TRAVEL.EXPERIENCE.LIVE.LOVE.

So The Faroe islands, seem to be a dream catch for any avid traveller.

Its mystical beauty manages to resonate through its peoples accounts of the island.

All reviews from backpackers and other families are positive.

The only thing people criticize are the whale and porpoise hunts.

It is very difficult to hate a country like the Faroe Islands.

They say when u you visit the place in order to feel its soul u need to meet the locals, the people of the place. Trust me the Faroe islands are one place where befriending a local would do you well.

If you’re the young musically curious types, then the locals would be able to give the best advice on where to visit, what to see and what killer parties to be at.

If you’ve come with your family then they could show the heritage and the basic culture and beauty of the country.

Another beautiful thing about these islands is that it has the ability to cater to anyone.

Anybody visiting The Faroe Islands would find something to connect with somewhere.

In my opinion we should take back a little something from their lifestyle.

They are so mellow, so happy, so kind and honest and they are all eager to show you the country through their eyes.

So walk into The Faroe Islands with no preconceived notions and I guarantee you will have an incredible life altering experience.

NOTE FOR BACKPACKERS...

So if youre a student and dying to travel, then u should definitely make the faroe islands ur first stop!

They cater to tourism and the youth beautifully,with youth hostels placed everywhere.

They are spread across the islands. The size of the faroe islands makes the placing of the hostels apt as everything is within walking reach.

Accomodation is usually two to six rooms in limited size which are supposedly pretty decent.

They are youth hostels after all...one cant expect 5 star treatment and thats the beauty of it.

There are a few dormitory accommodations,with the exception of Bládýpi which has two dorms and two apartments.The problem with these youth hostels however is that they don’t have a regular reception with regular opening and closing hours so contacting them online before arriving there is incredibly important.The prices vary,youth hostels are known for they cheap prices.They offer discounts etc.

Two of the most popular hostels are Bládýpi and Skansin,they can be reached by their online websites.

So step into backpackers paradise and envelop yourself in the beauty of basics and the magic of music.

WHEN IN ROME....

They say “when in Rome do as the Romans do” .This is a native Faroese pointers on what to say and what not to in the faroe islands. This is because they are sick of being looked down upon for their way of living and believe that if you have nothing nice to sya then don’t say it all principle and it works for them...which is why they are so happy and so connected!

A. Never ever call the faroe islands denmark.

-this is because 1. The faroese do not identify with the danes.

2.the faroese look at denmark as a separate nation

3.danes are looked at as foreign nationals.

B. danish and faroes people do not unerstand each other. The danes see the faroese as culturally backward and feel bad for their way of living.

C. the faroese are very proud of their national heritage. They regard the grindadrap as a very important part of their culture,it is best to avoid strongly cristicizing them,

D. the faroese are known to be helpful and hospitable and they expect you to be the same,

E. If you go and visit the old part of tórshavn around tinganes - don´t bother the people who live there (like peering in through people's windows or ask if you can use the toilet) - the old wooden houses are not a tourist display, and their inhabitants are getting very tired of visitors who fail to understand this and act like they are aliens from another planet.They

understand this lifestyle seems different to you,but gawking is not neccessary to experience it.

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Explore The Mystical Minds of the Faroese Musicians

So I will devote this post to recognising brilliant Faroese musicians who should be billboard hits by now.

The Faroese, my new favourite race of people, are also trying to spread the word about the wonderful talented musicians and that is why they have a wonderful website dedicated to this task.

The website provides an entire list of Faroese musicians, which I must say for a population of about 50,000, is a lot.

You can check it out here

http://musicfromthefaroeislands.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88&Itemid=73

The genres of music are varied, from brass bands, to blues to blends of Faroese folk music and much more.

So many artists signed to six labels and producers.

I wasn’t joking when I said music is very important to the Faroese.

There are of course a few super hit musicians that dominate the Faroese scene....

Budam would be one of them - a singer, songwriter, theatre composer and actor.

His music is as different as his name. The genre he is famous for playing apart from others is "theatrical indie pop".

His performances are compared to those of Jim Morrison, laden with theatrics and what not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2olNm6JnN4 - here watch :)

Eivør is another big Faroese artist.

She started as a young girl at fifteen, dropping out of school to devote her life to music. It has been eleven years since she’s been in the industry and she continues to be a legend to the Faroese.

The reason she stands out is because she’s an all rounder.

All these Faroese musicians are.

Eivor however is painter, a poet, a story teller.

"All this creative energy combines into a spellbinding and remarkable expression on stage, which has the ability to touch the innermost and unexplored emotions in its audiences."- Music from the Faroe Islands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVimRZ3jScU

The beauty of Faroese musicians is that they manage to inculcate everything they have learnt or experienced in their lives to bring strange sounds and beautiful stories stage.

Since Danish and English are taught predominantly in the Faroese schools, they are well versed in English and have a variety of English and Faroese songs.

Do check out

http://musicfromthefaroeislands.com/

for details on the festivals and the music J

the flip side.

The Faroese follow this tradition of pilot whale hunting.

It involves all the inhabitants of the 17 islands (1 island is uninhabited).

This tradition dates back to the time of the Norse settlers and it because it so culturally significant to the Faroese cultures not much has been done to stop it.

This process of pilot whale hunting is non commercial and is organised at community level.

Around 950 long finned pilot whales are killed annually.

The killing is regulated by Faroese authorities but not by the international whaling commission who has its disagreements with this process.

The hunts, called "grindadráp" in Faroese

A majority of animal rights groups criticize the hunt, calling it cruel and unnecessary.

In 2008 the chief medical officer of the islands stated that pilot whales were no longer fit for consumption due to the high toxins in their flesh.

So how do they hunt these massive whales and it’s not just one that they kill, the entire community gathers together, the men that is, to kill these whales.

So what is the process?

1. The first sighting of the school, calls for a lit bonfire to warn neighbouring islands and messenger who is sent to inform the other Faroese.This system dates back to the Norse settlers. Now of course information is spread through cell phones etc.

2. In order to drive this school of whales towards the shore the men with their boats gather behind the whales and slowly drive them to shore, which is usually a bay or a fjord.

3. The whales then beach themselves and the ones who are still alive are stabbed in the blubber with a sharp hook called a gaff. Allegations of animal cruelty have now forced the Faroese to use a blunt gaff, which they use to pull the whale ashore by their blowhole. Ouch!

Although the Faroese have legal permission to practice this tradition it is heavily looked down upon.

Greenpeace and the whale and dolphin conservation society are active in trying to ban this activity.

Because of the gutting of the whale the sea near the shore turns a bright red from the blood that spews out of the cut arteries of the whales.

Faroese terrain doesn’t allow for a wide growth of vegetables etc so it during the winters the Faroese used to resort killing these whales and dolphins as a way of survival, thus being an important source of nutrition for them.

500 tons of the whale meat is distributed equally to Faroese households, the meat is not sold in supermarkets as it is not a commercial activity.

The whale meat and blubber is then stored and prepared.

(the black meat is the whale meat,the blubber is the stuff in the middle,served with dry fish and potatoes)

Whale meat and blubber are a Faroese delicacy and is prepared in a variety of ways.

If u feel like trying do note that these whales are now considered toxic as they consume a lot of toxic material in the sea.

The "grindadráp" is an important motif in Faroese art and literature.

"The grindadráp paintings by Sámal Joensen-Mikines rank internationally as some of his most important. They are part of a permanent exhibition in the Faroese art museum in the capital Tórshavn. The Danish governor of the Faroe Islands Christian Pløyen wrote the famous Pilot Whaling song, a Faroese ballad written in Danish entitled "A New Song about the Pilot Whale Hunt on the Faroes". It was written during his term of office (1830–1847) and was printed in Copenhagen in 1835.The Danish chorus line is Raske drenge, grind at dræbe det er vor lyst. In English: Tough boys, to slay the grind that's our desire. These old verses are rarely sung by the Faroese today."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXZPmdULIKs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpKxs819Pc0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_AV5HnMF7o

- do watch the videos to get a visual idea of what i am talking about. :)

Ólavsøka (St Olaf's Day )

St Olaf's day or Ólavsøka (meaning Saint Olaf's wake) is festival celebrated on the day when the Faroes parliament opens its session, the 29^th of July. This is called Løgting.

Several Faroese holidays follow a tradition of a vøka which is an opening ceremo

ny held the night before.

On this day, the Faroese gather in the capital of Tórshavn to watch or participate in the national rowing competitions and enjoy art exhibitions, music and the “chain-dance” performance.

Festivities begin days before the event, with a musical concert on the 27^th of July. This concert usually goes on till the wee hours of the morning.The festivities then start with an early morning procession with the important people of the island followed by horses and a band.

Every procession needs a brass band.

Do you see what I mean by music being everywhere on this island?

Then on the 29^th of July the parliament opens again after the summer holiday and the festivities begin again like 'ye old times' there is singing and music, the whole city celebrates.

2009 was the 100^th anniversary of the municipality of Torshavn ,and in celebration a famous Faroese composer Sunnleif Rasmussen composed and directed the olavsoka cantata that depicted the history of Faroese music till now. There was a ch

oir of about 160 people from all over the country.

Here is a link of the “chain-dance”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cARjYCI-XME&feature=related

It’s beautiful to see so much love and happiness in one place.

People united and happy, living happy lives.

But everything has a flip side....

All you need is love

(g!festival in the village of Gøta )The Faroe Islands preach values of peace, happiness and universal love.And it is their music that helps them preach these values.

Music has always been a way to bridge the gap between cultures.Like I mentioned before it is a universal language that transgresses all boundaries.

The Faroese are on to this and that is why they give music so much importance.

A Faroese will find any excuse to sing and dance and that is why

There are a variety of music festivals that happen all across the islands.

The music ranges from international artists to Faroese musicians and trance.

During the summer the ultimate festival to be at is the Summartónar.

This classic and modern music festival that held in churches, museums and other public venues across the islands.

They also offer free live shows.

Another festival held here, which was actually one of the first music festivals to ever be held in the islands is the G!

They sold a 1000 tickets and the number has been increasing ever since.

The Faroese have a tradition of unaccompanied singing with a chain dance that dates back to the middle ages.

It is still prominent in their lives today.

These "chain -dance" ballads are rhythmic tales that originate from heroes and legends.

The best time to catch these performances is during the St Olav's Day celebrations at the end of July in Tórshavn.

If you are someone who loves exploring new music then The Faroe Islands would be light at the end of the tunnel,

A beautiful landscape coupled with beautiful music.

Go back in time to a place filled the positivity of people connecting on the pure love for music.

The Faroese culture just continues to fascinate me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE-SwehwyXk

An Island of Time Travel, A new discovery of happiness

Step into a magical world of Norse fairytales.

In case you’re wondering what Norse fairytales are ill give you an example- trolls, ogres, golem well they all originated from Norse fairytales and like the Faroese language are of Germanic descent.

The Faroe Islands bring to you turf roofs, log houses and a language of Viking descent coupled with a population who delight in dressing up in traditional wear and singing Norse ballads.

The Faroe islands are a place that radiates a kind of beauty that no other place resonates.

It appeals to the youth and their laid back attitude and their preservation of culture have given them a life of magic and a different kind of freedom.

According to the national geographic traveller the Faroe Islands are one of the most unspoilt islands of the world.

The ponies like their magical descendants are the purest and oldest equine breed on planet earth with no influences of outside blood.

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone reported seeing a unicorn amongst its lush valleys.

Feel like enacting the lord of the rings? Well then the Faroe Islands are the perfect place.

The people are reportedly so at peace with their lives here that there have been only about 3 reported murders in the past two years.

THE FAROE ISLANDS

Enter a mystical world where time stand still and reality seems like a million miles away. Walk into the world of the Faroese.

The universal religion of peace and love resonates off the shores of the Faroe Islands.

The people are happy and music is everywhere.

With a small population of around 46-50, 000, tourism is encouraged with open arms as they welcome music lovers from all over the world and anyone else looking for an escape into a different world.

The Faroese are ancient Viking settlers called the Norse-gaels from the 9^th century,who built little villages along the coastline.they made a life out of fishing and animal rearing.

It wasn’t until the 14^th century that they came under Denmark politically.

hey are still a part of Danish territory but they are largely self governed.Denmark only handles justice, defense and foreign affairs.

They predominantly speak Faroese,which is a Germanic language descended from old norse.

Yes enter a country surrounded by mystical folklore and norse legends.

Welcome to the Faroe Islands a place that seems like the ultimate fairytale.

a little sneak peak of what to look out for...:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k8WD1gx8mg