Letters from the Faroe Islands
August 30, 2025, 8:30am Local Time
Sørvágur
It looks how I imagined the Faroes would look outside. There is a haze and a cool damp to the air and on all the surfaces around us. On the opposite side of the fjord, cars rumble across the sheep gates Austin and I warn each other about while driving by shouting, "Thingy!" I write while eating a pastry I bought in Klaksvík alongside reheated tea. This is our last full day on these islands. While I am not yet ready to give myself over to the too-instagrammable sentiment of "never leaving!", I do feel a melancholy about having to leave. But it is as I've written before, reflecting on time spent in Vermont with Jackie: Reality is waiting for us.
Yesterday was spent mostly, and mostly, mostly by accident, on the island of Kalsoy. I had intended, armed with my feeble American grasp of public transportation schedules and Google Maps, to visit the Cafe Edge in Mikladalur--more of an attraction than the famed lighthouse in Trøllanes. The first warning that this trip was not going as planned came when the bus driver, Ragnar (Raknar?), asked us why we wanted to go to Mikladalur in the first place. After dropping us off in the town, he told us (at 10am) that the cafe did not open until 1:30 that day, and that he would not be back until sometime after 2. He said that the cafe sometimes didn't open at all, and gave a frank description of the women who ran it and how foolish they could be. Perhaps gauging our reaction to this news, he said he would come back for us at one, for which we heartily thanked him. So, Austin and I walked the scenic rocky beach collecting stones, and I later left Austin in a chair to wander the town itself. There was an old church, a blacksmith, and a trout pond, alongside several informational signs. Also, this is the town with the legend of the Selkie, and where the Mikladalur(en? ese? an?) would warn the main islands of approaching whales. There was also a gorgeous seaside waterfall where, I hope, I got a picture of a rainbow in the stream.
Ragnar also explained the dwindling population of Kalsoy to us, the rise of vacation rentals, and how only some 16-odd families called the island home full-time anymore. He was himself from Kalsoy, but only lived there part-time as needed to help with his mother's farm and to drive the bus occasionally-his wife and children lived on Eysturoy. Also, despite functionally diverting his entire bus schedule and day for us two hapless American tourists, he refused a tip by declaring: I don't accept bribes. He also informed us that he had never seen such nice weather for so long in his entire life, a sentiment we oft heard repeated on this trip. How lucky we were to be there then, to visit when we did. How lucky we are to have seen this place at all. But, reality.
Back on the home islands, a pit stop for coffee and my pastry, and to Tórshavn to search for a flag and a few more gifts. After striking out at three downtown restaurants, Austin was near ready to accept a Burger King trip, but we settled on the OY Brewery I had wanted to visit near the beginning of our trip. A couple great sandwiches, and beers, and who should wander in but the Brit-Poles! They willingly joined us at our table, the gentleman insisting on buying us drinks, and we swapped stories of joy and angst on all topics. We even promised to ring each other should I ever be in London or they stateside. Hollow vacation promises, perhaps, like signing a yearbook or saying goodbye at the end of summer camp, but they felt real, and still do. It also felt like Harris from The Sun Also Rises. Back to Sørvágur for the night.
Soon, a boat to Drangarnir, and the dinner at Ræst. Trepidation for both. I slightly sprained my ankle taking pictures of the sunset last night, after chatting with a member of a Japanese film crew here for three weeks and who not only reinforced Ragnar's opinion of the weather, but also helped me back out of my spot by blocking traffic and was overall a testament to his nation's character. Overall, these interactions have only fueled my desire to see more of this wide world. But, almost more fascinatingly, I find myself already wanting to return here. I will hate to leave, but it will be awesome to have this place in my memories forever.
-JXMC