Týska silvurbrúðarparið Michael og Melanie taka eina selfie í Bø, har tey hava búð í fjúrtan dagar. Tey er so góðir eygleiðarar, at tað røkkur ikki at brúka okkara tugda orðafelli um, at gløgt er gestsins eyga.
Vit mugu víðka tað til at rúma tí tanka, at tað at ferðast er fyri báðar partar at møta fremmandum fólki við annarleiðis tilgongdum at eygleiða gerðandisdagin, serliga hann, sum tú helt teg kenna heima hjá tær sjálvum.
Her er morgunborðreiðingin og útsýnið á silvurbrúðleypsdegnum.
Tey bæði eru úr Stuttgart í Baden-Württemberg har suðuri í Týsklandi og vildu fegin sleppa at skriva ein ferðablogg til føroyingar um upplivingina, matstovurnar og ikki minst, hvør skal fíggja verandi og komandi undirsjóvartunnlar í Føroyum. Hóast Michael starvast í banka- og fíggjarheiminum, fekk hann ikki svar uppá spurningin.
Niðanfyri er forsøgan og sjálv ferðafrásøgnin hjá týsku hjúnum, sum siga Färöer, hóast tey skriva á enskum. Málsliga lati eg enska tekstin standa, so flestu skilja og kunnu fylgja við í eini kommunikativari ferðauppliving, sum er frá fyrstu hond, akkurát soleiðis sum tey upplivdu Føroyar í fjúrtan dagar á sumri í 2023. Myndirnar hava tey eisini tikið.
Ferðin til Føroya
A fortnight in Färöer. Where to start? There is so much to tell. Let’s start with us. We, Melanie and Michael Heckel, a 50+ couple from Stuttgart in Germany, made our first plans to visit Färöer in 2019. I, Michael, took a wrong turn on the internet and landed on a picture of four beautiful houses with grass roofs in a wonderful landscape with a stunning view.
As always, when I fall in love, it happens immediately, and with my wife I decided to visit this place, which is indeed called the view and rentable for tourists, in 2020. Everything was organized, but then came the virus.
Útsett av korona
We planned to travel by ferry from Hirtshals, and I rang up Smyriline, to ask how they handled the pandemic. The friendly woman on the phone told me, that it is no problem. We will be tested before we go onboard the ship, and we will receive our test results during the journey. So, I asked, what will happen if we or another passenger is positive? The friendly answer was: “I don´t know. It hasn´t happened yet.”
That was the moment, when we decided to postpone our trip to a virus-free year, because we didn´t want to spend four weeks or so on a ferry in quarantine. And we decided to travel by plane to have more time on Färöer this time in 2023.
And I think it was a good decision.
Indeed, we had to share Färöer with other tourists, but we could make so many cultural and culinary experiences, that we probably could not in 2020.
Møttust í flogfarinum
The first lucky encounter we had, was on the Atlantic Airways flight from Paris to Vágar. We had the seats behind Birgir Kruse - at this time we did not know, that nearly everybody in Färöer knows him - and we began to talk to him.
He told us so enthused from his country and his people and he gave us so many recommendations, that we thought, we need much more time to see it all and to visit all the places…
Spoiler alert: we have to come back!
Og her má eg stinga inn í millum, at tey vistu alt um týska sjónvarpskokkin Tim Mälzer, sum vitjaði her í 2018, og gjørdi eina virðislønta sjónvarpssending, Kitchen Impossible, úr føroysku uppskriftunum hjá Poul Andrias Ziska í KOKS, sum tá var í Kirkjubø.
Karmurin í sendingunum er ein avbjóðing, har týski stjørnukokkurin verður sendur at vitja eitt fremmant land við eini matmentan, hann ikki hevur sæð ella smakkað fyrr, finnur eina góða staðbundna matskrá hjá einum virdum kokki, ger eftir henni við teim rávørum, honum eydnast at finna, og fær endaligan dóm frá einum paneli við smakkdómarum á staðnum.
Og sannuliga høvdu tey eisini klipt inn ein av tólv føroysku dómarunum í týsku kokkakappingini, sum send varð har í landinum. Sanniliga, verðin er lítil.
Reina luftin
However, the first impression of Färöer was the air. As a citizen of Stuttgart, I am used to something we call Feinstaub Fine dust in the air. It comes from factories, cars, heatings and everything that burns fossil fuels. it is not good for your lungs und in fact it kills.
The Färoer air is completely different. Free from Feinstaub. Fresh, salty and above all clean. What a treasure!
Í ólæstum bili til Bíggjar
Then the drive to our accomodation in Bøur. The rental car was not locked. The key was in the car. In my country you would find that car within 48 hours in Belarus or so.
We drove the six km to Bøur and soon thought that we are in Hobbit Land. No traffic, just villages, lakes, waterfalls and sheep, and everything green. It was holiday for our eyes, minds and nerves.
Eiriksstova í Bø
Arriving at our holiday house Eiriksstova at the view in Bøur, we knew that this was the best decision. The houses are so cosy, furnished with so much love and equipped with everything you need. And the best is the awesome view!
The next day we wake up, hearing people talk in an Asian language behind our house. We looked out of our bedroom window and saw a group of tourists with professional photo equipment and tripods, making photos of the four houses and the landscape. We realised, that we ended up in a worldwide popular calendar picture motive.
Í undirsjóvartunnili til Havnar og kanska alt landið
First trip to Thorshavn was also our first real sub-sea tunnel, so long and so deep that it made me wonder, how long it took to plan, to decide, to permit and to build. In my country that process would take decades, if not centuries. And in the end, it would not be opened for the traffic, because there is no second escape tunnel.
At that time, we did not know, that the other tunnels are even longer, deeper and equipped with roundabouts.
But to me there is still one miracle.
Who pays for it?
We met a Danish couple and asked them if Denmark pays for it. They said “no”. The EU doesn´t pay for it, because Färoer is not in the EU.
So, can it be that a nation of fewer than 60.000 souls can afford it on their own? Or is it possibly China or Russia?
Until now I have no answer.
At kenna seg heima á matstovum í Havn
In Thorshavn, locally just called Havn, we started the day with a cappuccino and a croissant in the Paname Café. Instinctively we did not expect very much from a café in a small town somewhere between Scotland and Iceland. But that expectation was wrong. Very wrong!
Perfect coffee with oatmilk and a croissant much better than the ones we ever had in France, where we just came from.
What a wonderful place between books and friendly people.
And then a surprise: the non-alcoholic beer they serve at the Paname is from Dinkelacker brewery in Stuttgart, not even 500 meters away from where we live. When traveling you realize how small the world is.
That was only the first culinary surprise, we experienced.
It was followed by smörrebröd at The Bitin, Ramen soup at Suppugarðurin, Sushi at Etika, Fish at Fiskastykkið in Sandavágur and a wonderful dinner at ROKS.
And of course I have to mention all the wonderful cakes and waffles we had in awesome little cafés all over the Färöer Islands. It was all fantastic!
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Ræst var best
But let me highlight one thing that was really outstanding: Our dinner at Ræst.
We live in an area in Germany with many Michelin-starred restaurants, and we have had dinner in several of them. Some were good, some were better, some outstanding and some were boring, too.
But the Ræst experience is far away from all this! We have never had tastes like that on our tongue.
The combination of the Färöese fermented tastes and the Mexican influences of the chef is something unique.
I wonder how long Michelin can resist to give that restaurant a star.
Listasavnið, Fornminnissavnið, Sjósavnið, Norðurlandahúsið og Vestmanna
Let´s continue with some cultural highlights, we experienced, first of all the National Galery, Listasavnið. What an interesting place. We were so surprised, how much cultural power these few people in the middle of the north Atlantic have. One of the most interesting and surprising exhibitions we have ever visited.
Then we went to the National Museum, Fornminnissavnið, which gave us an interesting overview over the history of Färöer.
We loved the old monochrome photos, that gave us an insight of the hard times during the last century, and of course the open air part of the museum down in the old village of Hoyvík with a very friendly and committed guide.
A really interesting place is the Museum at the Vestmanna Tourist Center with the really good wax figures and the stories of the Färöer history. But, have you ever been there? All the stories are about murder, revenge, rape, black death and abuse. Makes me wonder if there are no love stories in the Färoer history? I was so sad, that I had to buy a pullover of Färöese wool in the museum shop to comfort myself.
Last but not least, we want to mention Summartónar with Kristian Blak at the Nordic House, Norðurlandahúsið, wich was quite nice, both the house and the concert.
However, the Thorshavn Aquarium has potential to develop.
Fimm góðar upplivingar
I mentioned the Guide at the open air museum in Torshavn. He was just one of those Färöese people we met, who were so positive, open and so excited by their own country. Of course, it started with Birgir Kruse and continued with so many short encounters, but there are at least some I have to highlight:
The mother of Svanhild in Kvivik. We followed the Svanhild sign and ended up at a door of a wonderful old house. In front of the door was Svanhild´s mother working on something. She took us in, showed us the house, told us the story of the house. Told us so much about Färoese Wool and her so talented daughter, who designs clothes and shoes in traditional Färoese patterns. We almost spent an hour there. Thank you!
The People of the Edge Café in Mikladalur. We ended up at the café after visiting the Seal Woman statue (another sad story) on a Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, the café is closed on Sundays. But on that wonderful sunny and warm day the owners family sat in front of the café, and gave free coffee to the tourists, and we had a nice and friendly talk with them.
Talking about Kalsoy, of course I have to mention the woman who runs the Kiosk with homemade marmalade, sausage and cheese at Tröllanes and her husband, the busdriver of Kalsoy. She talks, he does not. But he drives the bus safely through the narrow tunnels. That is much more important.
In Mykines we met some nice people in the old schoolhouse. We talked about the Färöese Handball team, that will take place at the Handball European Championship in Germany in 2024. They were so excited, and they told us that at least 6000 people from Färöer will follow their team to Germany as supporters. That is 10% of the people! We keep our fingers crossed for your team!
The Italian guide and photographer on Mykines told us about a south European’s life and experiences in Färöer. The most interesting story we found, was that the Färöese babies sleep outside in their stroller, summer and winter. For a central European like us this is unthinkable. It is the same as goes for the unlocked car. In 48 hours you would fear to find the stroller in Belarus or so.
Last but not least, goes for Tróndur, our host. He did not only give us a wonderful home for a few days, but he also supplied us with amazing good salmon, gave us good advice for hikes, especially the heart shaped lake, Tróndur showed us his hometown Bøur and he finished the tour with singing a hymn for us in the old local church. Thank you so much, Tróndur!
Føroyar - ansið eftir hópferðavinnuni!
Now I could tell something more about the outstanding nature of die Färoer Islands. But I don´t have to, because I think you already know, what a treasure you have.
In that context I don´t want to make too much noise about your country, because I don´t want to wake up all this hordes of tourists storming your country and the sensitive and fragile nature.
Please look after that treasure you have and do not open it to mass-tourism.
However, let me highlight once again, how fascinated we are from your country and from its nearly 60.000 people, the size of a midsized, boring German suburb, with so much potential, ideas, culture, from your positive patriotism, your traditions, your hospitality and your friendliness. And of course of the nature of your beautiful islands.
We will return. That´s for sure!
Michael & Melanie
