It was 820 km to the ferry in Hirtshals in northern Jutland (Denmark). We made one stopover along the way at Flensburg, just before the Danish border. Fortunately we had our corona papers with us because we had to show them before entering the camping. The camping in Hirtshals is below the lighthouse and next to German defence bunkers (The Atlantic wall) in the dunes along the sea. Most campers there are waiting for the ferries to Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

  • Campsite
  • Anti tank protection
  • German bunkers
  • The guns were removed
  • Sleeping quarters
  • Some bunkers fall in the sea
  • Campsite view from the ferry

The ferry leaves at 15:30 and arrives at the Faroe islands some 31 hrs later at 22:30 the next day. We booked a seaside cabin for the night. Small but adequate. The sea was calm, so not much issues with sea sickness during the long wait.

The first night on the island was spent on the city campsite some 1 km from the harbour at Torshavn. Since the sun (if you see it) sets very late, it was still light but colder than we are used to. The warm down jacket was much appreciated.

The next day we first drove over the mountain to the other side of the island. At Kirkjubour is the remains of a 13th century cathedral. It was abandoned when the Norwegian ruler converted to Luther. Since then, it fell in disrepair and only in the last 30 years was some restoration done. Maybe that is true for the whole archipelago. The roads are all surfaced and several of the islands are now connected with new tunnels. The tourist trade is blooming with corresponding prices. Logic because the season is short. In the fjords you see many fish farms. That must be one of the main exports.

  • Torshavn
  • Kirkjubour
  • Saint Magnus Cathedral
  • Built in 1330 – 1340
  • Wood carving…
  • ..from the benches in…
  • …the cathedral, now in the national museum
  • Abandoned 1560
  • Old farm
  • Built on the ruins
  • of the bischops palace
  • recreated rooms
  • Metal decoration
  • Old stove
  • doorways
  • Flowers in the stream

We drove through one of the new tunnels connecting Streymor island to Vagar island where the airport is. The road to the endpoint of the island is single lane. Left and right are small bypass pullouts where you pull in for oncoming traffic. In the narrow tunnel is the same system. Here however you hardly see the pullout in the light of the oncoming car. The country side you drive through is fjord-like. Green round hills/mountains with many scars from waterfalls. It was not raining so the few waterfalls are reduced to trickles. Along the steep seaside cliffs various seabirds have their nests. We saw various seagull type birds and only one puffin in the distance.

  • layers of basalt with softer ash layers inbetween

Back on Streymor island, we drove to its northern point to see the 2 freestanding rocks, Resin and Kellingin, in the sea which are part of the local folklore. We camped above the rocks at the town of Eidi on the next island of Eysturoy (bridge connection). The campsite was on a  unused sport field covered with felt. There were many caravans from the locals and campervans from travellers. . I don’t know if the locals stay there for the holiday or it is there residency for the working week.

  • deep cuts from the water streams
  • eroded hillside
  • sometimes the cuts are deep
  • most old buildings have grass on the roof
  • oldest church
  • slide down window shutters
  • The stoned wiches

Most of the income from the islands comes from salmon farming. The world’s biggest companies are here. Every fjord has large circular ponds in the water where the salmon is cultivated. The country is for 15 % subsidised by Denmark. As a result all the roads and are well surfaced. Lengthy tunnels connect the islands and even small hamlets. All the cars on the road are modern and housing projects are going on all over the islands. Some buildings are obviously holiday homes. Maybe they expect an increase in tourism. The islands are ideal for long walking treks over the mountains from one side of an island to the other. Busses run everywhere so catching one back to your starting point should be easy.

The next day we continued to drive on small roads over the mountains to small villages, where possible avoiding the large towns. Most villages are a starting point for a walk along the cliffs. These walks are well used. In the side of one of the cliffs we spotted a colony of puffins with their coloured beaks. At the end of the afternoon we drove to the south point of Eysturoy to stay at a small camping with the camper facing a calm sea.

  • large mountains behind the church
  • notice the slided up shutters
  • Undersea monster capturing fishermen
  • Railway to bring up supply
  • Cliff with..
  • …Several seabird nests

The next day we drove through the long tunnel with underground roundabout to the capital. It had started to rain. We took shelter in the national museum. Beside an explanation of the geological history of the islands and its human history. The collection of wood carvings taken from the cathedral we visited the day before were impressive. The outside section of the museum with some reconstructed house fell a bit is the water. We wandered a bit around town, had lunch and filled up on petrol before boarding the ferry to Iceland at 18:00 hrs.