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Day 8 found us in the Faroe Islands. The destination guide described the Faroe Islands as: “a remote and little known fragment of Europe, an archipelago of 18 hilly islands, and a self-governing region of Denmark. Towns and villages cluster along the shores of fjords, and brightly painted houses in a rainbow of colors stand out against the deep green of fields and hillsides."

And that’s exactly what we found. The first impression was a soft landscape punctuated by harsh rock protrusions. It really was fascinating to see.

We took a bus from the capital city of Tórshavn and went across the island to Vestmanna to take a boat to see the Vestmanna Cliffs and nesting Puffins.

The drive over was fascinating with steep rises, driving in and out of clouds as we crossed over, and stunning landscapes emerging. The houses are often painted in bright colors providing a really interesting panorama. I was most intrigued by the sod roofs. It’s reported that the thermal insulation of the sod roofs surpasses most modern building materials. I’m not sure if that’s true, but it’s a very interesting look. The guide said some people are now mowing the grass on the roof but she preferred them left more “natural.”

When we arrived at the cliffs, we weren’t disappointed. The sheer size of the cliffs, rising about 2,000 feet was really captivating from the ocean. The captain of the boat was able to back into several of the grottos to let us see the formations up close. It was a big challenge to maneuver the boat with the North Atlantic swells hitting us nonstop.

The photos from the boat don’t do justice to the cliffs. It was really hard to establish scale when we were so small against those huge backdrops. Even though the cliffs we quite steep, there were sheep clamoring up and down the slopes. If you zoom in on some of the photos you’ll be able to see them .

We had dinner at the French Chef’s Table with 6 other couples. The food was out of this world and the company was a lot of fun. There are just a "few" photos below.

Tomorrow is a sea day where we can hopefully catch up on our sleep. As we continue north, the days get longer. Tonight, sunset should be about midnight and the sun starts rising before 4AM. It’s odd going to bed with the sun still up in the sky.

This photo is of the jail. The guide was so proud of it because it has a putt-putt golf course for the inmates (maximum of 16). Zoom in to the right of the houses and you'll see it.