Days 78-79: Ferry to Iceland via Faroe Islands - Tues & Wed 22-23 July

Well the experiment with weekly blogs didn’t help in the 2014 catch-up, so Wanderoos are going back to a daily log and photos at their leisure…

Days 78-79: Ferry to Iceland via Faroe Islands - Tues & Wed 22-23 July
Long queues, first time seen collection of expedition vehicles, 4WD's, higher-clearance motor homes, bikes, but very few caravans. People roaming to talk to owners of impressive rigs, take photos - lots of interest in Ozzie, map of our travels and compactness. Met French family on their 3rd trip to Iceland, and Dutch family in huge owner-built camper on back of a fire truck on their 2nd tour, who convinced us not to miss the inland road in spite of recent volcanic activity (gasp - what part of the existing ring-road itinerary will we give up???)
 

 

Boarded Norrona 8 floors, capacity 800 vehicles. Had a 3 single berth cabin with porthole, comfortable, hot shower, although TV didn't work (not that we’ve seen any for months….) Sailed into magnificent sunset, wind almost blowing us off our feet. Slept comfortably first night in sight of land.....

 

Boat life interesting with bars, restaurants, outdoor decks (too many smokers), people sun-baking in AM, rugged up in sleeping bags in PM, small fully-netted soccer "field", adults cheering on kids who’ve only just met. Scout type group singing songs and doing activities, outdoor hot tubs in view of snowy mountains, gaming machines. Ate fish tapas, Faroese fish and lobster (“sorry sans lobster”!) at Simmer Dim restaurant (Shetland dialect for "hauntingly beautiful twilight of midsummer"), sadly the ship food was rather dry and tasteless…. 

GirlRob saw whales -spouting, couldn't tell if Humpback or Minke though. BoyRob countered and saw first puffin, floating on waves, then taking off clumsily. Can't wait to see colonies of these comic birds close up nesting. Faroes were shrouded in fog on docking, mist forming tablecloths or hairpieces on mountains as we sailed on. 

Real open Atlantic Ocean swells now, rolling, pitching. GirlRob lost sea legs and stopped blogging, eating, and retired to cabin to sleep off nausea....