Torshavn, Faroe Islands

One of Europe's smallest and oldest capitals, remote Torshavn was named for mighty Thor, the Norse god of thunder and lightning. Founded in the ninth century be emigrants from what is now Norway, Torshavn is home to about 20,000 residents, roughy 40% of a total population of nearly 50,000 scattered across the 18 islands of the Faroe archpelago. A self-governing nation within the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroes boast one of the oldest parliaments in the world. Torshavns quaint, wooden buildings - even some with sod roofs - and a fleet of colorful fishing boats along the harbo front paint an inviting landscape. Beyond town, lush green pastures provide excellent summer grazing for the island's sheep, which outnumber humans by a ratio of two to one.
We had scheduled an all-day tour which included 14 of us which was fantastic since they picked us up in a small Mercedes Benz van which was very comfortable. Our guide was very professional, however somewhat boring at times.

The grass roof is very practical as it serves as insulation.

The building pictured above is a prison! Our guide told us that it is quite empty since there is virtually no crime in the Faroe's. Everybody knows everybody!

The highlight of our tour was a stop at a sheep farmers house. We were treated to coffee, homemade cake and a very interesting talk with the farmer. He was a young man with 4 young sons and a wife who was studying for her masters degree (online). He was the 17th generation to live in this house and the homes surrounding his was inhabited by family. It's quite a heartwarming lifestyle, something so foreign to us .

The table pictured above was washed up on the shore with a seaman hanging on for dear life. He was the only survivor of a shipwreck. Many years later, he came back to visit with the people who saved his life.

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Kristiansand Norway September 10, 2014

No tours planned today since this quaint village is very walkable. Weather beautiful today. 69 degrees and sunny. Norway is very committed to open green spaces and recreation so it is delightful to wander around on foot. No major tourist attractions except the beauty of the city. It's a nice break from an organized tour. To start our day, my DH, Kos, made a stop at the restroom where he placed his backpack on the sink. As he turned his back, the backpack slid into the sink and the automatic faucet went on! Yep. Everything was soaked except the iPad seemed OK. However, our device that we use to transfer pictures into the iPad was dripping wet and wouldn't work. We managed to dry it out somewhat, but it's not quite right. So this may be the last of our blog for this trip! :)

Tonight we have a reservation at the Chef's Table which is a wonderful experience. A tasting of 6 courses with a wine pairing. We have done this on the Oasis of the Seas and absolutely loved it. The chef comes out with each course and explains how the dish is made and why the wine is paired with it. We eat many courses, but just a tasting. Wonderful.

The ice cream in Norway is simply awesome, as it is in all of the Scandinavian countries. I can never pass an ice cream vendor!
Tomorrow we will be at sea and Friday the Shetland Islands of Scotland. I'm looking forward to seeing the Shetland ponies!

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Oslo, Norway - September 9, 2014

After a relaxing (but bumpy) day at sea, we arrived in Oslo to heavy rain. Since we had a tour planned for later in the morning we donned our raincoats and umbrellas and wandered out of the port area into the town in search of WiFi.

Oslo covers 175 square miles within its city limits and ranks as one of the world's largest capitals. However, with a population of 600,000, it is the least densely populated capital city in Europe. Norway was once part of Denmark and later part of Sweden, and many of Oslo's buildings -- including the Royal Palace and House of Parliament -- stem from Swedish rule. The country became independent in 1905. Later, Norway was occupied by German forces for five years during World War II (the Nazi history is something Norwegians are now willing to talk about, which may be of particular interest to World War II buffs). Traveling there, you'll notice the high standard of living (and that things aren't exactly cheap). It's so expensive, in fact, that many Norwegians go to Sweden to shop. Still, Norway is one of the richest countries in the world, thanks in no small part to its North Sea offshore oil.

Oslo residents are big on nature and proud of their pristine forests and fjord. Our tour was to Vigeland, Holmenkollen and the Open Air Museum. Our first stop was at the Open Air Museum. Very interesting 13th Cenury Gol Stave Church and other buildings show the culture and history of Norway's many regions anc cities. We were glad that the rain had stopped and the sun started to peek through the clouds.

Next on our tour was the Holmenkollen Ski Jumb, the site of the 1952 Olympic ski-jumping competition an the 2011 World Championship.

 

Our last stop, and my favorite was the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Once considered contriversial, the 80 acre park is now one of Oslo's favorite attractions. The stone, iron and bronze sculptures of Gustav Vigeland depict a complete human life cycle from birth to death. He began is work in 1921, and worked until his death in 1943 at the age of 75. . There are more than 200 granite, bronze and iron sculptures, representing 600 figures exhibiting an array of human emotions.

 

 

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