As part of the promotion of Atlantic Airways and the Faroe Islands in France, Travelguys went with influential media colleagues to the Faroe Islands, at the invitation of the Faroe Islands airline, Atlantic Airways and GroupExpression.
A series of articles dedicated to Atlantic Airways has been published on Travelguys, you can find the program in the following table:
But it is important to know that Atlantic Airways is just an excellent ambassador for a multi-faceted archipelago, the Faroe Islands. Travelguys spent, with its colleagues The Travelers Club and Air Plus News, an amazing weekend of discovery around the island. This is the purpose of the series that we invite you to discover now:
| Review# | Type | Post |
| 1 | Diary | Day 1, Klaksvik, Vilareidi and Torshavn – Draw me a sheep |
| 2 | Diary | Day 2, Kvivik – Amazing island hospitality |
| 3 | Diary | Day 3, Vagar – Return to the end of the world |
For this first travel diary, let’s start at our arrival in Torshavn. Demonstrating the incredible hospitality of the people of Friesland, our group was taken to the newly renovated Hilton Garden Inn in Torshavn, where we were invited to dinner after our flight from Paris.
The table is set for our colleagues and myself. We will have the honor to be in the company of the Atlantic Airways communication representative, who will have been of great help to better understand Atlantic Airways and its ambitions…
Needless to say, the meal will be of excellent quality. To start the stay well, we will be received with champagne. The menu will consist of local salmon, a piece of beef to die for, and meringue ice cream, all of which are as excellent as the stay it portends.
We settle down after these agapes in the hotel Foroyar, the other four stars of the city. With the recovery of tourism, many properties are fully booked. It must be said that we let ourselves be fooled by the time zone difference with Paris (the Faroe Islands are aligned with London time, so we are one hour behind Paris) and by the luminosity: during our stay close to the summer solstice, the sun only crossed the horizon at 11:30 pm, with the residual luminosity giving to what is supposed to be the night a taste of imperfection…
The next day, breakfast in a hurry with a quite Nordic print. Here, there is no control of the room number, because everyone is entitled to breakfast. It must be said that there are not many other alternatives to eat around…
The sun is appearing a little on Torshavn at the beginning of the day…
We will start the day with one of the highlights of this trip: a ride on an Atlantic Airways helicopter between Torshavn and Klaksvik. We have of course made a dedicated report about it!
Upon arrival in Klaksvik, we head to the city center for the first stop of the day: the Foroya Bjor brewery.
A visit to this brewery is a must when you know the tumultuous relationship of the Nordic countries with alcohol. Indeed, this business started in 1888 and still operated by the descendants of the founder has developed around its core business, beer, but now produces hard liquor and sodas. Having gone through many stages such as successive bans and relaxations of the sale and consumption of alcohol in the archipelago, the business has become a symbol of Faroese culture.
It should be noted that above 5% alcohol, as in most Nordic countries, it is impossible to sell alcohol in outlets other than those of a state-controlled chain.
To start well the visit, we are received to a shot of local liquor… NB : Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume with moderation…
The local beer apparently has nothing to envy to those of the undisputed Belgian master.
Very proud, the family wants us to discover their installations, which are scattered with suggestive quotes.
But after a few glasses of tasting, it was necessary to be solid to not risk to lose the north… This is fixed with the delivery of some delicacies by a local restaurant. Special mention for the fermented dried meat.
After lunch, we go to the end of the world. Or rather Vidareidi, northern point of the Faroe Islands. You can only go a little further east, to the island of Hattarvik, inaccessible by car.
The landscapes are once again breathtaking, covered with this vegetative moss characteristic of northern landscapes.
In the Faroe Islands, there are three times more sheep than inhabitants. Moreover, sheep killing is forbidden by law, and any offender is likely to be considered an outcast in this small community. There is no doubt that sheep are an integral part of the cults of the island.
On the way back, we observe from far these salmon farms, main export of the island.
Not easy to navigate in this archipelago composed of multiple islands. Very recent tunnels have been built to connect various points of the island by car. We took one of them, to the surprise of seeing a huge underwater roundabout that would make the one of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris look ridiculous.
In the evening, after a little rest at the hotel, we went to dinner. And what better way to sublimate the local specialty than with some sushi? It is thus in the only sushi restaurant of the Faroe Islands, Etika, that we will eat.
It is a small property all in length.
Almost everything is salmon. Japanese sushi doesn’t include much of it, but that makes sense in a place where salmon is the main diet.
These dishes are exceptional. The fish is fresh, and we find Japanese delicacies such as amaebi (sweet shrimps) or fish eggs. Yummy!
A few more trays are brought in. My greediness obviously betrayed me in a few minutes. Hard to resist in front of so much freshness.
After this excellent dinner, stroll in Torshavn. Modest capital of the island with its few thousand inhabitants, we immediately notice the environmental sobriety in force in the north of Europe with these green roofs that would make Anne Hidalgo swoon…
One does not suspect that it is 23h local by seeing these photographs.
To finish this diary, here is… the Faroe Islands government headquarters. Except for the red frame, everything suggests that these are ordinary houses. While they are home to the Prime Ministry and a few government ministries. The Faroe Islands are autonomous without being 100% autonomous. They are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which dictates foreign policy, defense, and legal tender. The Faroe Islands send two members to the parliament in Copenhagen. But the Faroe Islands are neither part of the EU nor Schengen, and do not have to obey the same trade treaties as Denmark. In short, do not inform the Corsicans of how it works with Denmark, at the risk of creating some jealousy…
It’s time to go back to our homes under the midnight light… Until the next diary!
