Early in the morning the MS Fram passed the most southerly islands of the Faroes. A lot of passengers were on the outer decks or viewing the islands out of observations lounge. The sea was calm and the visibility was good. The MS Fram docked at the piet in Torshavn, the main city of the Faroes at 11 a.m..
Gaelic monks from Irland settled the Faroes in the 6th century. According to the Færyinga Saga norwegian vikings settled on the Faroes in the 9th century and they are still there! Very friendly inhabitants. Today the Faroe Islands with a population of about 50.000 people are a self-governing over seas adiministrative division of Denmark with a strong impetus towards independence.
Torshavn is by far the largest town in the Faroe Islands and it is also the capital. The cute and smal houses of the old town is a cosy place where people want to live. Close to the harbour is the Løgtingid, the Faroese parliament. The Nordic House on the top of the city was visited of some of us. It is the most important cultural institution in the Faroes.
Some of the guests visited the smal village of Kirkjubour a former episcopal residence for the Diocese of the Faroe Islands and as such the spiritual centre of the society until reformation. Others were on the western island of Vagar on a round trip and many of our guests took a boat trip to the magnificent Vestmanna bird cliffs.
Bye bye Faroe Islands, my home for nearly 30 years.
