What’s special about July?

July is usually one of the warmest months of the year.  At Vollen you will see people swimming by the beaches and of course there is lots of activity in the boat harbours and out on the fjord.  This is when it’s great to take a boat ride round the islands of the Inner Oslo fjord or visit the fort at Oscarsborg near Drøbak.

It’s also when there is lots of life at Vito’s Italian Restaurant on the waterfront at Vollen Marina.  On a fine afternoon or evening it is definitely advisable to book a table for Vito’s is extremely popular and the food good!

This photo was taken on July 4th just after 10 p.m. at one of the Vollen boat harbours.  The evening sun was still lighting up Oslo in the distance and it remained light until after midnight.

But apart from fun by the sea, this is also a wonderful time to enjoy walking in the forests – you’ll find wild raspberries, tiny strawberries, masses of blueberries, perhaps some cloudberries and of course wild edible mushrooms.  These last are excellent but you MUST be sure of which to pick as some are lethal.

The little girl in the picture is enjoying picking off the blueberries from a small branch.  If you’d like to pick enough for dessert when you get back to Sheep’s Inn, do ask me to lend you a specially designed blueberry picker.  With the forests full of berries, it’s amazing how many you can pick in just an hour or so!  The picture underneath show orange cloudberries.

Places especially worth going to in July