Faroe Islands - Part 2

Snapshot
Where - Faroe Islands
Weather - mostly cloudy / part sunny - around 20°C
Distance - 200km Steps - about a million (not really, but it was about 20000, 12 km and 90 storeys climbed)

Today was a much better day weather wise and we saw some of the most incredible scenery. We drove to a beautiful village where a waterfall tumbles into the ocean, overlooking some spectacular rocky crags rising out of the ocean...it looked wonderful.

We were following routes on the tourist map called the Buttercup Drives as these were the ones that were most scenic. However, I think buttercup may be code for treacherous skinny one lane roads that may or may not be sealed. The reward at the end though was usually worth it with picturesque villages offering stunning vistas. It seems that it doesnt matter how small the village, there was always a church.

Farming practices here see like very hard work. At one of these secluded villages there were a couple of farmers who are cutting the grass by hand (scythe I think), raking it up and collecting in large bags, rolling them down the hill and loading them into the Toyota. I spoke with them to ask what they did with it. It is used for fodder to feed the sheep in winter. Not dried like hay, he said compressed so I imagine a bit like silage. The sheep have to be brought in for winter and they would have to do it on foot - too steep for motorbikes or horses. I'm not sure but I think the sheep have tracking devices around their necks, otherwise I don't know how the farmer would find them. The sheep are used for meat as there is no money in wool (about 2 Danish Kroner per kg or about 40c)

We had a lovely 3 days on the Faroe Islands and found it a very interesting place. Very lush and green but that would be because it rains all the time. We catch the ferry to Iceland next for a seven day trip around the country. I imagine it may be quite similar to Faroe Islands.Read more