We woke to persistent grey skies and a bit of drizzle but with only a day left James Bond was calling and we had no time to lose ….
Our journey today would take us through an engineering marvel – the subsea Eysturoy Tunnel.
This tunnel contains the world’s only subsea roundabout, known locally as the ‘jellyfish roundabout’ which effectively creates a ‘Y’ shape connecting Streymoy to two different points on the island of Eysturoy.
The roundabout features artwork by a local Faroese artist (Tróndur Patursson) and consists of silhouettes of humans holding hands, signifying the strength of the Faroese as a collective nation. You can even tune in to a particular FM station as you enter which has specially composed music for the tunnel. At 11.2 kms long we had time to listen to quite a bit of it 😉
Photography not the best but you get the picture I hope .. we went around a couple of times for the hell of it 🤣
Emerging into daylight and now on Eysturoy we drove on to the second largest town of the Faroes, Klammsvik. Primarily a fishing town it is also where the ferry leaves for yet another island, Kalsoy.
Normally you have the option of taking your car to Kalsoy ( book ahead, it only takes 12) but at present they are upgrading facilities and the only option for us was foot ferry connecting with local bus once we arrived.
We boarded one of the two buses waiting and almost immediately were glad we couldn’t have come by car. The one way tunnel was next level claustrophobic… we were in a bus though.
About 30 mins later we arrived at the northern tip of elongated Kalsoy and the pretty village of Trøllanes.
Trollanes is where the hike to the VERY northern tip, Kallur Lighthouse, begins. As I joined the massive queue for one toilet , the sky began to clear and twenty minutes later, after paying the mandatory hiking fee ( the equivalent of about $AUD50 each 😱 ) we set off with patches of blue emerging.
The hike to the lighthouse is moderate in difficulty. Initially, the hike is a bit steep but then you walk along the sheep path until you reach the scenery where the lighthouse is located.
We managed quite well initially with several breathers ( Russell glad he had brought his sticks, me wishing I had some) until we reached the sheep path that traverses the side of the hill. The recent downpours had rendered this section a steep furrow of sticky mud with various walk arounds that by now, with the amount of traffic, were also largely mud.
It was a real balancing act ( especially without sticks) and I was relieved to not have mud on my bum by the time we reached the last uphill section.
Once at the Lighthouse however, all thoughts of that were forgotten.
The scenery in every direction was jaw dropping. Sheer green cliffs dropping into the North Atlantic with white foam crashing onto the rocks below. There were a few hardy sheep around, unperturbed by the human invasion and unaware of how many Insta accounts they will appear on.
Russell collected his thoughts ( and breath) at the lighthouse and after borrowing one of his sticks I continued up another cliff edge path to the symbolic James Bond headstone. The final scenes where Bond meets his end in Never Say Die were filmed on Kalsoy and the locals constructed the grave site which gets plenty of visitors!
There is an additional option to get a panoramic view of the lighthouse from a nearby mountain ridge but it is not for the faint-hearted. There are 200 metres perpendicular rocky cliffs to both sides (you can’t really appreciate it in the header photo) and by now it was blowing a gale. I contemplated it but saw a young Asian girl crouched down in fear on the path, unable to move and so I decided against it.
I followed another cliff top path (looked much easier) in the other direction for awhile but the wind was intense, the path got narrower and eventually I turned back, conscious of the fact that Russell wouldn’t have the slightest idea when to catch our next flight if I got blown over 😂
On a calm day I could have done it I’m sure …
The hike back was less intense, we found an alternative to the steep muddy section and arrived back at the Trollanes cafe with time for a waffle before the bus pick up.
The next stop on the bus route was the village of Mikladalur, famous for the Seal Woman statue.
“The story passed down generation by generation describes a beautiful Selkie trapped by a fisherman, who hides her seal skin while she is on land one night. Trapped, she becomes his wife and they have 2 children. One day however, he goes fishing and she finds her seal skin hidden in a chest in their home. She escapes back to her Selkie family after ensuring the children are cared for until the fisherman’s return.
She leaves behind a message to not follow her and to not harm her Selkie family. The fishermen however ignore the warning and end up killing both her Selkie husband and Selkie children.
In revenge she curses the men of the island to die in frequent accidents until as many have perished as can link arms around the whole island.“
Dark story, beautiful enduring sculpture, lots of stairs 😉
We rejoined the bus for the trip back to meet the ferry which delivered us back to Klammsvik for the drive back to Torshavn and our last chance to check out the jellyfish roundabout.
A quick note about accommodation in Torshavn. About fifteen minutes walk out of the ‘city’ it was a beautiful small hotel converted from the previous Commodore’s residence and still with a decidedly nautical theme. The sea out of the front window and sheep grazing next door, with some of the friendliest staff we’ve encountered so far.
As this was our last evening, we opted for burger delivery on ‘Jenny’s’ recommendation and she kindly organised (as our phones wouldn’t make the call) and we reluctantly started the big re-pack for flights tomorrow.
The Faroe Islands have exceeded all expectations. Whilst perhaps lacking some infrastructure at popular sites those same attractions are not yet overcrowded with tourists.
The hiking fees are quite contentious with tourists and are allegedly to maintain and improve facilities (trail maintenance, toilet installation etc.) We saw evidence of this happening in some areas but not in all.
Unfortunately, like other hotspots before them , the Faroes are in danger of becoming a victim of their own popularity – in part due to social media sharing this little corner of paradise with the rest of the world.
I can’t complain, an Insta post led us here too but I am grateful we have seen the Faroes in their relatively unspoiled state and hope they can maintain that as long as possible.
Tomorrow, off to the land of fire and ice, Iceland.
