many more. To learn more about these, visit Vollen’s Oslo Fjord Museum. There are special events on Sundays for children depending on the season – most associated with the sea. You will find a brochure about these events in the apartment.

When visiting the museum, children can construct their own wooden boat and try it out for seaworthiness in the special basin. As grandmother, I can enthusiastically recommend this, especially on a rainy afternoon. The children buy a ticket for kr. 40,- and are presented with a hammer. They then go down to the workshop where they can (with a little help for the youngest) study the construction diagram, choose their materials and set to work at the real carpenters’ tables. Once completed, they can check seaworthiness in the big tank and practice loading up the propeller to see how far their boats can travel. Pride in personal achievement is at an absolute premium! And best of all, they take their boats home to bring out to the real sea on a later occasion.

There are also lots of exhibits to look at and various skills to practice – such as trying the rowing simulator or (for strong children and adults) attempting to pull up loads of bricks.

Beside the cafeteria, there is a fascinating museum shop where, apart from gifts and souvenirs,visitors can browse an extensive selection of books on marine subjects.

Visitors to Vollen who are interested in Polar History, will be fascinated to learn that Vollen is preparing for the return of a very famous ship. The Maud Returns Home expedition left Norway in June 2014 with tug and barge to cross to Canada and there bring the Maud up to the surface, load her on the barge and then begin the long, slow voyage back to Vollen where she was build for Roald Amundsen in 1918 after his successful race to the South Pole. The expedition successfully brought Maud to the surface in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. In 2016/17 she overwintered there before being slowly tugged towards Greenland. In summer 2018, Maud was proudly sailed into Maud Bay outside the museum in Vollen where she was feted and greeted by thousands of people both in accompanying boats and along the shore. At present, in 2019 and 2010, she is being treated and worked on further south on the peninsular in a marina at Tofte. It is planned that a special building will be constructed to house Maud at Vollen in the coming years.

Of course big boats, cruise ships, oil platforms, cargo boats are always interesting – and you’ll find them all in the Maritime Museum in Oslo.