Maud has returned home (to Norway)

Very shortly after we'd booked our flight to the UK to arrive mid-August, we found out that the Maud Returns Home  project would be having Maud's official homecoming celebration in Vollen, Norway (near Oslo) on August 18. Ever since we'd played a small part in this project by looking after the Tandberg Polar tugboat, in Cambridge Bay, in the Canadian Arctic during the winter of 2014/15, we'd promised ourselves that we would be on hand to see the tug and the object of all her efforts, Maud, finally arrive home to Vollen. So, with barely time to catch our breath, we quickly booked a trip to Oslo, just a short long weekend visit, where we planned to welcome the ship, pay a visit to Roald Amundsen's house museum and perhaps, visit Gjøa (first boat through the NW Passage and our boat, Gjoa's namesake), after her restoration and in her new home at the Fram museum in Bygdoy.

Saturday dawned cool and damp with leaden skies. It couldn't dampen the enthusiasm though of the crowd waiting at Vollen to see Maud arrive. There were people in the water, on the water and near the water to welcome her home.

Vollen is a pretty village with lots to see and do. We didn't stay long though as the long flight from AU had left me with its usual gift of some kind of flu which knocked me flat and I ended up laid out in the hotel instead of enjoying the festivities. How disappointing!

Sunday was a lovely day when we'd planned to visit the Amundsen house museum on the other side of Oslofjord. We were disappointed to miss out as I was still laid out flat in the hotel. By Monday though, I was back on my feet and we headed into Oslo to visit Gjøa. We had just arrived at the Fram museum and were admiring the statues of Amundsen and crew outside when we turned around to see Maud approaching!

We were greatly surprised to see them as we'd thought Maud, once she was in Vollen, would be staying there. It looks like they'd been out all weekend doing a victory lap around Oslo harbour. They came right by us and we had a great unobstructed view.

We'd been to the Fram museum before, in 2011. At that time, Gjøa was stored under wraps outside. Since then, she's had a lot of restoration work and is in a new resting place beside Fram. 

To be honest, we were a little disappointed in her display. It's nice that, with her restoration, she'll probably now last forever, but, it was too pristine and smelt too much like new wood and paint for such an historic old ship. I think I'd rather have seen her in her deteriorated condition. The interior was all new wood and totally bare of original fixtures and fittings. The original motor was the only interesting bit.

You were unable to enter the saloon, where you could view, through plexiglass, a reproduction of the original decorative banner.