Evening mood at Norðskála, with the silhouette of Brúgvin um Streymin on the horizon. Brúgvin, the Faroese bridge over the Atlantic, a unique road I use all the time. The bridge is 220 meters long, crosses the Sundini sound and connects the islands Streymoy and Eysturoy. The construction of the bridge started in 1970 …
Read MoreThe nasty hobgoblin of Vágseiði
Rough sea, surrounded by steep cliffs, daylight begins to fade. Suðuroy, the southernmost of the Faroe Islands, Vágseiði on the west coast. How did I get here? Ferry route 7, ship M/F Smyril, from Tórshavn to Tvøroyri. Smooth passage? Not invariably the case, especially in the fall and in the dead of winter …
Read MoreOur house wears a shiny new outfit – a grass roof
How did you spend your Monday afternoon? I have been watering the lawn, hose skywards, pointing at the crest. Now that the deed is done, I can share my excitement. Our house wears a shiny new outfit – a grass roof, perfectly matching the stunning 50-shades-of-green Faroese landscape. Driving around the islands, you will come across many sod roofs …
Read MoreConquering Stóra Dímun, Viking-style: Sail, climb and feast!
Standing on top of Stóra Dímun, looking down. We have just climbed up an almost vertical 150 meters sea cliff, a rough path of ladders, grassy slopes and ropes. „It’s a rare occasion“, Birgir Enni, skipper of the schooner Norðlýsið, has told me on the phone. „You’ll never forget that day”. Absolutely right …
Read MorePretty in pink: Some beauty contests take a surprising twist
You are fond of linguistic sciences and northern legends? Then you know that the name Føroyar (Faroe Islands) is derived from Old Norse and means „Sheep Islands“. Sheep are central to Faroese culture. According to historical records, as early as AD 565, the Irish abbot St. Brendan saw an „Island of sheep“ …
Read MoreThe return of the Vikings
Fasten your seat belt, hold on tight and join me in traveling through time. Whoosh! Bang! And touchdown, some 55 million years ago. Europe and Greenland have started to separate, exposing just what will become the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Simultaneously, a vast number of violent volcanic eruptions take place. Lava flows, volcanic ash rains down …
Read MoreHospitality And A Hidden Treasure In Kvívík
This historic document presents one of the first men driving a car in the Faroe Islands ever. Sunneva Egholm Mikkelsen has preserved it. Now it’s laying on a table at her home in Kvívík. The picture shows her father. Faroese hospitality, history and an extraordinary private collection. Entering a beautiful Faroese home …
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