WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE BUBBA AND BOCA? Seriously?
OUT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF "NO WHERE"?
Between 1035 and 1814, the Faeroes were part of the Hereditary Kingdom of Norway. In 1814, the Treaty of Kiel granted Denmark control over the islands, along with two other Norwegian island possessions: Greenland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands have been a self-governing country within the Kingdom of Denmark since 1948. The Faroese have control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, the police department, the justice department, currency, and foreign affairs. However, as they are not part of the same customs area as Denmark, the Faroe Islands have an independent trade policy, and can establish trade agreements with other countries. Per Bubs- aka welfare state.
'
The islands are home to a notable independence movement that has seen an increase in popularity within recent decades. At the end of World War II, some of the population favored independence from Denmark, and on 14 September 1946 an independence referendum was held on the question of secession. It was a consultative referendum; the parliament was not bound to follow the people's vote. This was the first time that the Faroese people had been asked whether they favored independence or wanted to continue within the Danish kingdom.
There is a reason a sheep is the coat of arms. At present, the islanders are about evenly split between those favoring independence and those who prefer to continue as a part of the Kingdom of Denmark-per Bubs- yup they like their welfare. The guide said they "only receive $650 million per year from the Danes". Within both camps there is a wide range of opinions. Of those who favour independence, some are in favour of an immediate unilateral declaration of independence. Others see it as something to be attained gradually and with the full consent of the Danish government and the Danish nation. In the unionist camp there are also many who foresee and welcome a gradual increase in autonomy even while strong ties with Denmark are maintained. As of 2011, a new draft Faroese constitution was drawn up. However the draft was been declared by the then Danish Prime Minister, then Lars Løkke Rasmussen, as incompatible with Denmark's constitution and if the Faroese political parties wish to continue with it then they must declare independence. And yet again they draft and draft. One day? Until they discover the much wished for oil how could they support themselves over here? And you thought Washington DC had the lock on controversy. They do have a jail, but if your sentence is longer than 1 year you have to serve it in Denmark. And yes tourism, has become the number 1 industry- cruise ships have found it.
No Pleep, not those kind of Pharaohs....
these kind of Faroes...population of all the islands is 50,000. The ladies have been waiting for Pleeps arrival to join in the days merriment-it's a national holiday- St. Olaf's holiday.
Ólavsøka is on 29 July; it commemorates the death of Saint Olaf. The celebrations are held in Tórshavn, where we docked. The official celebration starts with the opening of the Faroese Parliament, a custom that dates back 900 years. This begins with a service held in Tórshavn Cathedral; all members of parliament as well as civil and church officials walk to the cathedral in a procession. All of the parish ministers take turns giving the sermon. After the service, the procession returns to the parliament for the opening ceremony.
How do these folks visit each other?
Pleep starts the day off with his usual....and his cut bananas are never brown? The cook puts a lemon in the bowl and wraps the bowl with saran wrap. Good tip.
Bubs enjoys the scenery as we sail into this tiny port.
Never saw anything quite like this...
We have an afternoon tour so there is plenty of time to grab lunch. Perfect serving piece for Bubs and his 6 deserts.
Rainy and a little windy and time to jump on the bus.
Wow, this is quite the unusual cliff and mountain range.
....dotted with many small "willages".
We head over to Vagar island via an underwater tunnel. They have built several tunnels through the mountains and under the sea to make it easier for the Faroese to get around.
Remote. Very remote.
Bubs fantasizing....
there it is. The perfect hacienda, out there by itself.
A few special Faroe cattle are spotted.
Jutting rocks making for a perfect birds nest.
Smoocheroo!
Bubs heads out with his umbrella stick for a trek.
Yes, the scenery is stunning.
Oh boy, she spots a church thought somebody.
And you thought you were going to sneak Boca by a church?
Let's ya know who is showing up for church or not.
98% are Lutheran. And yes, they do go to church as it is the cultural norm. We are talking a very plain and simple church kept immaculately cleaned by the local Knitting club. The knitting clubs keep all the churches throughout the country clean-very clean. Pleep liked the ship chandelier and thought we should get one for St. Katherines.
They have the 2nd highest fertility rate in Europe (France #1?). Their unemployment is less than 2%. They have 2000 more young men than ladies- so they sent these guys out and about in the world and they brought back 200 gals in different flavors (Thai, African, Philippino and other ethnicities not found here). Boca loved loved loved these islands. The topography was outstanding and really unique. With birds outnumbering people by a few thousand to one, the Faroe Islands area rocky refuge from modern life. It's also a place where nothing looks quite real. With its sea stacks, secret coves and waterfalls, the landscape has something of a fairytale feel about it- the kind of place Pleep loves to hang- where ogres might still roam and princesses might be trapped in forever towers. Bubs said this place is movie set worthy. Pleep heard about "mythical hidden people"- so the legend goes, were here long before the first human settlers. T'orshavn feels more like a movie set village than a European capital. Even the shops are closed on Saturday afternoons and don't reopen until Monday morning. Where do you see that in the world?
Bubs missed seeing some trees. A definite must see if you're around this neck of the globe and if you are a trekker then this is the place for you. Bird bingo anyone?
WHALEING- per Wiki
Hey Bubs, isn't this the place where all that whale controversy happened? Yup.
An article from the Daily Mail/UK highlights the controversial whale killing with some stunning pictures.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3173617/Fishermen-chase-250-whales-beach-Faroe-Islands-locals-leap-water-glee-stab-death-slaughter-turns-sea-red-blood.html#ixzz4oCthRjrr
Wonder why the tour guide didn't mention this event?
Have you ever tried whale blubber? Bubs thinks some whale blubber would be right up Boca's alley, being Serbian and all.
CHARTREUSE RESTAURANT-for you foodies
Not in the mood for fermented lamb, we are back on deck and we join our pals, Kay and Alan (Erie, Pa and Sarasota) whom we met on the World Cruise in 2013. As a matter of fact they hold the record of people we know- they have been on 13 World Cruises. They started out as ballroom dance teachers for a one time fun and have now morphed into serious travelers. Hey Boca your hair looks like you've been out in the rain all day? Pretty much, but the cool fresh air is such a welcome from the hot stifling air we had in Italy and Greece. It was worth it. Opa!
The only thing missing were our pals Pam and Steve (Seattle), also friends from the World Cruise. So in their honor, we kept 2 empty seats for them!
Of course Boca had to start with fois gras. With Olympic style crackers on top? Looks more like pate to me than fois? What is the diff Bubs? "Mais oui Madame Boca- our chef likes to cook with a twist to the traditional". You mean the escargot will not come floating in garlic butter? Oui oui.
Bubs had the soup- you know those French like small portions.
Pistachio crusted wrack of lamb.
Kay, what in the world did you order?
Enough of that, let's get on to the deserts! said Bubs. Maybe you can fill up on the truffles...
Presented uniquely...
Pancakes?
Group decision- no more French for this team. We now understand why they are skinny.
On the other hand, hard to beat French vino.
Bubba suggested to Boca that this French size container would be a good one for girls night out at the Collins hacienda. You may have a point there Bubs. This way not having to open the bottles will keep the flow at the right pace. Merci!
The Faroe Islands is an archipelago between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic, about halfway between Norway and Iceland, 200 miles northwest of Scotland. Its area is about 541 square miles with a population of 50,030 as of April 2017. The Islands are an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. The land of the Faeroes is rugged, and these islands have a subpolar oceanic climate: windy, wet, cloudy, and cool. Despite this island group's northerly latitude, temperatures average above freezing throughout the year because of the Gulf Stream.
OUT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF "NO WHERE"?
Between 1035 and 1814, the Faeroes were part of the Hereditary Kingdom of Norway. In 1814, the Treaty of Kiel granted Denmark control over the islands, along with two other Norwegian island possessions: Greenland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands have been a self-governing country within the Kingdom of Denmark since 1948. The Faroese have control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, the police department, the justice department, currency, and foreign affairs. However, as they are not part of the same customs area as Denmark, the Faroe Islands have an independent trade policy, and can establish trade agreements with other countries. Per Bubs- aka welfare state.
'
The result of the vote was a narrow majority in favour of secession, but the coalition in parliament could not reach agreement on how this outcome should be interpreted and implemented; and because of these irresolvable differences, the coalition fell apart. A parliamentary election was held a few months later, in which the political parties that favoured staying in the Danish kingdom increased their share of the vote and formed a coalition. Based on this, they chose to reject secession. Instead, a compromise was made and the Folketing passed a home-rule law that went into effect in 1948. The Faroe Islands' status as a Danish amt was thereby brought to an end; the Faroe Islands were given a high degree of self-governance, supported by a financial subsidy from Denmark to recompense expenses the islands have on Danish services. Per Bubs- "these people have no stones."
There is a reason a sheep is the coat of arms. At present, the islanders are about evenly split between those favoring independence and those who prefer to continue as a part of the Kingdom of Denmark-per Bubs- yup they like their welfare. The guide said they "only receive $650 million per year from the Danes". Within both camps there is a wide range of opinions. Of those who favour independence, some are in favour of an immediate unilateral declaration of independence. Others see it as something to be attained gradually and with the full consent of the Danish government and the Danish nation. In the unionist camp there are also many who foresee and welcome a gradual increase in autonomy even while strong ties with Denmark are maintained. As of 2011, a new draft Faroese constitution was drawn up. However the draft was been declared by the then Danish Prime Minister, then Lars Løkke Rasmussen, as incompatible with Denmark's constitution and if the Faroese political parties wish to continue with it then they must declare independence. And yet again they draft and draft. One day? Until they discover the much wished for oil how could they support themselves over here? And you thought Washington DC had the lock on controversy. They do have a jail, but if your sentence is longer than 1 year you have to serve it in Denmark. And yes tourism, has become the number 1 industry- cruise ships have found it.
these kind of Faroes...population of all the islands is 50,000. The ladies have been waiting for Pleeps arrival to join in the days merriment-it's a national holiday- St. Olaf's holiday.
Ólavsøka is on 29 July; it commemorates the death of Saint Olaf. The celebrations are held in Tórshavn, where we docked. The official celebration starts with the opening of the Faroese Parliament, a custom that dates back 900 years. This begins with a service held in Tórshavn Cathedral; all members of parliament as well as civil and church officials walk to the cathedral in a procession. All of the parish ministers take turns giving the sermon. After the service, the procession returns to the parliament for the opening ceremony.
How do these folks visit each other?
Pleep starts the day off with his usual....and his cut bananas are never brown? The cook puts a lemon in the bowl and wraps the bowl with saran wrap. Good tip.
Bubs enjoys the scenery as we sail into this tiny port.
Never saw anything quite like this...
We have an afternoon tour so there is plenty of time to grab lunch. Perfect serving piece for Bubs and his 6 deserts.
Rainy and a little windy and time to jump on the bus.
Wow, this is quite the unusual cliff and mountain range.
....dotted with many small "willages".
We head over to Vagar island via an underwater tunnel. They have built several tunnels through the mountains and under the sea to make it easier for the Faroese to get around.
Remote. Very remote.
Bubs fantasizing....
there it is. The perfect hacienda, out there by itself.
Traditional Faroese food is mainly based on meat, seafood and potatoes and uses few fresh vegetables. Mutton of the Faroe sheep is the basis of many meals, and one of the most popular treats is skerpikjøt, well aged, wind-dried mutton, which is quite chewy. The drying shed, known as a hjallur, is a standard feature in many Faroese homes, particularly in the small towns and villages. Other traditional foods are ræst kjøt (semi-dried mutton) and ræstur fiskur, matured fish. Another Faroese specialty is tvøst og spik, pilot whale meat and blubber. Meat and blubber from a pilot whale means food for a long time. Fresh fish also features strongly in the traditional local diet, as do seabirds, such as Faroese puffins, and their eggs. Dried fish is also commonly eaten. Puffin anyone?
Rambunctious.
Tweet tweet my...
Ewe Ewe Ewe, I'm in love with Ewe.
Rambunctious.
Tweet tweet my...
A few special Faroe cattle are spotted.
There are two breweries in the Faroe Islands. The first brewery is called Föroya Bjór and has produced beer since 1888 with exports mainly to Iceland and Denmark. The second brewery is called Okkara Bryggjarí and was founded in 2010. A local specialty is fredrikk, a special brew made in Nólsoy. Production of hard alcohol such as snaps is forbidden in the Faroe Islands, hence the Faroese akvavit is produced abroad. FORBIDDEN??? WHY IS THAT BUBS?
Jutting rocks making for a perfect birds nest.
Smoocheroo!
Bubs heads out with his umbrella stick for a trek.
Yes, the scenery is stunning.
Oh boy, she spots a church thought somebody.
And you thought you were going to sneak Boca by a church?
Let's ya know who is showing up for church or not.
98% are Lutheran. And yes, they do go to church as it is the cultural norm. We are talking a very plain and simple church kept immaculately cleaned by the local Knitting club. The knitting clubs keep all the churches throughout the country clean-very clean. Pleep liked the ship chandelier and thought we should get one for St. Katherines.
They have the 2nd highest fertility rate in Europe (France #1?). Their unemployment is less than 2%. They have 2000 more young men than ladies- so they sent these guys out and about in the world and they brought back 200 gals in different flavors (Thai, African, Philippino and other ethnicities not found here). Boca loved loved loved these islands. The topography was outstanding and really unique. With birds outnumbering people by a few thousand to one, the Faroe Islands area rocky refuge from modern life. It's also a place where nothing looks quite real. With its sea stacks, secret coves and waterfalls, the landscape has something of a fairytale feel about it- the kind of place Pleep loves to hang- where ogres might still roam and princesses might be trapped in forever towers. Bubs said this place is movie set worthy. Pleep heard about "mythical hidden people"- so the legend goes, were here long before the first human settlers. T'orshavn feels more like a movie set village than a European capital. Even the shops are closed on Saturday afternoons and don't reopen until Monday morning. Where do you see that in the world?Bubs missed seeing some trees. A definite must see if you're around this neck of the globe and if you are a trekker then this is the place for you. Bird bingo anyone?
There are records of drive hunts in the Faroe Islands dating from 1584. Whaling in the Faroe Islands is regulated by Faroese authorities but not by the International Whaling Commission as there are disagreements about the Commission's legal authority to regulate cetacean hunts. Hundreds of long-finned pilot whales could be killed in a year, mainly during the summer. The hunts, called grindadráp in Faroese, are non-commercial and are organized on a community level; anyone can participate. When a whale pod by chance is spotted near land the participating hunters first surround the pilot whales with a wide semicircle of boats and then slowly and quietly begin to drive the whales towards the chosen authorised bay. When a pod of whales has been stranded the killing is begun. Faroese animal welfare legislation, which also applies to whaling, requires that animals are killed as quickly and with as little suffering as possible. A regulation spinal lance is used to sever the spinal cord, which also severs the major blood supply to the brain, ensuring both loss of consciousness and death within seconds. The spinal lance has been introduced as preferred standard equipment for killing pilot whales and has been shown to reduce killing time to 1–2 seconds.
This "grindadráp" is legal and provides food for many people in the Faroe Islands. However, a study has found whale meat and blubber to currently be contaminated with mercury and not recommended for human consumption, as too much may cause such adverse health effects as birth defects of the nervous system, high blood pressure, damaged immune system, increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and Diabetes mellitus type 2: or they could go to McDonalds.
Most Faroese Islanders consider the hunt an important part of their culture and history. Animal rights groups, such as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, criticize it as being cruel and unnecessary, since it in their point of view is no longer necessary as a food source for the Faroese people, while the hunters claim in return that most journalists do not exhibit sufficient knowledge of the catch methods or its economic significance.
The sustainability of the Faroese pilot whale hunt has been discussed, but with a long-term average catch of around 800 pilot whales on the Faroe Islands a year the hunt is not considered to have a significant impact on the pilot whale population. There are an estimated 128,000 pilot whales in the Northeast Atlantic, and Faroese whaling is therefore considered a sustainable catch by the Faroese government. Annual records of whale drives and strandings of pilot whales and other small cetaceans provide over 400 years of documentation, including statistics, and represents one of the most comprehensive historical records of wildlife utilization anywhere in the world.
Hey Bubs, isn't this the place where all that whale controversy happened? Yup.
An article from the Daily Mail/UK highlights the controversial whale killing with some stunning pictures.
'How Denmark - an anti-whaling member nation of the European Union, subject to laws prohibiting the slaughter of cetaceans – can attempt to justify its collaboration in this slaughter is incomprehensible' he said.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3173617/Fishermen-chase-250-whales-beach-Faroe-Islands-locals-leap-water-glee-stab-death-slaughter-turns-sea-red-blood.html#ixzz4oCthRjrr
Wonder why the tour guide didn't mention this event?
Have you ever tried whale blubber? Bubs thinks some whale blubber would be right up Boca's alley, being Serbian and all.
CHARTREUSE RESTAURANT-for you foodies
Not in the mood for fermented lamb, we are back on deck and we join our pals, Kay and Alan (Erie, Pa and Sarasota) whom we met on the World Cruise in 2013. As a matter of fact they hold the record of people we know- they have been on 13 World Cruises. They started out as ballroom dance teachers for a one time fun and have now morphed into serious travelers. Hey Boca your hair looks like you've been out in the rain all day? Pretty much, but the cool fresh air is such a welcome from the hot stifling air we had in Italy and Greece. It was worth it. Opa!
The only thing missing were our pals Pam and Steve (Seattle), also friends from the World Cruise. So in their honor, we kept 2 empty seats for them!
Of course Boca had to start with fois gras. With Olympic style crackers on top? Looks more like pate to me than fois? What is the diff Bubs? "Mais oui Madame Boca- our chef likes to cook with a twist to the traditional". You mean the escargot will not come floating in garlic butter? Oui oui.
Bubs had the soup- you know those French like small portions.
Pistachio crusted wrack of lamb.
Kay, what in the world did you order?
Enough of that, let's get on to the deserts! said Bubs. Maybe you can fill up on the truffles...
Presented uniquely...
Pancakes?
Group decision- no more French for this team. We now understand why they are skinny.
On the other hand, hard to beat French vino.
Bubba suggested to Boca that this French size container would be a good one for girls night out at the Collins hacienda. You may have a point there Bubs. This way not having to open the bottles will keep the flow at the right pace. Merci!
