On our first morning in the Faroe Islands we took the Ternan, a ferry from Torshavn to Nolsoy, a small longish island with a village also called Nolsoy and a hill to climb. The ferry dropped us off at a tiny harbor. We took a right turn and started climbing and were out in the boonies in minutes - the road gave way to a graded gravel path and then to a slightly rutted grassy slope. We came across highly agitated sheep. Around the next corner we saw two men stuffing wool into big black garbage bags and a farmer-ish looking man with a nice pairs of scissors in his hands. Hence the excitement.
In an hour we had climbed out of the gently sloping land and were at the foot of the hill. The kids played and rested and ate apples. Then we started climbing the ocean side of the hill in ernest. Though it wasn't life-threatening, there was nothing that would stop a rolling child from continuing to roll down the steep grassy hill side and past the cliff to the ocean below. This thought crossed my mind frequently while I admired the beauty of the land and water around us.
We made it about two-thirds of the way up the hill till it broadened out into a wide moss covered shoulder where Vivian did a couple of cartwheels and Evan ran around like a lunatic. Then Jo and the kids started back (if you missed the ferry you'd have to knock on stranger's doors to find a place for the night) while I pressed forward for another half hour. I didn't make it to the top either. I rejoined the rest at the cliffs for a short rest. Then we walked back past the still agitated sheep. There was just enough time to play at the tiny beach. The whole village seemed to be there. Evan was in his undies and both kids had their shirts on. Most other children ran around without a stitch. We took the ferry back and ended out first day of being back north of 60°. Everyone loved it.
Incidentally, Nolsoy was the home of Ove Joensen. This Faroese sailor, in his free time built himself a small row boat, the Diana Victoria. In 1986 he rowed solo in just 41 days for 900 miles of the North Atlantic to the Little Mermaid at Copenhagen. To raise money for a swimming pool in Nolsoy. He is buried in the village cemetery just past the ferry terminal.
In an hour we had climbed out of the gently sloping land and were at the foot of the hill. The kids played and rested and ate apples. Then we started climbing the ocean side of the hill in ernest. Though it wasn't life-threatening, there was nothing that would stop a rolling child from continuing to roll down the steep grassy hill side and past the cliff to the ocean below. This thought crossed my mind frequently while I admired the beauty of the land and water around us.
We made it about two-thirds of the way up the hill till it broadened out into a wide moss covered shoulder where Vivian did a couple of cartwheels and Evan ran around like a lunatic. Then Jo and the kids started back (if you missed the ferry you'd have to knock on stranger's doors to find a place for the night) while I pressed forward for another half hour. I didn't make it to the top either. I rejoined the rest at the cliffs for a short rest. Then we walked back past the still agitated sheep. There was just enough time to play at the tiny beach. The whole village seemed to be there. Evan was in his undies and both kids had their shirts on. Most other children ran around without a stitch. We took the ferry back and ended out first day of being back north of 60°. Everyone loved it.
Incidentally, Nolsoy was the home of Ove Joensen. This Faroese sailor, in his free time built himself a small row boat, the Diana Victoria. In 1986 he rowed solo in just 41 days for 900 miles of the North Atlantic to the Little Mermaid at Copenhagen. To raise money for a swimming pool in Nolsoy. He is buried in the village cemetery just past the ferry terminal.
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