Day 101 July 21st Gasadalur
Time to launch myself into Faroe island magic.
Feeling a little easier today so encouraged myself to drive a bit further and visit the beautiful village of Gasadalur. The village with a bit of everything: cute village, waterfall into the sea, islands in the distance and towering cliffs.
This time I had the right direction for Gasadalur and a tiny bit more confidence in driving. Off I went – still running over the warning lines on the roadside from time to time, but improving.
The visit required another tunnel this time a very narrow and dark tunnel – not good when you are poor at judging where you are on the right side of the car. Cleverly I picked up a couple of young travellers walking the 11kms from the bus stop to the village. Their job was to watch the right side for me. They happened to be Aussies so understood my dilemma. Must have been OK as they hitched back with me as well!!
Once at the village and out walking, all driving fears disappeared. It was windy, chilly but the steep dark cliffs covered with vivid green grass took your mind from anything else. The little village filled with turf roof houses and black board walls standing out on the green paddocks around them.
The village is small with a population of apparently under 20. This was an increase after a road tunnel was put through in 2004, prior to this access was by walking over a steep mountain path – not conducive to modern living. Now a narrow tunnel takes cars through the mountain above the village. (See mark around tunnel exit on photo above).
After walking up the hill behind the village and along the cliff top the path dropped down to a view of the Mulafossur (waterfall) pouring over the cliffs and down into the sea. Along the way were chairs to sit and breath in the view.
After taking time in circumnavigating Gasadalur I headed back to the car. On the way out picking up the travellers again with an extra person for luck. Well he had a very large pack to contend with and it was 11km back to the bus stop!
Back in Miðvágur, the village I was staying in, I visited the WWII museum. Small interesting museum. Displays of many photos from the war years and other memorabilia. I learned the Faroes lost more people per capita than any other country – except Russia. Mainly fishermen. The British “occupied” the Faroes and were based in Vagar.
