Iceland at last

30th May 7am (or 6 Iceland time or 8 Danish time)

Outside it's grey, drizzle, the forecast grim. From the day I left home the weather, until now,  has been better than I would have expected. Dover was hot. France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany were warm and dry. Denmark was hot and sunny, with a cool north wind. Torshavn was sunny and warm. Now comes the real test. How will I cope with a cold wet introduction to this place I've waited 50 years to experience.

I woke at my usual time, though after so many time changes it's hard to pin it to the clock. Two of my cabin mates were getting up and though I was quite relaxed, I decided to do the same. Yesterday morning the deck was almost crowded at 4:30. Today it's empty. It's now 10 to 7 and the corridor seats on deck 5 are mostly occupied, but we are all spaced out like gulls in a field, each with our personal space. We are all I assume, waiting for breakfast.

I'm really out of my comfort zone here. We are completely at the mercy of Smyril Line - their schedule and their rules. They are a Faroese company so naturally they wish to promote their homeland. This is from their website:

"While you let yourself be carried across the sea, our staff will try to tend to your every need, to make sure that your stay on the Norröna is an unforgettable experience. There is no need for anyone to feel bored aboard the Norröna. Experience our unique restaurants, they will allow you to sample a culinary tradition rooted directly in the Viking era."

Well, I've got news for you Mr Smyril. Sure there's plenty to occupy you if you like films without subtitles, or in German, or if  you like Bingo or, to my ears, talentless and incomprehensible singer songwriters. You may well be able to enjoy sampling the culinary tradition if you can afford more than £30 per head for a meal. This is what I would say to you:  

Dear Mr Smyril (or Mr Merlin in English) 

As you are well aware, you are the first impression of the Faroes for most of the 800 or so passengers you carry. Your staff are helpful and pleasant. The ship is comfortable and the meals offer the sort of range most Europeans are used to. The information staff can answer whatever you throw at them in at least 3 languages, and they are willing to charge phones and laptops free.

I was quite surprised at this because in other ways you convey the impression that the Faroese spend their time thinking up all sorts of clever tricks to part the tourist from his or her  money. After Denmark I wasn't surprised to find everything very expensive, but I would never have dreamt that, having paid a flat fee for a meal, I would then have to pay extra for a glass of water! I can understand alcohol being extra, but cans of soft drink and bottles of water cost next to nothing to buy wholesale. This is just mean. You should also consider the morality of selling plastic bottles of water at all. They are a massive pollutant and completely unnecessary.

The other really mean thing is charging for wifi. Free wifi is now a staple of the hotel and catering industry, and your isn't just not free it's very expensive - 7 euros for an hour - and very slow.

I went to a café in town, ordered a coffee and asked if wifi was available "Of course" said the girl and immediately wrote down the code. So it's not the people of the Faroes, it's you Mr Merlin. 

Waiting.

I don't like  all these old people - all these people like me. Individually I would find something in common with any one of them, and I have to admit that apart from the fact that my belly fat is under control, I look like them, but I feel myself to be different. Perhaps some of them feel that too? So few of them walk properly. They shuffle or hobble or waddle.  It would be too easy to dismiss them as "The Germans", the idle, the fat, the boring. I know I would find a similar group from Wales or England just as off-putting. but they and their like from other countries have one thing I entirely lack - a desire to join guided groups. The idea of joining a bus tour or a sea cruise has never even fleetingly crossed my mind. I would absolutely hate it.  

The group here are the people who made the new Germany I so admire. They have worked hard all their lives and deserve this "adventure" tour of the north Atlantic. The destinations are those of adventure, but how will they be challenged? They have comfortable cabins, seats on comfortable coaches. They will be guided in groups to see the things these Nordic countries want them to see. I don't see that as any kind of adventure.

The challenge for me is not so much discomfort but communication. Starting a conversation is always a big risk - that I will simply be unable to hear properly what is said. Is it an advantage to be able to communicate in German and French as well as English? I'm not sure. I tend to give the impression that I am a master communicator whereas if I just used English and shouted I might do better.

Later - much later.
Simply getting off the ferry took well over an hour and by then I was worn out. I stopped in a layby, brewed some coffee and started to feel better. The winding road into the uplands on the way to Egilstadur reminded me strongly of the mountain road from Pontardawe to Llangadog at home - though in winter. The view from the other side was very different though. This is a valley of Loch Ness proportions with the small collection of buildings which make up Egilstadur in the distance.

I'm now in the town campsite, which is well run and not expensive, so I have some time to catch up and get ready for the next adventure.