Faroes.6

Today I visited the island of Sandoy, walking two thirds of the way across it from Dalur to the main village of Sandur. However, the highlight of the day was my journey to Dalur. There were just four of us on the minibus from the ferry: the driver, a guy I later knew as P-J, and a teenage lad. He soon got off and P-J started chatting to me, asking what my plans were. Before I knew it, he'd offered to drive me 11km to Dalur from his house in Skálavík - since I hadn't booked the bus for the final leg of the journey. When we arrived, he invited me and the bus driver in for coffee. I met P-J's English wife and adult daughter, and we all spent about 30 minutes chatting around the table in their beautiful new house. I learned a lot that you don't read in guide books, and P-J (who, with his wife, was one of the founders of the Faroes' symphony orchestra in 1983) showed me excerpts from a hugely successful concert he had arranged that mixed the orchestra, its choir and Týr, one of the Islands' two most successful folk metal bands. The occasion also gave me a great opportunity to ask all the questions I'd had in my mind about things I'd seen and perceived about life on these islands.

P-J drove me up to the start of the trail - into the mist - over the hill from Dalur to Skarvanes (pop 13) where he used to live and members of Týr grew up! I duly completed the walk, and after I dropped down out of the cloud, I took this photo through the doorway of a ruined hut before walking into Skarvanes. From there I was on the road all the way to Sandur, but the views out over the sea to the island of Skúvoy unfolded beautifully (see extras). 

In Sandur the café was open, so I refuelled on a hot dog and fresh coffee, before taking the bus back to the ferry at Skopun. On the ferry I chatted with a local lad who was watching the United game on his phone - the data coverage here is way beyond anything I've ever experienced - and then took the bus back to Tórshavn.

I can't stop comparing the Faroe Islands with the north of Scotland, and one subject we chatted about was the fact that "outsiders" don't buy up holiday property in the Faroes. Not only does this stop property prices from exceeding the means of young people, but developers will build affordable properties. In the extras is a photo of a development of simple, small houses in Sandur. They might be "boxes", but they are arranged around a play park, and I couldn't avoid seeing through the big windows that they are internally stylish. Of course, they have turf roofs!

This week may not be typical, but the extremes in cloud cover at any one time have impressed me. It's been common to see very thick cloud in one direction, and clear blue skies in another, making for some dramatic light.