The wooden door opens up, Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir (21) enters the room, sleeve of her jacket pulled over her left hand, carrying a bunch of nettles. Behind a counter, she puts the nettles into tumblers, gets herself a plate and boils water. Very shortly afterwards, we are sitting at one of the tables in Pakkhúsið hjá Petersen – Petersen’s Warehouse – on Nólsoy, together with manager Tjóðhild Patursson (27), drinking freshly made nettle tea.
Tjóðhild, born and raised in Tórshavn, spent time in Barcelona and studied in Lund, Sweden (bachelor in statistics and bachelor in sociology), before she returned to the Faroe Islands in 2013, feeling the urgent need to move to Nólsoy. „I wanted to put an ocean between me and all the opportunities in Havn“, she says.
Nólsoy: One island, one village, about 214 inhabitants. Faroese frequently come over for a beer. And tourists, in increasing numbers, visit Nólsoy, many from the Nordic countries, Germany, the US, Australia and Asia. The ferry ride from Tórshavn only takes 20 minutes. Still, arriving on Nólsoy feels like entering a whole other world. „It is often said that in Faroese villages, people stand directly behind closed curtains, watching you pass by“, Tjóðhild says. „On Nólsoy, they opened the windows wide and invited me in for coffee. People on Nólsoy are open-minded and creative, many of them paint pictures or work with wood. I like that! “
Barbara Andreasen (25) joins us. She has been out, showing people from New York around the village. „Nólsoy means home to me, dependability“ she says. There are no two ways about it: Tjóðhild, Anna Malan and Barbara are proud of their island. They provide accommodations, arrange tours with local guides and run the cosy café in Pakkhúsið hjá Petersen, using as many local products as possible. Rhubarb. Stinging nettle as for tea and pizza topping. Angelica sugar. Dandelion, in cakes and served as lemonade. All „Made in Nólsoy". And truly a matter of the heart.
As soon as the ferry M/F Ternan approaches the harbor, you can spot the red brown house with the white window frames, close to the gate made out of whale-jawbone. That's where you will meet Tjóðhild, Anna Malan and Barbara.
Bed and breakfast, laughter and advise. Everything you need on Nólsoy: www.visitnolsoy.fo
Ferry timetable: 90 Tórshavn – Nólsoy