Friday, July 24
Travel time: 24 hours (ferry)
Distance: 525km
Destination: Torshavn and beyond
Just before 3am the boat shudders violently, jolting me awake, and I realise we must be pulling in to Torshavn. I take the opportunity to grab a bag from the car and a photograph of the Faroese capital in not-quite darkness. I’d always assumed the Faroes to be remote, windswept rocks like Shetland or the Western Isles, but Torshavn is vibrant even at dead of night.
I know the seasickness pills must be working because I at breakfast my sons tell me they both slept through the stopover. I go down to the gym, pleased that I’ve managed to fit in five runs (two on the treadmill) during my two-week break without forcing myself. After lunch we try out the swimming pool on the bottom deck. It’s a small, shallow pool, no more than 10 metres from end to end, with high sides, because even when the seas are calm the slightest tilting of the ship acts like a natural wave machine.
The rest of the time we spend in the library, reading and playing cards, or in the top-deck bar with its panoramic views. Just after lunch we pass Shetland, which is once again shrouded in gloom, and are joined by the gannets from Muckle Flugga. Checking the shipping forecast, I see we had a narrow escape, because the areas we passed through yesterday – Faroes and Fair Isle – are covered by red squares denoting gale force winds. For us, the sea is calm, and tonight we will skirt round the underbelly of Norway, so I can go to bed hopeful of a peaceful night’s sleep before the long drive home begins.
