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Faroe Islands
  • Nathaniel Stott
  • Anne Archambault
  • Nathaniel Stott
  • Anne Archambault

Faroe Islands

A trip to the rugged Faroe Islands. We're also taking some time in Copenhagen and around Denmark and Sweden. En savoir plus
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  • Faroe Islands

    Fossá Falls

    20 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    Fossá is the definitive landmark of northern Streymoy. Its name translates literally from Faroese as "river with a waterfall." The height of 140 meters (459 feet) is divided into two separate falls caused by the geological layering of hard volcanic basalt and softer tuff. Over millions of years, the water has eroded the softer layers more rapidly; this process created the wide stone shelf that splits the descent. Historically, the waterfall served as a primary visual marker for sailors navigating the sound between Streymoy and Eysturoy because its flow remains consistent even when other falls dry up.

    During heavy storms, the width of the waterfall can expand from a few meters to over 30 meters (98 feet).    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Klakkur

    21 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 4 °C

    Klakkur overlooks Klaksvik and has a commanding view of the islands of Eysturoy, Kalsoy, Kunoy, and Bordoy. To the south I think we could also see Nólsoy. As usual, the weather was feisty, with strong guests along the ridge. But that view!!!En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Viðareiði

    21 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 6 °C

    Viðareiði is the northernmost village in the Faroe Islands and was historically prized for the Siberian driftwood that washed onto its shores. It is situated on a narrow land bridge between the 2759 foot Villingadalsfjall and Enniberg, Europe's highest vertical sea cliff.

    Viðareiði is an ancient settlement that appears in records as early as 1350. Its name translates to Wood Isthmus because the geography of the shoreline created a natural trap for driftwood floating from Siberia. In an archipelago with no native trees, this made the village a vital strategic resource for the construction of houses and fishing boats. The community flourished due to this steady supply of timber which was often more valuable than gold in the remote North Atlantic.

    The village is defined by its extreme geography, squeezed between the 2759 foot Villingadalsfjall mountain and the 2474 foot Cape Enniberg. For centuries, the inhabitants were famous for their mastery of these heights. Men from the village would descend the sheer vertical faces of Enniberg on ropes to harvest seabirds and eggs, a practice that provided essential protein during the winter months. This isolated way of life remained largely unchanged until the late twentieth century when a series of tunnels finally connected the island of Viðoy to the mainland.

    Unfortunate, the forecast for strong winds made a hike to Enniberg unwise, but we were invited into the church by locals who were doing a deep sypher cleaning. We chatted for a while with a gentleman who worked as a captain on a boat for one of the salmon farming operations on the islands. He told us a bit about the church, where apparently they have one of the very few original Christian crosses from before the islands converted to Protestantism. He also gave us some information about salmon farming in the area.

    It was a great chance to interact with local Faroese who were warm and welcoming and obviously proud of their town and homeland.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    A wild weather day

    22 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 3 °C

    The forecast for today was for 35mph sustained winds with gusts up to 60mph. For the first time in the Faroe Islands, snow was also in the forecast. So we stayed mostly inside. But we did go out for a walk and wow, that wind was enough to knock you sideways when the gusts hit!En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    M/S Sam: The Kalsoy Ferry

    23 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    The M/S Sam is a small and sturdy vessel that carries only 12 to 17 cars. It has an open to deck for vehicles and a salon below deck (and below waterline) for passengers.

    During summer it's highly recommended to get reservations or show up well in advance to get a spot, or walk on like the locals. But in late March we found that crowds weren't a problem and that we were the only tourists on Kalsoy Island.

    The ferry ride to Kalsoy from Klaksvik is only about 20 minutes and is entirely inside the deep fjords of the islands archipelago, but that doesn't mean the ride can't be sporty during high winds, as we experienced on our ride back to Klaksvik!    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Kallur Lighthouse and the 007 Memorial

    23 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    There was a weather break today so we took the ferry to Kalsoy Island to visit the Kallur Lighthouse, see the memorial to James Bond, and visit the island.

    Kallur Lighthouse was built in 1927. Though it has a diminutive stature (just 5 meters), it sits atop stunning cliffs with a commanding view of the Norwegian Sea and is one of those "must see" places in the Faroe Islands. Access is across private land and costs 200DKK (about $30) per person. Based on satellite photos, it looks like the gravel trail we hike was relatively new, so that money is at least going to pay for some access improvements. Comments for the trail commonly call out mud and we didn't have any of that.

    The other notable attraction is the basalt tombstone for James Bond. This site was used in the filming for No Time To Die and is the site where, in the movie, James Bond died. The locals constructed the site in 2022 to commemorate the event and, of course, to pull in more tourist money.

    While the weather cooperated (light wind, no rain), the strong overcast sky created relatively flat light, making photography challenging. Regardless, it was a beautiful place to visit on one of the least inhabited and remote islands I've ever been to.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Mikladalur and the Seal Woman

    23 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 3 °C

    Mikladalur is the largest village on Kalsoy and is most famously known for the famous Selkie (seal‑woman) legend and the modern Seal woman sculpture.

    Mikladalur’s name means “great valley”, and it has long been the principal settlement on Kalsoy. The village grew around farming and coastal fishing, and those occupations continue today.

    Here is the full Selkie Legend from a poster in town:

    Seals are humans, who took their own lives by drowning in the sea.

    According to legend, once a year, on the Eve of Three Kings, the seals gather on the shore of Mikladalur. They shed their sealskins, become human again, and dance and play the night away on the shore and in their cave.

    A young man from Mikladalur - so the story goes - had gotten the wind of this, that the seals gathered on the Eve of Three Kings in a cave near the village. And so he went down to the cave that night to see if the story was true.

    He hid behind a rock on the shore. After the sun set, he saw many a seal swimming toward the cave. And as soon they came ashore, they shed their skins and left them on the flat rocky beach and walked away like real humans.

    From his hiding place behind a rock, the young man enjoyed the sight. Suddenly he spots an exceptionally beautiful girl shed her skin, and immediately he grows fond of her.

    Therefore, he took great care to see, where she left her skin, close by where he stood. He snuck out of his hiding place, took the skin and returned to his place behind the rock.

    The seals danced the night away, but with the first light of dawn, they put on their sealskins. But the seal girl he had spotted did not find her skin, though she looked and looked.

    She started to moan and cry loudly, because the night had now passed, and the sun was almost risen. But before the sun rose out of the sea, she caught the scent of the skin hidden by the young man.

    She approached him, and with great agitation she begged him to return the skin to her. But he would not listen to her and strode up the hill to his house, and she could do nothing but follow him after the skin he carried. The young man took her as his wife, and they lived well together. But he had to take great care to keep her away from the skin. He locked it securely up in a chest and kept the key tied to his belt at all times.

    One day the man went out fishing. As he sat hauling in a fish, his hand brushed against his belt, where the key normally hung. Shocked, he did not notice before that very moment that he had forgotten his key at home, and he shouted out in agony, "Today I become a wifeless man!"

    All the men drew in their lines and rowed back to Mikladalur as fast as possible. When the man came home, he realised his wife was gone, but saw their children sitting on the kitchen bench, silent.

    Making sure the children would not get hurt while home alone, the seal woman had put out the fire and locked away all the knives and other sharp objects. Having done this, she had hurried down to the shore, put on her skin and thrown herself into the sea.

    She had found the key, when her husband had gone fishing, opened the chest and seen the skin. And she could not stop herself. Hence the proverb: "He cannot control himself more than a seal, who sees its hide."

    As soon as she jumped into the waves, the bull, who had been her mate, swam up beside her, and together they swam away. All these years he had waited close to the shore for his mate.

    Whenever the children she had with the man from Mikladalur went down to the shore, they saw a seal close by, staring at them, and everybody thought, that it might be their mother.

    And so many years passed, and nothing worthy of note happened to the farmer of South Farm and the seal woman's children. But then, one day, the men of Mikladalur made plans to enter a cave to hunt seals.

    The night before, the seal woman came to the farmer in his dreams. She told him, that if he were to join the hunt, he must not kill the bull in front of the cave, for he was her husband. And they had to show mercy to the two cubs, who lay innermost in the cave, for they were her children.

    She even told him, what they looked like. But the farmer paid no heed to the dream, and along with the rest of the men of Mikladalur, he killed every seal in the cave.

    As his share, the farmer received the bull and the front and rear flippers of the cubs. The bull's head and the flippers were cooked for supper that evening. When the meat was drawn out of the pot, loud crashing and banging was heard, and the seal woman entered the room as a terrifying troll.

    She sniffed at the pot and cried menacingly:
    "Here lies the head of my mate, the hand of Hárekur and the foot of Friörikkur. You have had your revenge - and now revenge shall be visited upon the men of Mikladalur. Some will drown at sea, others will fall from the cliffs, and so it shall continue, until as many have perished as can link arms around the whole island of Kalsoy".

    Having had her say, she left in great clamour and a roar, never to be seen again. And, unfortunately, it is not uncommon to hear news of misfortune in Mikladalur, that men who have gone bird hunting have stumbled and fallen to their death from the cliffs.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Saksun

    26 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    Saksun is a village defined by a sudden and permanent geological transformation. The circular basin known as Pollur was once a deep and accessible natural harbor for Viking ships.

    In 1600 a catastrophic storm blocked the narrow entrance with an immense volume of sand and stones. This event permanently obstructed the path to the open sea and created the tidal lagoon that exists today. At low tide, it is possible to walk across the sandy floor of the basin to a black dans beach outside the mouth of the channel.

    The peaks surrounding the settlement reach 2585 feet and create a natural wind barrier that makes Saksun feel significantly stiller than other exposed coastal outposts of the northern islands. This stillness combined with the numerous waterfalls that drop from the surrounding plateaus makes the village one of the most acoustically unique locations in the archipelago.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Funningur

    26 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 2 °C

    Funningur is traditionally recognized as the oldest settlement in the Faroe Islands. According to the Færeyinga Saga, the Viking explorer Grímur Kamban landed here around 825 AD. While archaeological evidence suggests some Celtic monks may have arrived earlier, Kamban is credited as the first Norse settler and is commemorated as such with a sculpture by the church. The name Funningur translates to finding, commemorating the moment the Vikings discovered the sheltered bay at the base of the mountains.

    The village is positioned in a deep valley beneath Slættaratindur, which is the highest peak in the archipelago at 880 meters (2887 feet). Because of its location in a narrow fjord on the northern coast of Eysturoy, the village experiences significant shifts in light and wind. The steep terrain surrounding the settlement made flat land for farming extremely scarce, forcing generations of residents to rely almost exclusively on the sea for sustenance.

    The village church was built in 1847 and is one of the ten traditional wooden churches remaining in the islands. It features a distinctive grass roof and black tarred walls constructed to withstand the salt spray and gale force winds of the North Atlantic.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Gjógv

    26 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 2 °C

    The small Village of Gjógv is named after the 200 meter (656 foot) sea filled gorge that has defined the village for over 400 years. This geological feature serves as a natural harbor and provided the only safe landing for fishing boats in the turbulent waters of the North Atlantic.

    Before the road was built through the mountains in 1960 the gorge was the primary lifeline for the community. Goods and passengers were hauled up the steep stone steps from the water level to the village plateau above.

    Entry into the harbor, however, isn't for the feint of heart or the unskilled. The waves today churned the entry into a foaming boil of water laced with rocks ready to flip any boat not able to perfectly match the tiny channel into the back of the gorge.

    Also not for the feint of heart today was the short hike up to the Gjógv loop. We started the hike and got hit by an incredible gust of wind that staggard us both. I was barely able to move and Anne was thankfully held in place by the fence next to her. So we both retreated to the car for the windy drive back to Tørshavn.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Faroese Elections

    26 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    Today is election day in the Faroe Islands. As we've driven around, we've seen hundreds of political posters and even several of the candidates, including one on the ferry. So here's a little information about elections in the Faroe Islands.

    Each municipality is a single constituency where voters select either a specific candidate or a full party list. The size of the municipal council depends on the population of the area. For example the capital city of Tórshavn has a larger council than smaller villages such as Fuglafjørður. After the votes are counted the council members choose a mayor from among themselves.

    Faroese politics is unique because parties are primarily identified by a single letter. These letters appear on every ballot and campaign sign. Most local elections feature the same major parties found at the national level.

    A: Fólkaflokkurin (People’s Party) – A conservative and pro independence party focusing on private enterprise.
    B: Sambandsflokkurin (Union Party) – A liberal party that supports maintaining the union with Denmark.
    C: Javnaðarflokkurin (Social Democratic Party) – A center left party focusing on welfare and the Danish union.
    D: Sjálvstýri (Self Government Party) – A centrist party that advocates for gradual independence.
    E: Tjóðveldi (Republic) – A left wing party that strongly supports full Faroese sovereignty.
    F: Framsókn (Progress) – A liberal and pro independence party favoring free market policies.
    H: Miðflokkurin (Centre Party) – A Christian conservative party with a focus on traditional family values.

    In some smaller municipalities candidates may run on non partisan local lists. These lists receive their own letters assigned by the local election committee for that specific cycle.

    Campaign signs are the primary way candidates reach voters in the windy and mountainous terrain and they are everywhere. They almost always feature a large portrait of the candidate alongside their party letter and name.

    The single letter is incredibly important. Because the party names are in Faroese and can be long, the letters serve as a quick visual shorthand. Voters often identify themselves by saying they are an A voter or an E voter.

    Each party also has an associated color that appears on posters and digital advertisements. The Republic Party uses green while the Social Democrats use red and the Unionists use a light blue. These colors make the signs easily identifiable from a distance and in the frequent fog.

    There was also a candidate event we saw at the local mall yesterday, which is undoubtedly a great way for people to meet the candidates.

    So good political fun here while we're on vacation.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Around Nes

    27 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    Nes is located at the southernmost tip of Eysturoy. During the British occupation of the Faroe Islands (1940–1945), Nes became a critical strategic outpost. The British military installed a 5.5-inch gun battery on this headland to defend the entrance to Skálafjørður, the longest and deepest fjord in the archipelago. At the time, the fjord was a vital refueling station and deep-water harbor for the Royal Navy.

    The site is remarkably intact. You can walk into the bunker and stand next to the original WWII cannon that still overlooks the water.

    A short drive up the hill toward the Eystnes headland took us to the Neshagi Windmill Park. Here there's a fun Wind Shelter that functions as a giant "wind organ." The metal pipes are arranged to catch the breeze, generating different musical tones depending on the wind's speed and direction. Interestingly, we didn't hear any music in the howling gail force winds while we were there.

    The view from the windmill park is incredible. From this headland you can see the island of Nólsoy to the south, Tørshavn to the west * West: The distant silhouette of the capital, Tórshavn, and the Skálafjørður fjord the north.

    We also took the opportunity to climb a quick peak, which was an incredibly physical experience given the howling wind. At times I could literally lay backwards and be supported by the wind.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Norðragøta

    27 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    According to the Færeyinga Saga, Norðragøta was the seat of Tróndur í Gøtu who was the primary antagonist of the Christianizing chieftain Sigmundur Brestisson. Tróndur is a central figure in Faroese identity representing the spirit of independence and the preservation of Norse traditions.

    The historical heart of the village is the Blásastova museum, a cluster of black tarred wooden houses and church with grass roofs.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Toftafossur

    27 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    We saw this waterfall from the road so we had to stop and take a look!

    Located in the settlement of Hósvík on the east coast of Streymoy, this waterfall cascades directly down the steep basalt cliffs of Mount Víkartindur, which rises to an elevation of 580 meters (1,902 feet).

    The most distinguishing feature of Toftafossur is its transformation after sunset. It is apparently one of the few waterfalls in the archipelago that is illuminated after dark. The illumination highlights the geological "steps" of the basalt layers that the water must navigate on its journey from the high mountain plateaus down to the Sundini sound.

    Sadly, we didn't get to see it at night.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    OY Brewing

    27 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    The OY Brewery was established in 2021 by a group of Faroese entrepreneurs as an independent alternative to the local beer monopoly, and its name is a shortened version of the Faroese word oyggj, meaning "island."

    The venue is designed as a multifunctional space that combines a brewery, a taproom, a food hall, and a concert venue. Visitors often highlight the "cool, industrial" atmosphere, where the brewing machinery is on full display within the spacious hall.

    The food was surprisingly on point. Their fish and chips were excellent and their pulled pork was great as well. The surprising drink hit was a non-alcoholic fruited sour that's just called the pink can.

    Notably, the legal limit for driving in the Faroe Islands is very low, so I only had a single small alcoholic beer. But it was a fun time in a great space hanging out on a Friday night with locals.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Kirkjubøur

    28 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    Kirkjubøur was the religious and cultural center of the Faroe Islands during the Middle Ages. The village overlooks the islands of Hestur and Koltur and is home to three major historical landmarks. The Magnus Cathedral, also known as Múrurin, was commissioned by Bishop Erlendur around 1300. It stands as a roofless basalt ruin with walls over 1.5 meters (5 feet) thick. While it was never officially completed, it remains the largest medieval building in the archipelago.

    Adjacent to the cathedral is Saint Olav's Church which dates back to the 12th century and is the oldest church in the Faroe Islands still in active use. The village is also famous for Kirkjubøargarður, a 900 year old farmhouse that is considered one of the oldest inhabited wooden buildings globally. The Patursson family has lived in the farmhouse for 17 generations and maintains the traditional smoke room which dates back to the 11th century.

    The village was the seat of the Diocese of the Faroe Islands until the Reformation in the 16th century when the church power was diminished.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Around Tórshavn

    28 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 4 °C

    Tórshavn was established in 825 AD at the head of a sheltered bay on the east coast of the island of Streymoy. The name translates to Thor’s Harbor in honor of the Norse god of thunder.

    One of the smallest capital cities in the world, the city center is dominated by the Tinganes peninsula which features a collection of red wooden buildings with grass roofs. These structures house the Faroese government and stand on the site where the Althing parliament first met during the Viking Age. This makes it one of the oldest continuously operating parliamentary meeting places in the world.

    Adjacent to the government buildings is the neighborhood of Reyn. This area is a maze of narrow alleys and black tarred houses that date back to the fourteenth century. Unlike the modern districts of the city, Reyn has preserved its medieval layout and traditional architecture. The city is bordered by the mountain Húsareyn which rises to 345 meters (1132 feet) and the hill Kirkjubøreyn at 351 meters (1152 feet). These peaks provide a natural barrier that shields the harbor from the western Atlantic gales.

    Despite its small population of approximately 23,000 residents, Tórshavn is a sophisticated urban center. It features a concentrated culinary scene that includes everything from traditional fermented Faroese cuisine to modern microbreweries and upscale Nordic dining.

    Touring the city is easy, it's small and easy to navigate. Parking is also easy, so we went back several times to see the city at various times of day to sight see and just walk around.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    ROKS

    28 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    We had dinner last night at a small restaurant just off the harbor called ROKS. Hosted in a historic building, the space feels intimate and quietly accessible. The menu is rooted in local food with a Nordic flair. As a special treat, last night they celebrated "earth hour" and turned off all the lights, a nod to the need for more energy conservation worldwide.

    The menu is fixed, 11 bite sized courses plus some options if you choose. They're modern takes on traditional Faroese food with a little inspiration from southeast Asia.

    Menu Highlights

    • Cod skin chips with bagna càuda – Crunchy and salty, with a little kick from the bagna càuda.
    • Sea urchin with pickled daikon – Creamy meets earthy.
    • Razor clam with angelica – Clean and herbal. The razor clam was perfectly succulent.
    • Raw Greenland shrimp with Faroese sprouts – Sweet and simple.
    • Scallops with brown butter – The scallops were perfect.
    • Chawanmushi with crispy seaweed and horsemussel – Silky custard topped with the most succulent horsemussel. Topped with crunchy seaweed turned this into an incredible dish.
    • Halibut kinilaw with oak‑aged rhubarb vinegar – Surprisingly less punchy than a lime based civiche, the jalapeño added a kick but it felt like it was missing something.
    • Pine‑smoked langoustine – Light smoke and perfect texture, there's a reason Faroe Islands langoustines are famous.
    • Aged cod with Sandoy kale kimchi – The aged cod was wrapped in lettuce and topped with kale Kim hi and guan chao. Delicious.
    • Orecchiette with homemade XO sauce – An interesting change from the seafood but mostly unremarkable.
    • Roks affogato – Homemade vanilla ice cream topped with espresso and a toffee wafer. A nice sweet bite to end on.

    It was a great way to spent the last night on the Faroe Islands.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Tunnel Masters

    29 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    The geology of the Faroe Islands is extreme. Massive layers of basalt and tuff formed by volcanic activity 50 to 60 million years ago are stacked like a giant cake with hard basalt flows separated by thinner and softer layers of volcanic ash or clay. Over millions of years, glacial erosion carved the landscape into deep fjords and vertical cliffs that often rise over 2000 feet straight from the sea.

    The islands now contain over 20 tunnels including the Eysturoy tunnel which reaches a depth of 620 feet below sea level and features the first undersea roundabout in the world. Engineers utilize the predictable layering of the basalt to map out paths through the mountains although the softer tuff layers can still cause stability issues during construction. This network has transformed the archipelago from a collection of isolated outposts into a single and connected community.

    Before the first tunnel was blasted in 1963, the sea was the primary highway. Each village was a self contained unit accessible mainly by the traditional Faroese boat, which was a double ended rowing vessel designed to navigate the turbulent currents of the North Atlantic.

    For land travel, residents used narrow footpaths that climbed directly over the mountain ridges. These routes often required ascents of 1500 to 2000 feet just to reach a neighboring valley. The Postman's Route to Gásadalur is a famous example of this era where the mail was carried by hand over a mountain pass twice a week regardless of the weather.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Rainbows

    29 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    The weather in the Faroe Islands is a little extreme. Nowhere have I seen the adage about waiting five minutes if you don't like the weather be more true than here.

    One of the fun outcomes of that sort of crazy weather is that it produces a lot of rainbows. So we've compiled some photos from just some of the many rainbows we've seen here during our visit.En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Where waterfalls flow backward

    29 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    One other fun outcome of the incredible weather in the Faroe Islands is that the strong wind and deep fjords often lead to cases where the wind gusts so hard the waterfalls literally reverse direction and blow uphill.

    These aren't great photos, most of the time we were far away from the waterfalls when the wind was blowing this hard, but it was impressive to look down a fjord and see what looked like geysers going off.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Farewell Faroe Islands!

    29 mars, Îles Féroé ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    It's been an incredible time in the Faroe Islands. The scenery has been punch you in the face spectacular. We were lucky to have some very good weather, we saw some northern lights, and we got a full spectrum of proper North Atlantic weather with strong wind and even snow.

    I think the 17 days spent here was just about right. We planned more time than we thought we needed to account for weather and that was exactly right. It gave us the opportunity to slow down and enjoy ourselves more. It also allowed us to work around the weather in ways that a more compressed schedule wouldn't have. Finally, it gave us time to really visit Suduroy, which turned out to be an incredible highlight of the trip.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Malmö

    30 mars, Suède ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    From the Faroe Islands to Malmö! Transitioning to a contemporary city from the small town place of the islands is an interesting shock to the system.

    Malmö was founded in the 1250s as a fortified wharf for the Archbishop of Lund. For centuries it served as one of the most important commercial cities in Denmark before it was ceded to Sweden in 1658.

    We walked around Gamla Staden, the old town that serves as the cute historic heart of the city. It is centered around Stortorget, which was the largest city square in Scandinavia at the time of its construction in the 1540s. Nearby is Lilla Torg, which is a smaller cobblestone square lined with half timbered houses that now serve as restaurants and galleries.

    Nearby, Sankt Petri Kyrka stands as the oldest building in Malmö and is a masterpiece of Brick Gothic architecture and simple Scandinavian aesthetic. Construction began in 1319 using red Baltic bricks to create a towering nave that reaches a height of 30 meters (98 feet).

    Late morning lattes and cardamom buns were had at Solde Kaffebar, one of the top rated coffee shops in town.

    For fika (and dinner) we visited St. Jakobs Stenugnsbageri in the Malmö Saluhall, which is located in a refurbished 19th century freight station. The food hall brings together local artisanal producers and international flavors ranging from traditional Swedish herring to specialty sourdough bakeries. The architecture preserves the original brickwork while incorporating modern steel and glass elements to create a social hub for the city.

    After fika, we walked towards Scaniaparken and the Turning Torso. The city skyline is dominated by the Turning Torso. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and completed in 2005, it was the tallest building in Scandinavia until recently, reaching a height of 190 meters (623 feet). The design is based on a twisting human silhouette and consists of nine segments that rotate a full 90 degrees from the base to the top.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Van Hool Double Articulated Bus

    30 mars, Suède ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    This was the first time I'd ever seen a double articulated bus so of course I had to know more. Here's the skinny on this interesting piece of engineering.

    The Van Hool Exqui.City 24 Electric uses double articulation to achieve a massive 150-passenger capacity without the cost of laying tram tracks. Its maneuverability is powered by a sophisticated electronic steering system on the rear axles that allows the 24-meter vehicle to navigate tight city corners with the same turning radius as a standard 12-meter bus.

    The primary reason for double articulation is Passenger Density. In a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system like MalmöExpressen, the goal is "Tram-like" service without adding the massive infrastructure of a real Tram.

    In terms of passenger density, this thing is a beast. A standard bus holds ~70 people. A single-articulated bus holds ~100. The double-articulated Exqui.City holds up to 150, nearly doubling the efficiency per driver. Four wide double doors allow for "all-door boarding," minimizing the time spent at each stop.

    The "magic" that keeps a 24-meter bus from getting stuck in a roundabout or hitting curbs is its axle and steering geometry. The bus has four axles in total. While a standard bus only steers with the front wheels, the Exqui.City uses a multi-axle steering system. Axles 3 and 4 are actively steered using sensors on the articulation joints to detect the angle of the turn and automatically steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction. This ensures the rear of the bus follows the exact path of the front, a concept called "Path Following Control."

    The two articulated joints are also sophisticated, containing hydraulic damping systems and electronic controllers to apply braking in case of severe articulation (aka, jackknifing).

    Because of the steered rear axles, the turning radius is only about 12 meters. This means that despite being twice as long, the bus can navigate any Malmö street that a regular city bus can handle.

    And it's all electric! Very cool.    En savoir plus

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  • Faroe Islands

    Lund Cathedral

    31 mars, Suède ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    The Lund Cathedral is a 12th century Romanesque masterpiece that houses an incredible 14th century astronomical clock. Construction of the Lund Cathedral began around 1085 under King Canute the Holy.

    The building was consecrated in 1145 and stands as the most significant example of Romanesque architecture in Scandinavia. It is constructed primarily of light colored sandstone and features twin towers that reach a height of approximately 55 meters (180 feet). For centuries the cathedral served as the seat of the Archbishop of Lund who once oversaw the entire Nordic region.

    The astronomical clock, known as Horologium mirabile Lundense, is the real draw to the cathedral. Originally constructed around 1380 and meticulously restored in 1923, the upper section focuses on the movement of the sun and moon against the zodiac while the large dial at the bottom serves as a complex perpetual calendar.

    The top section of the astronomical clock focuses on the relationship between the earth and the heavens. It features a 24 hour clock face where a gold sun pointer indicates the time. A long arm on the upper dial hosts a small rotating sphere colored half black and half gold. This ball rotates on its own axis to provide a visual representation of the current moon phase as seen from Earth. An eccentric ring engraved with the twelve signs of the zodiac represents the ecliptic which is the sun's apparent path across the sky. The position of the sun pointer on this ring tells you exactly which zodiac sign the sun is currently occupying.

    The bottom section houses the perpetual calendar and is organized into two primary sections that work together to provide chronological information for a two hundred year period.

    The Outer Moveable Ring
    The outermost ring is a mechanical component that rotates one notch every midnight. It contains three distinct layers of information. The first layer shows the days of the month and the months themselves. The second layer lists the name days of the year, including both modern Swedish names and local medieval name days retrieved from historical cathedral records. The third layer contains the Dominical letters, which are the letters A through G assigned to each day to help determine the day of the week.

    The Inner Static Disk
    The central portion of the dial remains stationary and serves as a reference table for the moveable outer ring. This inner disk contains a complex grid of numbers and letters corresponding to the years between 1923 and 2123. By aligning the Dominical letter from the outer ring with the specific year on the inner table, you can identify which day of the week a certain date falls on. This section also provides the necessary data to calculate the dates of moveable religious holidays such as Easter.

    Twice daily, the clock becomes animated. At noon and three o'clock on weekdays, a procession of the three kings and their servants emerges to pay homage to a figure of Mary and the infant Jesus. This performance is accompanied by the sound of the smallest organ in the cathedral. Above the main faces, two knights also mark the passing of the hours by striking their swords together.

    The entire structure represents a medieval geocentric view of the universe where the earth sits at the center while the heavenly bodies revolve around it.    En savoir plus

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