Monday 7 April 2014

F for Faroe Islands

We have left the pharaohs behind, and I am just as exited as you for today's destination. My friend Leila Lofti has kindly said yes ( Thank you dear Leila! ) to take us with her to her home country: The Faroe Islands. A guest post today in other words. Leila has been living in Mumbai for the past 6 years with her Swedish husband Mikael and 3 children, all of them adopted from the same orphanage in Malad, Mumbai. They will leave India in June, which will be a sad moment because after so many years here, the love for India has grown solid and strong. When leaving the Faroe Islands, Leila also left behind her clinic for physiotherapy, but she has practiced her skills as a volunteer at orphanages here in India ever since they arrived, and has made a huge difference to so many children. Please welcome Leila, dear reader, and Faroe Islands: Here we come: 


*******************
I am going to share with you some delights from my country the Faroe Islands. In 2008 we moved from a city there with 20.000 inhabitants to Mumbai with over 20 millions. Imagine the contrasts?!

Faroe Islands is located 600 km from Norway, 300 km from Scotland and 430 km from Iceland in the middle of the warm Golf Stream. It consists of 18 Islands, with a population of 49.000, living in a climate so unpredictable, that you get the feeling Vivaldi composed “the four seasons “ in the Faroe Islands. You can experience frost in the morning, sun at lunch break and be blown away in the afternoon by gusts of autumn wind. 

Today The Faroe Islands are self-governed within the Kingdom of Denmark, but not members of EU. We have our own flag, Merkið, and our own parliament, Løgting, name derives from the ancient Viking word, Althing, the national parliament. The official language is Faroese, derives from Old Norse. Most Faroese people speak Danish, as well as most of  the other Nordic languages.

We belong to the northern part of the hemisphere, where you can hear children´s play outside at 11 pm summertime because the sun sets so late and where you in the late winter months in the dark nights are entertained by Aurora Borealis, the northern lights. 
A July morning view from our kitchen window

The capital is Tórshavn, with its 20.000 inhabitants. The main industry is fishing which includes farmed salmon recommended by many food experts as the world’s best salmon because of the Golf streams beneficial effect in the sea. In many of the best restaurants in the world, you will be served sushi with Salmon from the Faroe Islands. 

Natasha, our oldest daughter, making sushi with Faroese salmon
You will find about 70.000 sheep grazing in the Faroese mountainsides, eating the fresh Faroese grass, so far not polluted. It is tradition to wind-cure the food that gives it the special Faroe Islands aroma.
Outside our kitchen window
Faroe Islands, where it´s people have learned to live by the slogan given by the British who occupied the islands during World War 2, The Land of Maybe, because it is the land where you definitely will feel alive, where you surrender and discover what it means when Nature Rules............

Finally I will share with you a favorite song of mine. Enjoy listening to this video by Elin Heinesen who is also singing her late father’s Jens Pauli Heinesen´s song with Prague Philharmonics. Jens Pauli Heinesen is a writer from the Faroe Islands, and by the way, also my father’s double cousin:-)


Bye from Faroe Islands! Leila with her two daughters:-) 
You can get more information about the Faroe Islands here: Visit Faroe Islands

And as for hitting the world news in 2015... Oh yes. Do not miss the Total Solar Eclipse in the Faroe Islands in March! The Faroe Islands and Svalbard (in Norway) are the only two places in the world where you can experience the total solar eclipse. The Faroe Islands are preparing for some major celebration following the eclipse. But hurry if u plan to go - the hotels are filling up...

*********
I hope you enjoyed Leila's Faroe Islands, dear reader? I so did, and would like to thank you again, Leila for sharing your dream destination here.

Tomorrow we are leaving the peaceful nature of the Faroe Islands behind, and setting out for new shores. I can sure promise you a spectacular and kind of glittery scenery when we travel off to G...

*******

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs hereMy theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along? Please stay tuned for a new destination tomorrow. 

54 comments:

  1. I'm loving this travel spree with you :)

    Random Thoughts Naba

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow...this is a new place for me. It's so idyllic...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah! Those curly horned sheep are so cute! I wonder if they get neck strain o.o

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dearest Eli and Leila,
    What a beautiful post with video about the Faroe Islands.
    Leila does have a tremendous big heart for adopting three children from the Mumbai orphanage! Kudos to her.
    It will be tough for all involved to go back to such a harsh and ever changing climate, after living in Mumbai for 6 years.
    Lovely photos and I wish her and the family Godspeed.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Mariette. Thank you so much for your very kind words. I am sure Leila will be so happy to see your heartfelt comment:) Big hugs to you from us both:-)

      Delete
  5. I can't begin to imagine how very strange Mumbai must have seemed to Leila at first. But she seems to have adapted beautifully.
    What a lovely place - Faroe Islands, someday, someday! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks dear Corinne - from the both of us:-) Hugs

      Delete
  6. Sure does look like nature rules here :) Beautiful place featured yet again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy you enjoyed Leila's Faroe Islands, Kajal:-)

      Delete
  7. It would have been really difficult for Leila to adapt to the change in Mumbai in the beginning.
    It's a lovely place indeed, and the main attraction is it's serenity and the northern lights....lovely post

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So happy you liked it:-) Thanks for following:-)

      Delete
  8. Dearest Eli and Leila,
    The film and song about the Faroe Islands were simply breathtaking. I would love to visit there.
    It takes a special kind of couple to make adopting three children from the Mumbai orphanage a family. As a foster parent I know how challenging and wonderful it can be to blend new people into the existing weave and make it work.
    Wow what an adventure you are all on. Safe travel and I thank you for sharing your journey.

    Hugs and love from Australia


    http://ceciliaaclark.blogspot.com.au

    ReplyDelete
  9. I found this fascinating as I had never even heard of the Faroe Islands and was delighted to discover a new exciting place. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  10. Leila, I'd love to visit Faroe Islands someday. Bookmarking it on my vision board :) Thanks Eli for this series. I am getting to know more about different places and from a first hand point of view :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for that introduction to the Faroe islands. I'm enjoying thres travel posts immensely! :)
    The Doglady's Den

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dream being weaved through words and pics...loved the island..

    ReplyDelete
  13. Amazing place, so idyllic this all seems....I didn't know about this group of islands. I can imagine what a contrast it must have been for Leila when she moved to Mumbai! Thanks Eli and Leila for a very informative and wonderful post. The pictures are so good!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Firstly u want to thank you Leila for the wonderful work you did in Mumbai. I know it must be bitter sweet leaving Mumbai! Hugs! Love love Faroe islands....everyday my wish list is increasing! Sigh! Someday! Lovely pics too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Faroe Islands sounds like a wonderful place to live and coming from such a peaceful island your friend must have taken sometime to get adjusted to the chaotic life of Mumbai :) Love how you are covering the lesser known places around the world :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is just the kind of place I would feel at home in. Beautiful rugged countryside and my dogs would love the open space to run around.

    Great idea taking us to different places. I might just do an A to Z of Newport, now that you have inspired me

    ReplyDelete
  17. nice post , thanks for sharing !

    ReplyDelete
  18. Another cute European destination in the lap of nature. Am loving this journey. Also I admire Leila for adopting my country for last 6 years- it must have been very different from hers and doing such good work...Kudos to both of you..

    ReplyDelete
  19. Beautiful take on Faroe Island. it sure seems awesome as you take us to the mantra of simple living..would love to visit. Hi5 to both of you:)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you to introducing me to such a beautiful place!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Eli, Honestly I didnt even know a country existed with that ame! This place seems delightful.. thank you for inviting her ove!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for having Leila tell us all about these lovely islands. I could find them on a map, but other than that I knew nothing about them. Sorry you are losing your friend back to her homeland. At least when you go to visit, you will be enjoying a bit of paradise.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow!! Very enjoyable!!!!

    ~S(t)ri
    Participant|AtoZ Challenge 2014
    Smile, it makes (y)our day!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Lovely post.Kudos to Leila for all her voluntary work and kudos to u for ur labour of love in Mumbai Eli :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. I re-read the entire post cause I thought I missed what was happening here in 2015... like you mentioned in the last post... wow must be great to see the solar eclipse from there! great post

    ReplyDelete
  26. A lovely post and beautiful photos. Hi from the A to Z challenge http://detoutcoeurlimousin.blogspot.fr/2014/04/f-is-for-food-approach-love-and-cooking.html

    ReplyDelete
  27. 20K to 20 Million... what a contrast it must be for Leila and her family. Thanks for giving us a virtual tour the the beautiful Faroe Islands, Leila and love the dresses the 3 of you are wearing. Is it some special dress?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow!! Amazing place and beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing- I had never heard of this place before. Glad that you and ur friend love India!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. That sounds like such an untouched beautiful place. The pictures are lovely. Loved those traditional dresses too.

    Obsessivemom
    Amazing Authors

    A to Z Challenge, 2014/ UBC, April 2014

    ReplyDelete
  30. I am thrilled to read about the Faeroe Islands - I have always wondered about them, they almost seem mythical from here in the UK. The photos look very similar to the Hebrides islands off the west coast of Scotland - more accessible but some of my favourite places. And even more exciting - I will be in Svalbard for the total eclipse next year - I'm getting very excited about it!
    Thank you for such an exciting post!
    Jemima
    #TeamDamyanti
    Blogging from Alpha to Zulu in April

    ReplyDelete
  31. and you left all that and moved to the concrete jumgle of Mumbai!! phew that's quite a huge move. I mean look at that morning view... I could watch it all day long :) marvellous pictures :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Ive always wanted to go to the Faroe Islands- mainly because you can see puffins and im a sucker for those cute birds!

    ReplyDelete
  33. A lovely informative guest post about a place we hear very little about. The move to Mumbai must have been quite a shock. Two more different communities I can not imagine! Love the national dress.

    ReplyDelete
  34. loved all the clicks esp the 2nd 1.. nice write up.. i too am feeling as if im traveling with u everywhere

    ReplyDelete
  35. You are so well travelled! These look beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Stopping by from A to Z Challenge. So excited to read your blog! Such fun.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Visiting from A to Z! Thanks for the informative post...loved all the pictures :)
    ~Katie
    www.thecyborgmom.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Your dream destinations are so beautiful, loved this one too. Amazing pictures and views.


    http://sulekharawat.com/2014/04/07/frantic-story/

    ReplyDelete
  39. This is my kind of dream destination! Quiet, naturally beautiful, and even those pictures make me immediately feel at ease. Great post for F, very original :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. I really want to go to the Faroe Islands - I even did a post on it recently! Gorgeous place :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. We have many Faroese friends but have never visited there. You do a great job of showing the beauty!
    Donna On Palawan @ Quintessential San Diego From A to Z

    ReplyDelete
  42. How fun! What a nice idea. I have never heard of the Faroe Islands before this.

    ReplyDelete
  43. The sunrise photo is just stunning! I first heard about the Faroe Islands in a book about women traveling alone- if not for that book, I never would have even known this gem existed! So funny, how there are all these tiny places in the world that go unnoticed.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Never knew such a place existed and now I'm in love with it just seeing the pics. And such gorgeous pictures... Leila and the kids are looking beautiful, esp in the last one :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. I am going to the Faroe Islands this summer. I can not wait! Great post and very timely for me!

    ReplyDelete

Dear reader, I love comments! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave one:-)