Our tour today is of Eysturoy Island

It looks like a better day today…. No rain, wind, waves, the sun is trying to shine and the temperature is 11C & going to 13….. Whoohoo!

Torshavn means Viking harbour. They have had a baby boom this last year with 767 born….. pretty big considering the population is only 53,ooo.

Oy at end of place names means island. Vik means bay or harbour. All trees that are here have been planted….. thanks to the British. Trees were planted during WW2 to hide military installations. There are several subsea tunnel networks… one with a roundabout… built in 2021… the only one in the world. 2002 was the year the original tunnel were first built. It is 170 meters below sea level. Built by Norway privately. 90% of economy is from fishing making it one of the highest per capital income countries in Europe. A young person can start working in a fish processing plant and make US$10,000in one week. .5 M for 4 months as a fish boat captain but there is an average 50% taxation rate….. starts at 40% up to 60% but then all needs are fully funded.

Eysturoy Island, our destination is at end of the tunnel with the roundabout.

Strict regulations around fishing. It was the main reason they did not join European Union. They did not think the European Union was protective enough toward the fish stocks. Here there are 300+ days of rain year… 70% max renewable energy from wind and tidal. Very moderate temp… max 13.5C to a minimum of just below freezing. Close to 23 hours daylight in summer and the reverse for winter. 80% Lutheran, 20% Baptist. Rhubarb and potatoes only thing that will grow here. Faroe Islands made from volcanic ash dropped from Iceland so in layers that are quite visible. The vertical lines down sides of mountains are waterfalls from all the rain that falls. 882 meters is the highest mountains in Faroes.

Affiliated with Greenland and Denmark. First village we passed by is Funningur. Then Gjogv…..“Gorge” in English …sheep are kept in basement of the homes with the living area above and grass(sod) roofs for insulation. The sheep also provide heat from below. When you need to mow the grass on the roof, just take the sheep up there.

Presently there are 800,000 pilot whales now in Faroe Islands. It is illegal to go searching for whales…. They are only killed if caught in fiord. No harpoons are used now.

Sounds like housing is about same price as Victoria. 40 sq. mtr appt $400,000 US. The Faroe islands are looking to purchase oil (the main source for heating)from Canada since Russian invasion…. Russia used to be trading partner.

The “Witch and Giant” … rocks off coast.

The Danish tried to eliminate/ban the Faroese language. Kind of reminds us all of the attempt to eliminate aboriginal languages all over the world….. incl. Canada.

Only prison was once a military instillation …. Max prison population is 20. It is the only prison in world with sod roof.