Walked: 9 km
This day was a sad day. I could not get past the feeling that it was all over!:( The summer, the language course, the people, soon having to say goodbye to my dear Mrs. Fanny, my new friends.. So sad but I tried to make the best of my last day in Tórshavn.
So I went for a walk and walked to the Tórshavn Outdoor Museum (in Hoyvík). It was a nice hike and I had good weather. The interesting thing about the Faroe Islands is that you should never presume anything about the weather: it might be good today and stay that way for a while, but it most probably won't be the same the next day! So, I was lucky to have spent the previous rainy day shopping and having this beautiful, sunny day for some outdoorsy hiking.
The Outdoor Museum had preserved several old buildings and the setting was nice. It was inexpensive as well. There were sheep, hens and ducks running around. It felt very authentic.
After the visit to the outdoor museum you get free entrance to the Faroese Historical Museum (Føroya Forminssavn, check link!)
I spent several hours looking around and learning new things. I also watched some of the videos playing in the video room: old footage from the old days, people celebrating Olavssøka and whale hunting/whaling.
I was amazed in many ways: I know that whales are BIG animals, but I had never thought of how the whale is transported in to the harbor. Once captured the whale is tied up on the outside the ship! And then the small ship slowly makes it way through the bumpy sea and upon arrival in the harbor, there is one big mess when they cut the "big fish" into smaller pieces... It was kind of yucky and very fascinating at the same time!
The museum had rune stones, sacral artefacts, fishing equipment, boats and some examples of Faroese national dresses. I especially enjoyed Eivør Paulsdottir's awesome red dress! All very interesting stuff.
After the hike back I had to force myself to do some packing. It was awful! I knew I'd get in trouble because of the books, the papers and of course my new (second hand) boots! In between the packing I had to get out for a while, so I went for another walk and during my evening walk I could hear Elton John's concert.
Sir Elton John's arrival had stirred up some serious debate because of the fact that he is very openly gay. There had been numerous articles in the papers and people being upset that he was coming to the Faroe Islands: some pleaded to the public to stay home and not attend the concert. I've forgotten to check what the press wrote about it afterwards, it would be interesting to know how it went for Elton John.
After the walk I had to pack the rest of my stuff and get some sleep...
