Faroe Islands Day One, with a little detour to a medieval hunting forest!
Posted on 22nd July, 2014
Arriving at Stansted airport and discovering your flight has been delayed by at least six hours is perhaps not the ideal start to the day? It wasn’t… but we had our car with us and were able to escape and entertain ourselves for a few hours, rather than sit around going mad at the airport.
Yew on water - in camera Velvia jpeg with the Fujii XE-1 and Fujifilm 18-55mm lens
A quick look our National Trust guide book told us Hatfield Forest was nearby. A lovely morning and a perfect place for a walk - particularly given our destination which we knew would be singularly lacking in trees.
Hawthorn glade - more in cam jpegs with the Fuji XE-1
It was an inspired choice and an incredible place to walk around for a couple of hours on a balmy summer’s afternoon. Incredible that somewhere like that is a stone’s throw away from one of our major airports.
Grasses - double exposure with the Fuji XE-1
Thankfully our flight was not delayed by much more than six hours and Atlantic Airways gave us extra legroom seats for no extra payment and £40 worth of vouchers with which we bought ourselves a picnic for our late arrival. We had some amazing views on our flight - including Malham Cove and Tarn but, as we approached the Faroes, we could see plenty of evidence of the fog that had delayed us. No matter - the pilot skilfully guided us through the same, only descending into clear air at the last minute - all very dramatic! It seemed our car rental company had been caught unawares too - got the impression they weren’t expecting us but they found us a car and it seemed a bit more upmarket than we normally get so perhaps we benefited there too!
Tindholmur and Gasholmur - the first of many spectacular views - with the Nikon D800e and 70-200 f4 lens
Our B&B was about 15 minutes from the airport and enveloped in thick fog. So we dumped our bags and headed back to the airport and beyond, hoping for some clearer air. Another inspired choice!
Mykines - with the Nikon D800e and 70-200 f4
Mykines was particularly enthralling - mist moving over the mountain and changing all the time, with the low sun (now well after 9pm) creating some surreal patterns of light and shade. Not a bad place for a picnic!
30 second exposure with the Fuji XE-1 and 18-55mm lens, big stopper and polariser
We were also overlooking the waterfall at Gasadalur - not best lit - but still wonderful to see. We also walked down some rather precarious old steps and were greeted with yet more wonderfully photogenic scenes!
Beneath the steps - a one minute exposure with the Nikon D800e and 55mm f3.5 ai lens and Little Stopper
Clambering back up over the rocks and very steep steps nearly killed me - thankfully not quite - it really was the best evening we could have asked for. Now nearly 11pm and we just made one more stop on the way back to our B&B to enjoy another delayed aircraft coming into land!
Incoming flight at the Faroes Islands!
