Tuesday, Wednesday. August 16-17.
A hazy start of the day but fortunately she rises again….. The Sun. Now the colourful houses in the harbour look splendid.
I walk to town in search of a bakery. In the harbour quarter and against the slope you see many original, mainly wooden, houses separated by narrow ally’s. The other parts of Torshavn show a modern, clean town with, more than usual, lot’s of pizza, hamburger and steak restaurants. Just outside the centre a brand new Shopping Mall. After some inquiry I find a fresh bakery. The bread is splendid but very expensive. In Euro’s a spelt bread costs 4.75.
After breakfast we decide to refuel on the other side of the harbour. Relatively cheap, 96 eurocents/l.
I walk back along the harbour to take some movie shots. When returning I find Edzard inside the Quarter deck. The fuse of the stern side thruster had blown and has to be replaced. In the cabin I meet two professional adventurers and expedition leaders from London. Attracted by our banners and curious of our destination they tell their own story. And that’s something! They departed Greenland in their 2 person kayak 4 weeks ago, paddling via Iceland and Faeroer to Scotland. Paddling day and night, preparing food on a stove between the knees, sleeping, whatever…. That’s a different story! Their story can be read on their blog.
For the rest of the day we enjoy ourselves in the harbour area. The weather is gorgeous, terraces are full, a large cruise ship has moored on the opposite quay. And behind Four Seasons our own terrace on the wide jetty. I get busy with the captain of a 71 year old 2 mast bark. Used for sailing charters and berthed next to us. He’s an old dog in the profession. He provides us with some very useful tips, especially on Greenland. Where he used to work as a diver.
The next morning I meet him again. Carrying a handful of loaves and giving one to us. “ The baker had some left-overs”.
There’s a thick fog and he advises a southerly track when we depart for Iceland. The track south between the islands increases the chance for sunny weather. So we accept his advice and depart at 11 am. Initially heavy fog but after one hour the sun breaks the fog and we observe a beautiful fjord landscape.
Cliffs rising steep from the sea, surrounded by rags of fog. Seagulls performing aerobatics around the ship. Sheep grazing on the steep slopes, facing the deep. An occasional hamlet overlooking the ever changing seas.
Around 3.30 pm we leave the islands and enter the open water. Wind: quarter astern, S-SE, force 5. Faeroer lies behind us. Ahead Iceland, the night and the ocean.
Another 240 nm to go.
