Sunset in the Seychelle Islands of Africa, 13 Hours from Japan

In spite of the fact that the Seychelles are not well known in Japan, they happen to features in many song titles by Japanese artists. For example “Seisheru no yūhi” (Sunset in the Seychelles, by Seiko Matsuda), “Seisheru – Umi No Seijya” (Seychelles – Saints of the Sea, by Southern All Stars), “Akogare No Seychelles” (Seychelles, the Islands of Longing, by Masayoshi Takanaka) and “Kochira Sēsheru Bakansu Shima” (The Seychelles, Vacation Islands, by Megumi Takamoto.) Often called the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”, I wanted to see if the sunset in the Seychelles was as beautiful as expected. The ccTLD (country code top level domain) for the Seychelles is “.sc”.

◆Where are the Seychelles?

The Republic of Seychelles consists of 115 islands of various sizes, located in the Indian Ocean, about 1,300 km east of the African continent. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, often visit the Seychelles and it is a popular destination for European celebrities. It’s the only country in Africa that has an economy classified as “high-income” by the World Bank. The currency used is the Seychelles Rupee (SCR)

= Table of Contents =

◆Praslin Island – Lost Luggage and Pouring Rain

◆Anse Lazio – The Best Beach in the World

◆Finding the Phantom Convenience Store “SPAR”

◆Sunset in the Seychelles

◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

 


◆Praslin Island – Lost Luggage and Pouring Rain

The quickest way to get from Japan to the Seychelles is via Sri Lanka. It takes 9 hours and 20 minutes to get to Sri Lanka, and about 4 hours to get to the Seychelles, for a total of 13 hours. However, we went to the Seychelles from our previous island destination, the Maldives (via Sri Lanka). Arriving just after 4 am, we were greeted by a lost luggage situation. This is the first time on the Domain Island Tour that luggage has been lost.

After finding out that the luggage was lost, and going through various procedures, we finally left the airport and headed for our accommodations. Although I booked a hotel which allowed early check-in (so we could take a short rest), when we got there the staff said: “No early check-ins…” We had no choice but to hang out in the hotel hallway, with no air conditioning, and not a word exchanged between us for about an hour. The rain just would never stop. Finally, in the middle of the pouring rain, we leave for Praslin Island, famous for its Coco de Mer palm trees. Here’s a picture of Praslin Island from a travel site.

The boat we rode, the “Cat Cocos” could be booked in advance from Japan. The cheapest economy class ticket you can buy is 100 Euros round trip.

The rain keeps pouring down and the sea is rough. It doesn’t feel like we are headed for the beautiful coast lines of the famous Praslin Island. In fact, when I started to think about other places where I’d hit bad weather, like when I had to extend my stay in Samoa, and also about the clothes and the drone that were in the lost luggage, I started getting seasick.

On the boat, there were TVs showing hidden camera tv shows from overseas, but I felt too ill to watch.

About an hour from Mahé Island, we arrive at Praslin Island, which is the second largest island in the Seychelles, after Mahé Island. It has an area of 38 km2 and a population of about 6,500.

You can only use local currency at the port market stalls. But don’t worry, there are many places nearby to exchange U.S. dollars, Euros and Pounds.

There was also a place to arrange tours, rent cars, or rent bicycles.
Taxis can also be arranged. Of course, you can go from Praslin Island to other islands by ferry or boat. We booked a taxi and asked to be taken around the island.
The vehicle was a Suzuki. The driver really loves it, he said: “This car is perfect for driving around Praslin Island”.


◆Anse Lazio, the Best Beach in the World

The first place we visited was the “Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve” a World Heritage site in Praslin National Park. The park has both free areas and areas that you need to pay to enter. We stuck to the free areas.

There is a legend that Praslin Island is the birthplace of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. In the 19th century, General Gordon of England visited Praslin Island, and upon seeing the fruit from the female of the coco de mer palm, which looks like a woman’s buttocks, and the catkin from the male palm which resembles the male organ, he decided these trees must be Adam and Eve. And so, he had Praslin Island made into a nature reserve.

Suddenly I noticed that it had stopped raining! And I found coco de mer palms.

There are also displays in the visitor center (free of charge). The coco de mer is a rare palm tree that is only found on Praslin Island and Curieuse Island.

There are also some specimens of local creatures preserved in formalin.

Our next destination in Praslin National Park is Grande Anse Beach, which was ranked no.1 on CNN’s “100 Best Beaches Around the World”.
Earlier, when I visited Grenada, I mistakenly thought the Grand Anse beach there (vs. Grande Anse Seychelles) had been ranked no.1 in the world, but actually it was ranked 30th. Now, finally I can see the real “no.1 most beautiful beach in the world” with my own eyes!

When I told the driver about what had happened, he said “Anse Lazio beach is more beautiful than Grande Anse Beach!” so we decided to go to Anse Lazio beach instead. Under a cloudless sunny sky that made it seem like the rain had never happened, we drove for about 20 mins. We arrive. Actually, the driver told us that even if it’s raining in the morning, it often clears up by noon. And it rains a lot in October and November.

Ooh! No wonder the locals call it the most beautiful beach! Anse Lazio when pronounced by local sounds like “ansrazio”. Anse means cove or small bay in French.

After enjoying the beach, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant.

I ordered an Octopus Burger (315 SR), Shrimp Fritters (480 SR), Octopus Curry (475 SR) and a Sey Pearl (55 SR).

The octopus burger doesn’t have a meat patty, it has sautéed octopus sandwiched in a bun and not a whole lot of that considering the price.

It seems that octopus curry is eaten almost daily here. Later, when I asked the taxi driver on Mahé Island about this, he said that on Mahé, octopus curry costs about 240 SR, which is nearly half of what it costs on Praslin Island.

Sey Pearl is a brand of ginger ale from the Seychelles.

Shrimp Fritters. They tasted exactly as delicious as they look.

Did someone get walled-in with their butt sticking out?

According to our driver, there is also a beach named Grande Anse on Mahé Island.
So actually, I still wasn’t able to see the beach ranked no.1 by CNN. But, since a local told me that Anse Lazio is much more beautiful than Grand Anse Beach, I feel satisfied that I saw the most beautiful beach in the world.

There were many beautiful little fish in the water, so I fed them some breadfruit chips I bought in the Maldives.


◆Finding the Phantom Convenience Store “SPAR”

Before going to Mahé Island, we first stop by Eden Island. Located 3.5 km from the capital Victoria, Eden Island is a man-made island created in the 2000s. The main industry on this island is tourism, and its famous for its shopping mall Eden Plaza, and luxurious residential areas.

We go to check out a luxurious residential area.

We arrive at the gate of one of the residential areas.

To enter, you need ID. No outsiders are allowed.

So, we moved on to Eden Plaza, where the residents of the luxurious residential area go shopping.

A Japanese anime character, “Arare-chan” is posted by the frozen yogurt shop. What is that thing she is holding up?

Continuing our walk, we see a familiar convenience store.
It’s SPAR! Let’s go buy something!

When you enter the store, you need to leave your bags in a special locker.

I bought a plastic bottle version of Sey Pearl (22 SCR) and Doritos (9.90 SCR). SPAR can no longer be found in Japan, in fact, when I checked, it seems the company completely withdrew from Japan in 2016.


◆Sunset in the Seychelles

Next is Victoria, the capital on Mahé Island. Mahé Island is 153 km2, and accounts for 1/3rd of the land of the Seychelles and about 80% of the population. The name of the island comes from a French governor of Mauritius, who sent an expedition to the Seychelles.

When I asked one of the waiting taxi drivers to “take us to a spot with a good view of Victoria” he agreed with an “OK, boss.”

Heading to the scenic lookout, we come across something remarkable. “This is the ‘Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar’ temple. In 2018, someone stole the golden decorations, but was caught.” the driver told us.

We resume our drive up the mountain.

I spot a strange looking bird.

After a while, the driver stops. This doesn’t seem a likely spot for a scenic view.
“This is a breeding place for tortoises. Let’s take a look” he says.

There are many turtles, but it seems the place is run by a private company. These are tortoises (Japanese: Rikugame) but the family as a whole is called the turtle family (Japanese: Kame). By the way, there was no information about this place on Google maps.

ROTCHON dam scenic area (Seychelles) – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

We arrive at Rochon Dam Viewpoint, the view point recommended by the driver. It was sunny and clear; we could see Eden Island and other distant islands (probably Praslin Island) as well. Although only a small island nation, the Seychelles has a military made up of about 400 soldiers. But no navy. In lieu of a navy, there is the Seychelles Coast Guard, made up of the Seychelles People’s Defense Forces.

It’s time to go and see a spectacular sunset. When I said to the driver “I want to see a gorgeous sunset!” he took us to Beau Vallon Beach.

Finally, I was able to see the long awaited “Sunset in the Seychelles”. This is the title of a song sung by popular Japanese singer, I felt so happy experience it for myself.

After leaving Beau Vallon Beach, we were hungry and searching for somewhere to eat in the city. We found an electric sign board with the words “Italian Pizza.”

Upon entering, we see that besides Italian pizza, there’s a corner of the shop dedicated to ice cream. It’s called “La Dolce Vita.” It seems that this place has been featured in Japanese travel shows talking about overseas resorts.

At the ice cream counter, I order a vanilla bean parfait (195 SCR), a specialty of the Seychelles. This parfait in the Seychelles was very expensive, about 1,600 Yen, but it was so worth the price.

This super long day is finally over. When we got back to our accommodations, the lost luggage had arrived! Thank goodness!


◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

You can purchase an Airtel SIM that can be used for 30 days, with 1.5GB, at a convenience store like the one in Eden Plaza. It was 299 SCR.

I went directly to an Airtel store, but it was closed and I couldn’t get the SIM.

The speed was good, without any problems.

I found the ccTLD for the Seychelles “.sc”, being used on Mahé Island, Praslin Island and Eden Island.

 


■List of Places Visited

 

■ For access to the Seychellesclick here

■For “.sc” Domain detailsclick here

Optical Illusions in the Picturesque Faroe Islands, and Can You Really Meet Olaf From Frozen in the Fairy Tale World of “Ólavsøka”?

The Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, has a unique traditional festival called “Ólavsøka” (Saint Olaf’s day) that takes place on July 29th, a national holiday. The name “Olaf” reminds me of the cheerful snowman from the Disney movie “Frozen,” which was loosely based on the fairy tale “The Snow Queen” by Danish author, Hans Christian Anderson., But, I thought, would Olaf, who so longed for summer, come to this summer festival? I am hoping the Faroe Islands is a fairy tale world where I can meet beautiful women like Anna and Elsa. On the 18th stop of the Domain Island Tour, I visited the Faroe Islands; last paradise of unspoiled natural attractions in Europe.

◆Where are the Faroe Islands?

The Faroe Islands, an archipelago of 18 islands, is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, located between Iceland and Norway. Of the 18 islands, 17 are inhabited and one is uninhabited. Out of a population of about 50,000, 19,000 people live in the capital Tórshavn. The official language of the Faroe Islands is Faroese.

The currency used is the “Faroese króna”, and one Faroese króna (hereinafter “kr.”) is about 16 yen (as of November 2019). The exchange rate is the same as the Danish króna, and the Danish króna can also be used in the Faroe Islands. The only difference is the banknote design. Banknotes with motifs of nature and animals from the Faroe Islands are Faroese króna. The coins used are the same as the Danish króna.

Here are some Faroe Islands banknotes (From the top: 500kr., 200kr., 100kr., 50kr.)


= Table of Contents =

◆A Folksy Pride Parade

◆I Want to Stand on the “Most Picturesque Soccer Field in the World”

◆Is the Ólavsøka all about “Frozen”?

◆Chain Dancing all Night Long in the Faroe Islands

◆Portable Urinals in Full Public View

◆The Illusion of the Lake above the Sea

◆Restaurants and Credit Card Use in the Faroe Islands

◆Purchasing a SIM Locally & Testing the Internet Speed

◆The “.fo” Domain, Full of National Love

 


◆A Folksy Pride Parade

After departing Copenhagen Airport in Denmark, we fly about 2 hours, 15 minutes before arriving in Vágar Airport, Faroe Islands. For many Nordic people, this is a place to go and enjoy nature. A man I talked to at the airport said he was travelling from Norway. I was surprised at how beautiful Vágar Airport was, especially for an island airport.

It was also quite crowded when we arrived. Due to turbulence, fog, and a short runway, Vágar Airport is a difficult airport at which to land.

From Vágar Airport it’s about 50km to the capital Tórshavn. As you can see from the timetable, there are not very many buses. Also, the taxi fare is 600kr (about 10,000 yen), so I recommend rent-a-car. The road to Tórshavn is scattered with pastures, crisscrossed with small rivers.

Getting from Vágar Airport on Vágar Island to Tórshavn on Streymoy island requires passing through many undersea tunnels, only passable by car. The solid red lines on the map are the routes that can be driven by car. The dotted red lines are the routes than can be traveled by ferries that can also carry cars.

I got to Tórshavn after about 45 minutes. This particular day, there was a gay pride parade held for LGBT rights, and many people, both young and old, were gathered. Many people may have returned home to the Faroe Islands for the Ólavsøka (Saint Olaf’s day) Festival.

The Gay Pride parade is an annual event held just before Ólavsøka. Denmark was the first country in the world to introduce same-sex partnerships in 1989, and in 2012 same-sex marriage became possible. Since 2016 the Faroe Islands have allowed same-sex marriage.

A boy changed “GAY” to “CAY”. The little prankster took away the horizontal bar in the letter “G”. After that, he started to work on the “A”.

A little way from the city center, you can see the old houses and the cityscape. There are also houses with rooves thatched with sod. These grassy rooves are unique to the Faroe Islands.

A tradition since the Viking era, they apparently are excellent thermal insulators. Because of time constraints, we couldn’t go to Saksun village on Streymoy Island, but it is famous for these turf-rooves.


◆I Want to Stand on the “Most Picturesque Soccer Field in the World”

I heard that the Faroe Islands have the “most picturesque soccer field in the world”. Working from this photo, my search begins. It’s unclear who decided on the “most picturesque soccer field in the world”, but I wanted to go and see for myself if the rumors were true. I hope this will be helpful for those in the future who want to visit “most picturesque soccer field in the world”.

※出展:shutterstock

About 50 minutes by car from Tórshavn, we arrived at Eysturoy island. I went by car because there were so many undersea tunnels. Towards the northwestern tip of the island, we’re headed for a town called Eiði, which means “Isthmus” in Faroese.
When I get there, I see a soccer field.

Approaching it, I can see that it’s a nice, new soccer field, but there’s nothing to make it stand out as the “most picturesque soccer field in the world”.
When I asked the local people, they said to go further on, so I head in that direction.
As I climbed a gently sloping hill by a cliff, I was sure I was on the right track to the “most picturesque soccer field in the world”.
Following the directions of the locals in my search for the soccer field, I found a campsite. Drinks in hand, everyone seemed to be friendly and happy to chat. But where is the soccer field I’ve been looking for?

I went up a small mountain to check out the area from above. There it is! If you look closely, this campsite is the “most picturesque soccer field in the world”!

The “world’s most picturesque soccer field” has become the “world’s most picturesque campsite”. Also, I feel like the photographer needed a fair bit of ingenuity to get this shot of the “most picturesque soccer field in the world”. I’m not sure you can call it the “most picturesque” when so much effort is needed for the shot. When I asked the locals, they said the name of the former soccer field was “Eidi Stadium”. Apparently, it wasn’t a very good soccer field due to strong winds, so now it has become a campsite for campers. Didn’t they know about the strong winds before they built it? Nearby, a new soccer field has been built. Just like the one I saw when I first arrived.

So, in conclusion, the “most picturesque soccer field in the world” is actually the “most picturesque (?) campsite in the world” or just a normal campsite, depending on the angle. That’s what I think anyways. You can check it out for yourself.


◆Is the Ólavsøka all about “Frozen”?

If you’ve watched the Disney movie “Frozen,”, you’ll probably think of the character Olaf when you hear of the “Ólavsøka” (Saint Olaf’s day) Festival. In the first place, the original story “The Snow Queen” was written by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, and in the Faroe Islands, part of Denmark, Ólavsøka is very popular. I attended the Ólavsøka Festival in Tórshavn.

The main event the day before the festival, is a boat race. The islanders are very serious about this competition. They are passionate about supporting their team.

Just looking at the excitement and cheering of the spectators when the boats cross the finish line is highly enjoyable.

The winners of the race have something they need to do after the race. In order to receive blessings from the spectators, they need to carry their boat above their heads. Taking the boat from the sea, they need to carry it for several meters on dry land. It looks like a punishment.

Among the spectators, many wore national folk costumes. This is not formal dress for boat race viewing, but formal dress for the Ólavsøka Festival. In recent years, the colors and designs of the costumes have become increasingly original.

 

Walking around the venue on the day of the Festival. This is not a 3D theater, but a 7D mobile theater. And I’m curious what it is exactly.

Lottery corner. If you win, you get a huge candy.

Since its only 5kr. (90 Yen) for one ticket, I think I’ll buy a few.

All losers. I started to think this was the kind of lottery that no one could win, but after watching for a while I saw this girl win a huge candy. Congrats! She looks happy!

 

I thought it was a photo booth like Purikura, but it’s a semiprofessional photographer taking photos.

 

There are many live music bands around the venue.

I looked around on the day before the festival and on the day of the festival, but I didn’t see Olaf from Frozen. In fact, Ólavsøka in the Faroe Islands has nothing to do with Olaf from Frozen. Ólavsøka actually means Saint Olaf’s Day, and marks the day that Olaf II, (St. Olaf) King of Norway, died in the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. On the other hand, Olaf from Frozen is completely unrelated to the history of Denmark and the Faroe Islands, and his name was derived from the words “Oh! Laugh”. That being said, I saw Olaf from Frozen twice, but only in the form of balloons.

Saint Olaf’s Day has nothing to do with the Olaf from Frozen, but don’t you think the fairy-tale-like folk costumes are somewhat similar to the costumes in Frozen? And I was able to meet many Scandinavian beauties like Anna and Elsa.

The Olaf Festival goes until the morning. People who enjoy it the next day too, when you take a rest and get some sleep?


◆Chain Dancing all Night Long in the Faroe Islandsる

The main event of the Ólavsøka Festival is the Faroese chain dancing, where people hold hands and dance in circles or chains while singing. Looking at the timetable, the orange frame on the left is the chain dance that starts at 22:00 (on the 28th), and the orange frame on the right is the chain dance that starts at 1:00 am on the 29th. I’m not sure which one is more famous, is there any difference between the one on the 28th, the day before the festival, and the one on the 29th? I was curious so I tried to participate in both.

I arrive at the venue the day before the festival. It seems the dance will be held in this small theater.

When I entered the hall, the chain dance had already begun.There seems to be a lot of elderly people, but they keep dancing and no one misses a beat in the chain dance. It looks like the Polka.

A local couple I met on the way home, dressed in their national costumes. They look so nice.

According to the locals, the chain dances the day before the Olaf Festival are for people who know chain dancing and love it. So that’s why there are many older people who just wanted to enjoy chain dancing.

 

Next, the chain dance on the day of the Olaf Festival. This one is held in Tórshavn. This day was not as exciting as the previous day, there are just too many people. It’s difficult to move.

Suddenly it was raining and a little foggy, and a single male voice came singing out of the speaker. And this voice triggered a great chorus of singing from the crowd.

I don’t know Faroese, so I didn’t understand the lyrics, but the pamphlets distributed at the venue contained old folk songs from around the islands written in Faroese. In all, 21 songs were printed out. It seems they will sing them all tonight.

When the chorus is over its time to chain dance. But I can’t find where the dancing is happening in the square. Even when I asked those around me, they didn’t know either. It seems that not so many attend this event. After searching for a while, I found the chain dancing in a square in the center of the city.

Many people, young and old, men and women, were dancing. This chain dancing on the day of the Ólavsøka Festival seems to go on for a long time. Incidentally, the songs sung while dancing are old folk songs from around the Faroe Islands.

Chain dancing was commonly practiced over a wide area of Scandinavia during the Viking era. It seems the custom only remains in the Faroe Islands. Around the world, you can only find these enthusiastic chain dancers in the Faroe Islands.


◆Portable Urinals in Full Public View

As Ólavsøka is a national holiday, many businesses are closed from the afternoon of July 28th. This is an event that many locals look forward to as a time to meet up with old friends. While listening to the performances of Faroe country music bands at outdoor venues, people sincerely enjoy themselves, drinking beer, singing and dancing.

However, if you drink a lot you will definitely need to go to the bathroom. A little way from the center of the square, there are three things as shown in the photos. These are the portable toilets of the Faroe Islands, dedicated urinals. Four men can stand diagonally to each other and pee into the little holes. Although portable, I have never seen such toilets in Japan before. They are in a location with many people passing by, so I think I’d have to be pretty drunk before I could pee here. I really had to go, but I just didn’t have the courage to use it. The photo is out of focus, because a local lady got mad and shouted at me for taking a picture of the toilets. Please see the comic for details on how to use this urinal.

If you ever come across this kind of toilet, please use it according to the usual method.


◆The Illusion of the Lake above the Sea

I’d like to mention some of the places I really enjoyed in the Faroe Islands.

1) First of all, there is a scenic spot in the town of Miðvágur on Vágar Island, where you can enjoy the illusion of a lake above the sea. To hike to the spot, you need to go to the Bøsdalafossur Trail Head in Miðvágurt. The admission fee to hike is 200kr per adult (about 3,200 yen).

I went to the lower left cliff and back. It’s a 3-hour round trip hike.

I feel like I walk forever. It’s pretty far but I’m excited to see the spot.

And the road is a pleasant place to walk.

I finally get to the cliff. To my surprise these cliffs exceed my expectations. I go to the edge of the cliff, being careful not to fall off the edge.

Here we are. It really looks like a lake above the sea. Of course, it is an optical illusion, but it was fun to see this scenery and enjoy a little hiking.

By the way, the actual reality, not the illusion, looks like this. Depending on the angle, it looks like the lake is high above the sea.


2)Next, I take a boat tour from Vestmanna to see the cliffs from the ocean and to observe the birds. I arrive at the Vestmanna information center, where the boats are waiting to go.

The Saga Museum was on the second floor of this information center. Since I came all the way, why not take a look?

There are life sized, realistic figures of the Vikings of the Faroe Islands. Although the scenes depicted are quite shocking, the place itself is very small, so I recommend that you listen to the explanation if you have time. (Available in English only)

 

After the museum I go on my boat tour.

We go directly to the cliffs. On the way we pass cabins and vacation homes.
We didn’t put the helmets on immediately. Only when we approached the cliffs, the crew gave us helmets as a precaution.

I can see the cliffs.

Around August, many birds, such as puffins (Fratercula arctica), come to the cliffs for nesting.

Puffins are such cute birds.

Source shutterstock

After this, we go further and pass through a tunnel in the cliff. It seemed almost like an artificial attraction.

On this tour, I was able to see animals and nature unique to the Faroe Islands up close. The nature of the Faroe Islands as seen from the boat tour is quite different from what I enjoyed on the hike.


◆Restaurants and Credit Card Use in the Faroe Islands

In the Faroe Islands, I found a sushi restaurant called “Etika” that looked very nice. In the food court of Vágar Airport, Etika has a small stand where they sell take-out. It was so good; I couldn’t believe I was in an airport. The taste was just right for Japanese people, maybe that’s why I thought it was so good.

I found Etika in Tórshavn as well. The building itself is very modern, but the roof is turf. It’s in the center of town, so it’s unlikely that you will miss it. I wonder, is the taste different from the sushi sold at the food court in the airport?

The interior has a calm and sophisticated atmosphere. Shichimi (7 spice blend) is set on the table.

This is portion of Etika’s menu. One skewer is 42kr. (about 672 yen), and a set menu of sushi and skewers goes as high as 520kr. (about 8,320 yen), but these kinds of high prices are normal in Northern Europe.

The sushi is as delicious as sushi in Japan, but the salmon is especially fresh and delicious as it is usually caught nearby. The skewers were somewhat unique, but the teriyaki sauce was excellent. There was also edamame and shrimp cutlet.


A five minute walk from Etika. I arrived at Fish House “Barbara”. In the middle of the photo, the building lit with lights. Looking only at the exterior, the restaurant seems to be just a house.

The ceiling inside is quite low, but the feel is compact and cozy.

You can choose from a set menu or a la carte. The selections from a la carte were not so different from the set menu choices, so I chose the “Set Menu Chef’s Choice”. The price was about 700kr. (11,200 yen). The furniture and tableware were also very fashionable.

The following are the dishes that came with the course. Everything was fresh seafood caught in the Faroe Islands, and the flavor was exquisite.

Finally, dessert.

I can’t remember all the details, but the waitress carefully explained the dishes one by one. I was very satisfied with both the taste and the service. The staff wore uniforms that were folk costumes from the Faroe Islands.


And finally, a crepe stand I chose to try out of all the stalls and stands at the Ólavsøka Festival. As with festivals in Japan, there were all kinds of food stands. They were selling things like hotdogs, pizza, hamburgers, crepes etc. Near the city center, I found a crepe stand with a long line-up. I thought this place must be delicious so I join all the other people, in a lineup that took 1.5 to 2 hours.

Among the Ólavsøka Festival stalls, some accept credit cards, but some only accept cash, so if you want to enjoy the stalls, prepare some cash ahead of time. There was an ATM, but the line-up for it was very long.

So, this is the crepe. For an hour and a half wait, I had high expectations, but it was just a normal crepe. Like Japan, it may be that many people wanted to eat crepes just because it’s a festival!

When I researched ahead, before visiting the islands, I found that many shops don’t accept credit cards, so I brought a lot of cash. But actually, most shops did accept credit cards, so I had a lot of cash leftover.


◆Purchasing a SIM Locally & Testing the Internet Speed

I purchased a local SIM at Vágar Airport. Whereas GlobalMe was unstable in some places, the local SIMs were stable in the Faroe Islands. The following is the local SIM internet speed.


◆The “.fo” Domain, Full of National Love

The deep love the people of the Faroe Islands have for their nation that I felt at Ólavsøka, was also apparent in the domain use.
Many businesses in the Faroe Islands use the ccTLD “.fo”. I rarely found the “.com” address.

〇Taxi company
http://www.auto.fo/

〇Bank
https://www.banknordik.fo/

〇Supermarket
https://www.bonus.fo/

〇Beauty salon
http://adore.fo/

〇Drinking water
http://auroraspring.fo/


■The following is a summary of the places visited during the Domain Island Tour.

 

■For Access Details to the Faroe Islands, Click Here

■For “.fo” Domain Details and Application, Click Here