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Faroe Islands
Find a sense of solitude in a dramatic North Atlantic landscape
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| Photos by Katy Johnstone |
Three-hundred meters below me, waves smash
viciously into the cliff. Gales are trying to force me off the edge.
I remember claiming to friends not so long ago that “there’s nowhere
left in Europe that’s off the beaten track.” As it turns out, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. From where I stood, there was nothing to be seen but the vast grayness of the ocean and the coldness of the sky leading to the Arctic.
The Faroe Islands are the last outpost of Europe, untouched and isolated, in a windswept corner of the North Atlantic. The 18 dots of land that comprise this tiny Danish protectorate have seen little change since the Vikings stopped off a millennium ago en route to their high-seas conquests across the North Atlantic.
People here speak a dialect of Norse that in other places was long consigned to history. Many of the villages were, until very recently, cut off from the rest of the islands due to a lack of roads. Only huge government investment in the past decade has changed this. Now postmen no longer have to make the three hour journey on foot over hills to reach small communities. Despite slowly waking up from a long slumber in to modern life, this largely self-governed Danish territory remains a distinctly sleepy place.
For many years, foreign visitors were usually limited to fishermen trawling for cod or herring. Recently, however, in an attempt to readdress the overreliance on revenue from fishing—which currently accounts for 90 percent of exports and half of GDP—the Faroes are starting to open their doors to tourism.
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Many visitors come out of sheer curiosity. I came because as a child
I would hear about the Faroe Islands on BBC radio’s early morning shipping forecasts. I used to wonder where the Faroes or Fitzroy or Cromarty were, and why anybody had the need to know what the weather was like in such places.
The Faroes may not have much in terms of fancy hotels or restaurants, but they do have a strong draw in their spectacular scenery. The ingredients to this stark and rugged beauty are volcanic rock and driving ocean waves, which have been fighting a brutal battle for ages. The 18 islands look like a mountain range where all but the final few hundred meters are submerged underwater. Flat land is at a serious premium. Houses stand by the sea and roads run precariously close to cliffs.
The capital of Torshavn, which must be a contender for the smallest seat of government in the world, is a convenient base from which to explore. It is located on the main island of Streymoy, which, along with Vagar and Eysturoy, is where a majority of the some 47,000 Faroese reside. Driving out of Torshavn deep in to Streymoy, the road sweeps past a fjord, in to a tunnel and then around a bay. Many homes and churches still retain the traditional lawn roof, which is still considered a superior method of insulation over the freezing winters.
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The Faroe Islands are at their best when you turn down small country roads to villages such as Saksun or Tjornuvik or Gjogv. Here you will find places hemmed in by mountains, sea and cloud. Take a stroll up a hillside and enjoy the silence.
Another highlight is hopping on a boat. We joined a small tour leaving the port of Vestmanna to the nearby bird cliffs. During the summer months, the Faroes are home to a large number of seasonal migrating birds which come to feast on the food rich waters.
Once out of port, it didn’t take long for the Atlantic waves to take control. Nevertheless, the boat turned in to the mouth of grottos, caves and other tears in the basalt rock face. After a rough journey, the vessel reached the bottom of a cliff, from where I could barely see the top, 300 meters up high.
Looking up in awe, I wondered why so few had visited this place before.
| The best months to visit the Faroes are May to September. Travelers from Tokyo should first fly to Copenhagen, then take an Atlantic Airways (www.atlantic.fo) plane to the islands. The most popular place to stay is the tiny capital of Torshavn, where there are a number of modern accommodations a stone’s throw from
the harbor, including Hotel Hafnia (www.hafnia.fo) and the recently refurbished Hotel Torshavn (www.hoteltorshavn.fo). Renting a car is highly recommended, as the road network is both extensive and well maintained. Buses run throughout the islands, but service can be infrequent. Ferries and helicopters provide regular service to some of the outlying islands to the south. The weather can be volatile, going from bright sun to a heavy downpour in minutes, making rain gear essential. For more information, try the fantastic website of the Faroe Islands tourist board (www.faroeislands.com). |
Looking for a posh place to stay in Roppongi without breaking the bank? Ishin Hotels has completed renovation of the 65-room B Roppongi (3-9-8 Roppongi, Minato-ku) which reopened on April 1 (no joke!). Improvements include wider beds, renovated bathrooms, more storage and new desks. Rates range from ¥16,000 for standard single to ¥25,000 for deluxe plus twin. For reservations and further info, call 03-5412-0451 or see www.ishinhotels.com.
All Nippon Airways’ rewards scheme for corporate customers (called the ProFlyers Bonus) has been extended to include Star Alliance partner airlines. Travelers accrue one point (redeemable for gift certificates) for every ¥50,000 spent with ANA, Lufthansa, United, Asiana, Singapore Airlines and Thai. Each individual traveler may also accrue mileage for flights, redeemable across the entire Star Alliance network. For more info, visit www.ana.co.jp/apf.
Tuckered out new mothers, lend us your ears! The Hilton in Shinjuku is offering a luxury day treatment plan called Baby-moon, which includes an in-room aromatherapy massage for the mother and an additional treatment for the child. The package is available from ¥25,725 per mom-plus-baby (under 12 months). Call 03-3344-5111 or see www.hilton.co.jp/tokyo for further details (Japanese). CB |
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