So it begins

Concert in the Caves

Published Date : June 25, 2013

This morning I made the drive into Tórshavn.  The streets of the capital are narrow, confusing and poorly signed, so when I eventually found my way to the old west harbour, I was happy to park and explore on foot.  With a population of about 32,000, the capital is home to two-thirds of the people on the Faroe Islands.  It’s an interesting mix of old and new with traditional grass-roofed houses next to glass enclosed office buildings.

I spent the morning aimlessly wandering the streets and exploring the quaint sea-side “city.”  Overlooking the new harbour is 16^th-century Fort Skansin.  Originally built to protect the town from raiding pirates, it was in use as recently as the Second World War when the British used it as a military base.  Two guns from the HMS Furious still remain, keeping watch over the harbour beneath four 17^th-century brass cannons that were left by the Danish.  Apart from the guns and the lighthouse there’s not much else to the fort, but the location offers some great views of Tórshavn and the nearby island of Nólsoy.

Heading back down to the old harbour, I went in search of some lunch.  I first tried a trendy little café on the waterfront, but after being completely ignored by the staff for 10 minutes I moved on.  I ended up in an Irish Pub set just back from the marina.  I wasn’t expecting much from the food so I wasn’t disappointed.  It wasn’t the worst fish & chips I’ve ever had, but it was far from the best.

While I ate, an older German lady at the next table struck up a conversation with me – or attempted to at least.  I understand German well enough to get the gist of things, but I can’t speak more than a few phrases.  Her English was rusty at best.  She understood French, but couldn’t really speak it well.  So I was speaking to her mostly in French, while she spoke to me in a mix of German and English.   She had just arrived but couldn’t check-in to her hotel room until mid-afternoon, so she was killing time.  We compared notes a bit on transit and car rentals.  There is a decent public transit network throughout the Faroe Islands, but the schedule leaves a lot to be desired in terms of convenience.  Renting a car really is the best option here.

My adventure for the afternoon was the Norðlýsið – a twin-masted schooner that takes tourists on scenic tours around Streymoy.  Over the summer, the big draw is the grottekoncert, or concert in the caves.  Beneath the island of Hestur there are many water-filled caves.  Throughout the summer there are live musical performances that take advantage of the amazing natural acoustics and the sound of the waves.

There were about twenty of us on the trip, mostly locals and Danish tourists.  As we pulled out of the harbour, I was a bit disappointed to see that we weren’t going to be sailing, but making the entire trip under motorized power.  I was still just happy to be out on the water.  We left the capital behind and followed the coast of Streymoy before crossing over to the tiny island of Hestur.  The trip took about two hours and everyone was quick to don the survival suits provided.  The seas were calm and the skies were clear but the wind was icy cold.

Reaching the steep cliffs of Hestur, we began to pass dozens of caves carved deep into the rock by the relentless waves.  We left the Norðlýsið behind and climbed into two zodiacs to make our way into the cave.  Inside we were met with the sound of the waves echoing off the cavern walls.  The light was dim but there was still more than enough for us to see by.  Then, the faint strumming of an electric guitar began to rise over the sound of the waves.  Sometimes there will be a full band or orchestra at these performances, but often times it is just a lone musician.  Today it was the lone guitarist.  The haunting melody would rise and fall in time with the crashing of the surf, echoing throughout the cave.  Our boats were crowded and uncomfortable, but the music was enchanting.  I would have loved to just lie back and close my eyes, gently rocking in waves and soaking in the atmosphere.

Far too soon the performance was over and we were motoring back out into the bright light of day.  Rather than returning straight to the schooner, we followed the coastline for a while, ducking in and out of grottos and canyons.  Along the way we passed a small group that was coasteering – a combination of rock climbing/scrambling and cliff jumping.  With the beautiful sunshine and clear turquoise waters, I was slightly envious.  I remember it being a lot of fun when I first tried it back in Wales many years ago.

Finally, we returned to the Norðlýsið and climbed back on board.  The wind had increased by then, kicking up the surf, so it was a bit of an adventure timing the step back onto the ship.  The return voyage to Tórshavn was even colder than our trip out after the sun disappeared behind the clouds and a light fog started to roll in.  We all gratefully accepted the hot chocolate and coffee that was passed around.

We arrived back in the harbour in the early evening.  I briefly contemplated going to a restaurant for dinner, but I really wasn’t that hungry.  Instead I just grabbed a snack at a convenience store and made the hour-long drive back to Gjógv.

I’ve been moved out of my Viking alcove and given a room for the rest of my stay here.  There are a couple of functions taking place in the hall over the next couple of days and they were concerned about the lack of privacy in the alcoves.  A private room with balcony for the price of an alcove?  I’ll take it!!

Would you like some blubber with that?

Published Date : June 26, 2013

I had originally planned on doing some hiking today.  When I woke to heavy rain and wind I reconsidered.  I brought my waterproof gear with me, but I just couldn’t be bothered really.  I’ve been on the go for the last two weeks, so it was nice to take a day to just relax and do nothing.

I slept in then spent the rest of the day reading, writing and filtering through some work emails.  With only three days left until I go home, I figured it was time to start easing back into the world and damping some of the fires that were waiting for me in the office.

The highlight of the day was the evening.  Every Wednesday night, the guesthouse hosts an evening of traditional Faroese entertainment and food.  A musical duo of a Faroese pianist and a Swedish bassist played some modern and traditional Faroese tunes for us.  Since there were three non-Danish/Faroese speakers in attendance (an elderly English couple and me) they presented the entire evening in English.  Several people went out of their way to strike up conversations with us as well to practice their language skills and include us in the evening.

After the music, it was time for the food.  There were several dishes to choose from of various meats, fish and vegetables.  I tried a little bit of everything and greatly enjoyed the meal overall.  I was most interested in sampling the whale blubber though.  Unlike Iceland, whale is actually part of the traditional diet in the Faroe Islands.  Historically, they wouldn’t hunt them, only harvesting the meat from animals that had died and washed up on shore.  I’m not sure what the current practices are though.  In the Faroese style, whale blubber is served with potatoes and a type of dried fish, both of which were quite tasty.  Whale blubber, however, will go on record as being absolutely the most foul and disgusting thing that I have ever eaten in my life.  There was no amount of beer that could wash that taste away!

We ended the night doing a Faroese chain dance.  It was exceedingly simple.  Alternating men and women in the line, we linked hands, right on top, left underneath and began to weave around the room while singing traditional songs.  The steps were about as straight forward as you could possible get – two steps forward and one step back!  While I didn’t know any of the songs and had no chance at all of learning them, it was a fun way to end the night.