July 7: Island Hopping in the Faroes
Well, I’d like to say that my biggest accomplishment for the day was traveling to the little village of Vidareidi in the northeast corner of the Faroe Islands. But to be honest, I’m even happier I could ride my bike off the ship and make it to my destination for the “night” while dealing with an almost crippling stomach bug and a variety of logistical mishaps. I’m so grateful I finally landed on this beautiful group of islands and that I was able to get a good ride in today.
When I thought about my ferry trip to the Faroe Islands, I envisioned relaxing in the lounge and having interesting conversations with people from all over the world. What I didn’t think I would be doing was throwing up in a garbage can in a lobby full of people and accidentally setting off the fire alarm in my room.
Leaving my little cabin by the river for the ferry yesterday morning, I felt a little nauseous but hoped it was a temporary issue. After the boat set out to sea and started rocking, what started out as a nuisance became an almost debilitating illness.
I checked with the reception desk to see if they had any anti-nausea medicine but the only option they had came with a warning not to operate heavy machinery. After throwing up several times in front of the receptionist, I went to my room to take a shower, hoping that the warm water would help. I had just stepped out when one of the ship’s crew banged on my door asking if I was okay. It turns out the steam from the shower set off the alarm in my room.
Giving up on eating or relaxing, I decided to lay down on my bed for the rest of the trip, only to find it almost impossible to sit up or walk. Passengers destined for the Faroe Islands needed to leave their rooms by 2am and then be ready to go on the car deck at 3am. As I was in no condition to carry anything, I was extremely grateful that a few nice young men from the islands offered to help me carry my luggage down to the car deck.
I was looking forward to laying down in bed in my Air BnB, but it turns out there was a communication issue with the host. I had the code to get in but not the key to my room. So, I laid down on a couch until she woke me up at 6:30 in the morning and helped me transfer things to my space.
Waking up for the third time of the day at 8:30, I was relieved to find that my stomach had mostly settled down and I felt ready to ride. My destination was the little village of Vidareidi, a picturesque little enclave located in the far northeastern section of this grouping of 18 islands.
The highlight of the ride for me today was using the roundabout under the ocean to navigate to the eastern side of Eysturoy Island. I love tunnels underwater and this one was exceptional – it was lit up with red, green, and blue lights, well paved, and roomy with lanes for cars going in both directions.
The most challenging aspect of the journey was making it through two older, one-lane mountain tunnels that were completely unlit and unevenly paved with a hump in the middle of the road covered with a variety of slick spots and edges that tapered off to loose gravel with no shoulder on both sides. The inside of the tunnel was so damp that I couldn’t see unless I had my face shield completely up and my goggles separated from my face.
Although it was windy, rainy, and foggy it was easy to appreciate the beauty of sheer rock cliffs covered in green, a myriad of waterfalls cascading down the moss-covered volcanic rocks, the vast expanse of ocean reaching out as far as the eye could see, the sheep grazing by the road, and the little villages nestled in the fjords. I stopped near the church in Vidareidi to gaze out at the ocean, admire the cliffs jutting out to sea, and breathe in the fresh ocean air. I’m hopeful that sometime soon I will be seeing bright blue skies and sun. While I wait for that time, I am enjoying a hot cup of tropical tea.
