I have just returned from 4 days in the Faroe Islands and I have left with very fond memories of the place and the people.Coming into land in the Avro RJ100 (seats only 97 people), we broke through the cloud cover to a fantastic opening view of the rugged coastline of Vaga and some of the other Islands. A good landing given the cross winds! After landing, I was off the plane, picked up my luggage and through customs within 10 minutes - don't you love those small airports!We set off for the drive from Vaga to Torshavn, which took about 45 minutes and passed through some stunning scenery, even despite the somewhat foggy and grey weather. Torshavn is the 'city' with 18,000 of the total 48,000 population of the Islands, but as you can imagine with that size it is relaxed and friendly, with an array of shops, cafes and bars.I stayed at Hotel Foroyar, which is located high on the hills overlooking the town and the ocean. A good location for a walk into town, although the walk back does get the lungs going!I managed to visit 4 of the 18 Islands during my brief stay, with the remoteness of Koltur being my favourite, being 2.5 square km's and with only 2 inhabitants - well worth visiting.The Islands are just wonderful for walking, although you need to be a bit careful due to the very changeable weather patterns. The towns are interesting with some traditional houses with grass roofs, but once you are out of the towns the scenery offered at each step is super, whether it is hills, lakes or ocean. I am not much of an expert on birdlife, but even a novice can enjoy the various birdlife whilst out walking.After the walk on day 2, I fancied a bit more activity, so quad biking was in order. The trip lasted 3 hours and followed the farmers tracks through the countryside and mountains/hills. Some plunging valleys only a few metres off the track keep your mind focused. We rose to about 600 metres above sea level, then walked up to one of the peaks at about 680 metres to get amazing 360 degree views of the surroundings. A quick change of weather saw us walking back down in horizontal hale stones and then continuing our ride back a little soggy in places - nice!On returning to town I tucked into a good portion of lamb, potatoes and veg, one of the Faroese specialities......plus a couple of beers, of course! A local pub makes for good entertainment as the locals spring into song without too much encouragement. I am certainly planning on going back, as would like to visit and spend some time on the other Islands as well as getting out for some ocean adventures and fishing too. Thanks to the Faroese for a great trip!
