Each time I get into my car in the Faroe Islands, there are two possible scenarios. Either: I know where I’m going. Or: I have no idea what I’m up to, but feel the urgent need for an adventure, encounter or discovery. Whether I have a plan or not, it’s pretty much the same. Things always turn out differently than expected. This may be due to the weather. Or I have to snap at a chance.
That particular day started with an unpleasant incident – the coffee machine broke down. The weather was anything but nice, I changed my mind a hundred times back and forth, and after all decided to hit the road and drive to Klaksvík. Second largest town and main fishing port on Faroe Islands, conveniently situated around a well-protected bay, located on Borðoy, which belongs to Norðoyggjar, the northern most part of the Faroe Islands.
At the time I arrived in Klaksvík, it had stopped raining, and suddenly the countryside was in sight. Without giving it a second thought, I passed through Klaksvík and drove on to Hvannasund. The vessel Ritan was in port, the one that heads north-east to the remote islands Svínoy and Fugloy. Why did I decide to get on ferry number 58 instead of buying a new coffee machine in Klaksvík? Because I am aware of opportunities. I have been on that boat before, and I know that the scenery is breathtaking. Dramatic high mountains with steep falls to the sea, grottoes and unique landing piers.
The ferry connection originally has been put up for transportation, people and goods, not for pleasure-roundtrips. But you can go anyway. And if you are lucky, captain Sigvard Johannesen gives you a treat and takes you on an extra-loop off the island of Fugloy. Small detour, immense impact. Eystfelli: A humongous crag, sharp edges and yet beautifully curved, dropping almost vertically into the ocean. There is a Faroese saying: „Eingin veit á morgni at siga, hvar hann á kvøldi gistir.“ Essentially, it means: You never know what’s going to happen today. Damn right.
