North Streymoy - Faroe Islands

Photos: August 7, 2014

Everywhere we looked in the Faroe Islands there were steep hills, cascades of water and sheep on the slopes - not big flocks, but a few here and there. They seem to be able to climb the steepest slopes.



We went on a tour of the northern part of Streymoy, stopping here and there to admire the views. We stopped near a lake and one of the travellers went down to the shore. Suddenly, as if an announcement went out, the swans swam towards him; the sheep nearby headed his way; then the sheep on the hillsides came dashing down the slopes.



I guess they were hoping for a handout, but it was just a photo op. Sheep (as in Iceland) come in a variety of colours. They graze on the hills all summer and are rounded up in October. We were told that people collect their slaughtered lambs and hang them to dry in a shed. They are eaten at Christmas (the smell is supposedly quite strong). You can read about it here.



Like Iceland, most of the Faroe Islands is treeless which allows for long vistas.



We took a boat trip along the bird cliffs near Vestmanna. The cliffs towered over us. As much of the rock is basalt, a fairly soft rock, it has been carved by the sea, leaving caves, arches and other interesting rock formations.



Our boat went through arches, around sea stacks. Many birds nest on the cliffs.



Through an arch (you can see the poles at the back of the boat).



It was impossible to photograph to the top of the cliffs - they rose over 800 metres.



Back to Vestmanna. The village perches on a hill. Nearby there are pipes coming down from the top of the mountains. Water is diverted through them turning turbines inside to generate power. More and more the Faroe Islands are using natural sources of power: hydro-electric power and windmills. With only about 50,000 people, the power demands are not that substantial.

More photos: Iceland and Faroe Islands album

Torshávn in the Faroe Islands

Photos August 5 - 6, 2014

We spent a delightful few days in the Faroe Islands, mainly in Torshávn on the island of Streymoy. The population is less than 20,000.



It is possible that the first settlers were Irish hermits (and I presume other people or they would have died out). The Vikings were next and they established a parliament "Thing" as early as 850CE. The sod roofed houses you see at the end of the Tinganes peninsula is about where it was located.



There are a number of sod-roofed houses in the Faroe Islands - both historical and modern. The dark wood houses above were for the working class people.



The red coloured houses were owned by the merchants and shipping magnates. This area, while no longer the place where parliament actually sits, is still home to many offices of members of the parliament.



The islands are close to each other and are connected by bridges and tunnels. To get from the airport (on Vágar) we went through a 7km tunnel under the ocean to Streymoy.



These horses were in a field around the corner from the house where we stayed  (I love the eyelashes). In another field were sheep. Sheep seem to be everywhere on the hills - small groups not large flocks.



And once again I was impressed with the amount of public art.

More photos at: Iceland and Faroe Islands album