Edinburgh 17 August 2015

Arriving at Rosyth (Cruise Terminal for Edinburgh)...it did not blow 145 knots of wind at all....

At most a couple of times a year, Edinburgh enjoys cloudless skies and warm temperatures – and upon arrival of Prinsendam in Rosyth (Edinburgh’s cruise ship terminal) we were treated to just one of those rarities. The ship’s navigation screen told us otherwise, showing an apparent wind of 145 knots….one of these days, where one is happy that technology is not always telling the truth.

 

It is the last port of call of this journey, the last opportunity to enjoy an exploratory stroll through sunny Edinburgh and the one opportunity to attend the grand Edinburgh Military Tattoo tonight.

I had no fixed plans, except to organize my post Tattoo return journey to the ship, which was scheduled to cast off at 1 a.m.  and the Tattoo closes at 10:30 p.m. As I did not partake in a ship’s excursion (which are guaranteed to return ‘in time’ and if not, the ship waits) I had to make sure, that my walk/train/taxi return combination would get me aboard in time.

A bit of Edinburgh Skyline

Topping the TattooVisitor Stands - a line up of international flags...

Armed with train schedule, and testing the time to walk from the event back to Waverley Train Station, I arrived at ‘the venue’, which is Edinburgh Castle’s Esplanade – now converted into a giant stadium, with seating for 8000 spectators – and staging for 1400 performers.

A small part of Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Of course, being early morning, there is yet no trace of Tattoo. As I was at the gate of Edinburgh Castle, I might just as well visit the interior. Even this early the line-up for entry tickets was quite long, but the Scots are used to hordes of visitors, and it only took minutes to gain entry.

Resident Military Divisions

 

"Grey Lady' ridden by Major Sir Eric Bonham (Bt CVO)

That about wraps it up in a few short words....

Waterloo....a carnage for all,  the British and the French - and their horses

I can see how so many 'damsel' were in 'distress' whenever they encountered one of these handsome mounted officers....

The Castle is still used for military purposes. A quick glimpse into one of their 'guard rooms' showed the Castle being on Third Stage Alert...probably due to the influx of Tattoo spectators in addition to the usual summer tourists...

Behind these walls, and a lot of Chubb's Vaults rest the Scottish Crown Jewels

And here rests GYP, a soldier's dog....

Edinburgh - St Magnus Cathedral Spire

St Margaret's Chapel,
the oldest building in Edinburgh Castle, built by King David I (1124-53) and dedicated to his mother, who died here in 1093. She was created a Saint in 1251. The building to the left houses a Scotch Whisky Store - Cheers to St Margaret's!!

 

No guided tour – wonderful – that meant I could just wander around, without audio guide, not following the prescribed sequence of attractions, take it easy, people watch, look at the famous Crown Jewels, see mementos of Mary Queen of Scots, visit the room where she gave birth to her only son James, look at ‘The Great Hall’ adorned in carved wood and hung with ancient weapons of war, read the inscriptions on the grave stones of the soldier’s dogs cemetery, listen to the One O’Clock Gun, sip a coffee sitting near the ramparts overlooking the City, and peeking into the oldest stone building in the Castle grounds, St Margaret’s Chapel.

Fireplace in The Great Hall

Scottish Roulette

 

Still going off right on time to this day...

For the hard of hearing, or the one's who did not know how to adjust for sound delay, a black ball to indicate 1 p.m. was raised as well

I did not catch the puff of smoke - but it was 1 p.m. nevertheless...

 

I had never visited ‘old’ Edinburgh. After leaving the Castle I wandered down to Victoria Street, which seems like a canyon edged by an arrangement of buildings, which appear to be constructed on two levels of ground – the old street, and the previously underground new street. The sidewalks of the ‘old’ street are now terraces replete with pubs, bistros and restaurants. On a sunny day like today, the open air seating was replete with diners.

Victoria Street at the top.....

....and from the bottom

Grassmarket

Grassmarket, just below Victoria Street was no different. As The Fringe Festival was also in full swing, buskers entertained patrons of the many pubs here as well. One had to wait at ‘the fringes’ of the patios to garner an outside seat in any of the pubs. Not a bad way to spend a pleasant afternoon, enjoying warm sun and warm English draft beer (for the Brits and Scots ‘warm’ is the correct temperature for beer).

Greyfriar's Cemetry and adjoining houses

The 'Recoleta' of Edinburgh

Following Grassmarket and Candlemaker Row (I love those descriptive old names) one reaches Greyfriars Monastry with its Chapel (now also used as a concert venue), its graveyard (looks like the Recoleta of Edinburgh) and its Greyfriars Bobby Inn.

Greyfriar Bobby is a very famous and revered personage of the Canine kind. He died 14 January 1872 at the age of sixteen years, the last few of which he spent sitting by his owner’s grave every day after he followed his funeral cortege, mourning the death of his beloved master.

Greyfriar Bobby's Plaque

Recoleta in Buenos Aires has Eva Peron, Greyfriars in Edinburgh has Bobby....

Greyfriar Bobby’s bronze statue features on many picture post cards; it has a shiny nose from so much rubbing for ‘good luck’. He also has a large marble memorial at the entry of the graveyard….however, I could not find the grave of his owner. Shows that these guys got their priorities right….

And he still receives more homage in modern times....

The Royal Mile (connecting avenue between Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle) was closed to vehicle traffic due to the Fringe Festival and thousands of locals and visitors alike strolled among the buskers, craft stalls, open air pubs, ice cream vendors, and shops – all soaking in this incredibly warm day.

St Magnus Facade

St Magnus Interior

A Stretch on the Golden Mile

I paid a short visit again to St Magnus Cathedral, location also of Thistle Chapel (where the Order of the Thistle is awarded by the Queen). The Chapel was closed, however, the cathedral offered a cool, serene and quiet resting place before heading towards the Scotch Whisky Experience’s Amber Room. That is, where my Tattoo Experience would start with a genuine Scottish dinner followed by a wee Scottish Dram….

See you at the Tattoo.....

Thorshaven, Faroe Islands, 15 August 2015

Faroe Island Flag

 

Almost equally far away from Iceland, Norway, London and Denmark, the Faroe Islands are a small archipelago situated in the North Atlantic in the heart of the Gulf Stream– that lovely warm ocean current originating in the Caribbean and keeping northern Europe and Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic inhabitable all year round despite their proximity at 62 degrees north to the North Pole. There are 18 Islands, many connected by undersea tunnels. The whole archipelago is no more than 1400 square kilometers (545 square miles), and no matter where on the Faroe Islands, one is never more than 5 km away from the sea.

Equally distant from nearest land...Internet Photo

Irish monks and hermits may have looked for peace and quiet here during the 7^th century.  About 100 years later, Vikings arrived establishing their own parliament and local courts and using the Faroes as a central base for their ‘international dealings’. Christianity arrived in earnest around 1000 A.D.

Today 48,000 people call the Islands home. They speak Old Norse, but understand other Scandinavian languages and English as well.  They are proud of their status of being a self-governing region of the Kingdom of Denmark. Their main industry is fishing, followed by tourism (not intrusive yet) and production of designer knit wear (gorgeous).

The old 'Folkboat' design? Inspiration for Sailboat design for Contessa 26?

I looked at their public transportation system, and for a little place with ‘Island Challenges’ they are doing an outstanding job – Gulf Islands in BC take note. There are good roads, undersea tunnels all over, buses, ferries, much of it free of charge and running often and on time.  Island hopping on the Faroes  seems a breeze. A small airport, and regular ferry services keeps the Islands in commuting distance from Europe.

Torshavn waterfront

We anchored off their ‘capital’ Torshavn, meaning Thor’s Haven (Thor being the most important Nordic God).  The harbour was protected enough to make tendering to the town’s pier smooth and quick.

Ferry Terminal

The heart of Torshavn is what is left of the Viking settlement (also seat of Viking Parliament), a collection of grass roofed houses, called ‘Tinganes’, lining helter skelter roughly cobbled crooked lanes.

Viking Storage Shed?

Viking Condos?

TV Antenna on grass roof...

Whimsical house number

 

Cheek to cheek with the traditional townscape, a few hotels, lots of restaurants, schools, shops, residential areas, cultural edifices bring a definite modern character to little Torshavn.

Viking version of picket fence...

Tinganes part of town

Torshavn Cathedral Tower

Just a quick look around town – and the obligatory information office – gave me an inkling why this little piece of heaven is called the world’s most appealing destination. If one would want to create the ideal little piece of terra firma, combining natural beauty, abundant animal and bird life, culture, tradition dance and music, great food, tasteful fashions, charming towns and villages where time stands still, a whole slew of attractive architecture, welcoming inhabitants, fun and challenging activities and a host of festivals…..I think the Faroe Islands would be tops in all of these aspects.

Tinganes Alley

The Prime Minister is out...

The Prime Minister's Office door on the left...

Having only one day (and a sunny one at that) to barely touch what Torshaven and the tip of the main island have to offer, I opted for quality instead of quantity of ‘attractions’. I wandered through the Viking back streets, where the Prime Minister of the Faroes has his office. I climbed a small hill, where Torshavn’s light house stands amid weathered stone walls of an old fort.

Torshavn Fort with gun pointing at Prinsendam...

 

Stone house in the Fort

 

And then I headed ‘out’. Officially a hike across the picturesque hills to a quaint little sea side settlement called Kirkjubour, would only take two hours – one way . Hiking instructions read:  if you start from the cross at Landavegur and Velbastadvegur in Havnadalur, you find a bridge going over Sanda, and from there it is easy to find the path and the first cairn. The pass skirts Reynsmulalag, and is marked with many cairns that can be seen in the terrain. You will have the most beautiful views of the islands to the west, and above Kirkjubour you will find a veritable lunar landscape with idyllic lakes ....

Hmmm…marked only by cairns, without any signage….maybe another day, when I don’t have to be back on a ship late afternoon.

Mainstreet in Kirkjubour

But driving by….one really WANTS to be out there wandering through these beautiful hills enjoying marvellous vistas….

Almost, but not quite washed away by the sea

Story of Kirkjubour

I covered the seven km by taxi. Kirkjubour is REALLY small, really OLD, and absolutely irresistibly charming. Almost every house is grass roofed, there is a dead end lane which is the ‘main’ thoroughfare, ruins of St Magnus Cathedral (the size of a chapel) dating from the 13^th century.  A smaller church was built in the middle ages, still there, but the churchyard has succumbed to the ever encroaching sea, and the little church stands right at the edge of the sea now.

Ruins of St Magnus Cathedral...Internet Photo

The Roykstovan, a large grass roofed farm house, is built on the stone basement of the former bishop’s ‘palace’, and has been the home of Faroe Farmers since centuries. 17 generations of the same family have lived there, and the present one still does. The split log timber of the walls is said to have drifted over from Norway about 700 years ago.

Oldest Log House on Faroe Island, if not Europe

I did not want to leave…. bucolic scenery, peace, silence, aroma of sea weed, flowers bending to the breeze, a horse and sheep grazing behind a stone fence, a hairy calf resting on the path, no one around, an inviting trail leading to steep headlands, a few houses basking in the afternoon sun…just warmth, glorious views, and a serene and peaceful jewel of a village….happiness.

Peaceful surroundings

Kirkjubour Pet

Kirkjubour Garage

Kirkjubour Picture Window

The Faroes, a place undiscovered….still pristine….a remainder and reminder of a bygone age, with a modern twist.

And into the bilge to coax the engine into life....

Back to the ship via tender.  My tender had ‘slight technical difficulties’ with one of her diesel engines dying out halfway to the ship. A few deft interventions by ship’s engineers (off duty and out of uniform) got the god little boat running again, and we sidled up to Prinsendam to climb back aboard.

Adios Faroe Islands...

 

The last good bye as seen from my cabin window (salt encrusted) was a wooden sailboat, leisurely drifting on a calm sea under a late setting sun...lovely.

Faroe Island Scene - Internet Photo

www.faroeisland.com

For anyone, who wants to experience a virtual visit….

 

Post Scriptum:

There is a less 'beautiful' aspect regarding the Faroe Island, it would be unfair not to mention it:

The Faroe Islanders hunt pilot whales for food. The slaughter of these animals is a contentious issue between the Islanders and conservation and animal rights activists. Information on this can be googled under 'Faroe Island Whale Wars'. It is quite similar to Canada's controversial seal hunt. Below a link to a Guardian article, about a stand off between Islanders and Sea Shepherd, Anti Whaling Ship.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/25/sea-shepherd-anti-whaling-ship-bob-barker-refused-entry-to-faroe-islands