2019.7.4Heading north from Tórshavn, there are two roads that lead out of the city. In the morning, we took the one that goes over the mountains. The road was shrouded in fog, obscuring the mountains on both sides and creating a bleak, moody atmosphere. Interestingly, down in the valley it was merely overcast. It is another example of the Faroe Islands’ famously varied weather.

Streymoy and Eysturoy are the two largest and most populous islands in the Faroe Islands, separated by the Sundini Fjord. On the Streymoy side, near the middle of the fjord, lies the small and scenic village of Hósvík. After crossing the Streymin Bridge, we reached the town of Norðskála. The Streymin Bridge, located at the narrowest point of the Sundini Fjord, is 226 meters long and is the only bridge connecting two islands in the Faroe Islands. It is fondly known as the “Bridge across the Atlantic” and plays a significant role in the islands’ road network.

The bridge opened to traffic in 1973, followed by the opening of the Norðskála Tunnel in 1976, which cuts through the central mountain range of Eysturoy. In 1988, the Norðoya Tunnel opened, finally linking the northern islands with the central parts of the Faroe Islands.

We had lunch and took a short break in Klaksvík before continuing north. We soon entered the Árnafjarðar Tunnel, and just 50 meters beyond the exit was yet another tunnel. Between the two lies the village of Árnafjørður, in the central part of Borðoy Island.

Not far after emerging from the Borðoy tunnel, we reached Viðoy, the northernmost island in the Faroe Islands. Borðoy and Viðoy are connected by a causeway, with the small towns of Norðdepil and Hvannasund facing each other across the strait. Fishing and aquaculture are the primary livelihoods of local residents.

Our destination for the day was the village of Viðareiði, located at the northern tip of Viðoy and the northernmost settlement in the Faroe Islands. From here, if one climbs Villingardalsfjall mountain to the north of the village, the view is breathtaking. In the middle is Malinsfjall in Viðoy; to the left, you can see Fugloy and Svínoy islands; while to the right, the northern tips of Borðoy, Kunoy, and Kalsoy stand in sequence. Unfortunately, it was drizzling that day, and I wasn’t able to reach the summit of Villingardalsfjall.

There weren’t many visitors in Viðareiði, and the village itself felt quiet and empty. However, we did notice a few guesthouses under construction or renovation. The owner of one kindly invited us to rest in the lobby. Overall, tourism in the Faroe Islands is gradually increasing.

On our way back from Viðoy, we passed through the small town of Ánir, near Klaksvík, where a few sheep were wandering by the roadside. We stopped the car, and the sheep, completely unafraid of people, ran around us, want to be in the picture.

Klaksvík is the second-largest town in the Faroe Islands. Situated between two back-to-back fjords, it is an important port and fishing hub. Before entering the city, there is a roundabout with a sculpture shaped like a fish hook, perhaps symbolizing its fishing heritage.

We had lunch in Klaksvík at a restaurant called Fríða Kaffihús, which we really enjoyed, so we returned there on our way back. Their curried chicken salad was especially flavorful.

In the evening, we stayed in Leirvík, on the other side of the Norðoya Tunnel. Tomorrow, we plan to take a boat to Kunoy Island.

2019.7.3~4Tórshavn means “Thor’s harbor.” Thor is the hammer-wielding god from the movies, a nearly omnipotent figure in Norse mythology and a protector of humankind. His name appears frequently in various cultures and place names. Since the 9th century, when the Vikings first landed in the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn has been the islands’ main settlement. At that time, the Faroe Islands had only a few fishing villages and farms, with just a few hundred inhabitants. Tórshavn served as the main port for external trade. It wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that these villages gradually grew into towns.

To this day, the harbor still occupies a large portion of Tórshavn, while the city center remains small and retains the feel of a fishing village. Houses with grass-covered roofs, narrow winding alleys, and damp, gloomy weather – it’s as if the air could be wrung out like a wet towel.

The city’s oldest buildings have been converted into restaurants. Though they are connected back-to-back and belong to the same business, each has a unique style. Before the trip, a colleague recommended one called Ræst. Ræst refers to a traditional method of preserving meat by fermentation, not cooked or dried, but somewhere in between, essentially semi-rotted. Both fish and lamb can be prepared this way. Though uniquely Faroese, similar methods are used across the Nordic region, with Sweden’s Surströmming being the most famous example.

We stood outside Ræst for a while, sampling the smell coming from the restaurant. Ultimately, we found it a bit too challenging and opted for Barbara next door. This seafood restaurant, like the one we tried in Greenland, served very fresh ingredients, had beautiful presentation, and modest portions, definitely worth recommending.

After dinner, it was around 7 p.m., and we took a walk around town. Tórshavn has almost no large hotels, mostly small inns or private houses converted into guesthouses. We booked a stay with visitHOMES, which, while labeled as a homestay, is actually a set of apartments managed by a company. The rooms are rented individually and share common areas. We found the house not only very new but also mostly empty, aside from one night, we had the entire building to ourselves. It was just a five-minute walk from the city center, very comfortable and convenient.

The plan for the next day was to visit Viðoy, the northernmost island in the archipelago. In the morning, we had breakfast at Essabarr, located right across from the restaurant we dined at the night before. A light rain was falling. We saw a small group of people wearing brightly colored rain jackets – essential attire for traveling in the Faroe Islands due to the constantly changing weather. Breakfast at Essabarr was elegant, with especially delicious bread and crisp cereal.

2019.7.3The Faroe Islands? Where are they? Are they a country? Such questions are completely understandable—especially back in 2019, when we made our trip. At that time, the Faroe Islands were still relatively unknown, known mostly within photography circles. But as breathtaking landscape photos began circulating online, the islands gradually gained popularity. Though not a remote and inhospitable place, the Faroe Islands still lacked sufficient tourism infrastructure to handle the growing number of visitors. As a result, the local government and residents began considering various measures—such as periodically closing certain attractions—to limit tourist numbers.

We spent one night in Iceland, then took a flight to the Faroe Islands the next morning. The flight to Greenland had been on a small propeller plane, but the one to the Faroes was an Airbus 320—a mid-sized jet. Clearly, more people travel to the Faroe Islands than to Greenland. Before landing at Vágar Airport, the plane flew over Lake Sørvágsvatn. This was the view from the plane, and a few days later, I would be walking along that trail below all the way to the sea shore.

We rented a manual Nissan Murano at the airport. The car was reliable and ran smoothly throughout the trip. After returning to the U.S., I considered renting one again but found that it didn’t have great reviews—perhaps the models differ between Europe and the U.S.

We first stopped at the nearby town of Sørvágur to stock up on supplies. There’s a sandy beach by the fjord there, where you can see all the way to the open sea beyond. It didn’t yet reveal the awe-inspiring beauty we were about to encounter.

Before heading to the hotel, we decided to visit the Múlafossur Waterfall – the very waterfall that had first introduced me to the Faroe Islands. We drove west along the road on one side of the fjord. Not far along the way, we saw a few cottages with roofs covered in thick green grass – a characteristic look of the Faroe Islands. The clouds hung low, almost touching the sea, and it felt like these houses were meant to exist in just such gloomy, moody weather.

Looking across the fjord from there, you can see one of the Faroe Islands’ iconic sights: Drangarnir – a small island shaped like an archway. Next to it is a sea stack shaped like a club, and behind them rises the triangular, steep cliffs of Tindhólmur Island. Drangarnir is very close to Vágar Island. From the cliffs of Vágar, especially when the sunlight illuminates the arch from the left, you can’t help but marvel at nature’s magnificent craftsmanship.

In the photo below, Tindhólmur is off to the right and not visible; on the left is Vágar Island, where you can see some photographers perched on the cliff’s edge. The circular shapes on the water are salmon farms – one of the Faroe Islands’ main industries.

To get to Gásadalur, we had to go through the Gásadalur Tunnel, which cuts through the mountain. Once entering the tunnel I was getting nervous. It was a one-lane road with no traffic lights on either end to control alternating flow. What if a car came from the opposite direction? Luckily, not far into the tunnel I spotted a pull-out area on the left, large enough for two cars, clearly meant for yielding. These passing bays appear every hundred meters or so. We hadn’t researched this in advance, so whenever we saw an oncoming car, we pulled into the nearest bay. In fact, if the bays are on your right, you should yield, but if the oncoming vehicle is a large truck, smaller cars have to give way regardless.

Looking back after exiting the tunnel, we could see the mountain we had just passed through. The Gásadalur Tunnel was opened to pedestrians in 2003 and to vehicles in 2006. Before the tunnel was built, the village was accessible only by boat or via hiking narrow cliffside paths over the mountains. The tunnel made travel far more convenient. One-lane tunnels like this are now considered outdated. Newer ones often have two lanes or even four, connecting different parts of the islands by cutting through mountains and crossing under the sea.

Just a few dozen meters off the roadside, you can see the Múlafossur Waterfall. The stream that feeds it originates from the mountaintop behind and flows just a few kilometers before plunging over 60 meters straight into the Atlantic Ocean. The towering mountain backdrop and the quaint village at its foot add a dreamlike quality to this breathtaking scene.

A few more steps down a small path lead to a slightly restored stairway, which brings you to a platform closer to sea level. On stormy days, the waves crash dramatically, making for even more powerful photographs. But on this particular day, the wind was calm, and low-hanging clouds shrouded the mountain peaks, which refused to show themselves. Looking out to the left, we could see several small islands in the sea. One of them is Mykines, which we would visit on our last day.

Gásadalur is the small village nestled at the foot of the mountain. It likely has no more than a dozen or twenty houses, many with thick green grass covering their roofs. We didn’t see many people around, probably because the population is small. Located at the far edge of Vágar Island, the village is almost completely cut off from the world, nestled in a landscape that feels utterly otherworldly. Coming through the mountain tunnel, it felt as though we had stepped into a hidden utopia.