RO: Cand deschizi harta, sunt sanse mari ca Insulele Feroe sa nici nu-ti apara macar, atata-s de mici si de pierdute in oceanul Atlantic 🙂 Cu putin zoom dai de vreo doua-trei punctulete pe care abia daca le zaresti, inconjurate din toate partile ba de vecina Islanda la vest, ba de norvegieni la est, ba de scotieni la sud si de o imensitate de ocean Altantic de Nord imprejur. Si undeva in mijlocul celor 18 insulite mistice care alcatuiesc arhipelagul insulelor Feroe (sau Foroyar – Tinutul Oilor in feroeza), e cea mai mica capitala a lumii, asa cum le place feroezilor sa isi marketizeze orasul 🙂 Acum… nu stim daca o fi Torshavn mai mica decat celebrele mini-capitale ale lumii (la cei 20.000 de locuitori si la o suprafata de 173 km² am tinde sa credem ca nu :P), cert e ca daca ar fi sa ne luam dupa mitologia scandinava, ei bine, am vazut orasul lui Thor! Zeul tunetului si-al fulgerului, cel care probabil ca i-a inspirat si pe cei de la Imagine Dragons 🙂 Plin de culoare, de case cu acoperisuri de iarba, de strazi inguste si-un centru vechi de toata frumusetea, zici ca-i un decor de film, atata-i de spectaculos.

EN: When one opens the map, there are good chances that the Faroe Islands won’t even be listed, that’s how small and lost in the middle of the Atlantic ocean they are 🙂 With a bit of zoom you can see a few dots scattered around, barely noticeable, surrounded by all parts either by the neighboring Iceland to the west, the Norwegians to the est, the Scottish to the south and an immense North Atlantic all around. And somewhere in the middle of those 19 mystic islands that form the Faroe archipelago (or the Foroyar – The Land of Sheep in Faroese), is the smallest capital of the world, as the Faroese people like to promote their city 🙂 Now… we don’t actually know if Torshavn is smaller than the famous tiny capitals of the world (having 20.000 inhabitants and a surface of 173 km², we would say that it is not :P), but if we were to believe the Norse mythology, oh well, we have visited the city of Thor! The God of Thunder and Lightening, the one that probably inspired the guys from Imagine Dragons 🙂 Full of colors, grass rooftop houses, narrow streets and an extremely beautiful old city center that looks like a movie scene.  








RO: Pesemne c-au stiut ei vikingii nordului ce-au stiut atunci cand au ales sa isi faca asezare taman aici, in insula Streymoy din mijlocul unui arhipelag uitat de lume si acoperit de ceata. Si mister! Ca doar ce poate fi mai dramatic si mai enigmatic ca imaginea unui oras vechi de cand lumea si pamantul, plimbandu-te printre case cu acoperis de turf, intr-un cartier ce reprezinta partea cea mai veche a orasului si cel mai vechi parlament al lumii (unde tratau vikingii probleme importante si puneau tara la cale cu ce teritorii sa mai cucereasca si sa mai treaca in palmares :D), alaturi de Thingvellir-ul islandezilor, bineinteles 🙂 Da, grozavia aceasta de cartier vechi, cocotat pe stancile vulcanice ale insulelor si care imparte portul din Torshavn in doua (in Vesteravág si Eystaravág) este Tinganes, cea mai veche asezare din zona, ce dateaza taman de la 825. Si intregul loc este cum nu se poate de reprezentativ arhitecturii feroeze, care pana una alta, foloseste tot ce are natura de oferit: piatra, iarba si… am zice lemn la cate case de lemn sunt pe insule, insa nu-i tipenie de copac in zona. Lemnul este adus de la vecinii norvegieni, de unde au imprumutat de altfel si stilul acesta nordic de a-si amenaja casele – simplu, minimalist, culori neutre. Hai poate-un pic si de pe la danezi, desi fereasca sfantu’ sa ii spui unui feroez ca e danez 🙂 Iarba e din plin, se gaseste pe toate acoperisurile caselor, si asta pentru ca o data izoleaza si apoi protejeaza structura casei de furtunile puternice de pe timpul iernii.

EN: Looks like the Nordic vikings knew why they have chosen to settle down here, in the Streymoy island from the middle of an archipelago probably forgotten by the world and covered in fog. And mystery! What can be more dramatic and more enigmatic than the imagine of an old town, wandering around the turf rooftop houses, in a neighborhood that is the oldest part of the town and the oldest parliament in the world (where the vikings were dealing important problems and probaaaably deciding on which other territories to conquer :D), along with the Icelandic Thingvellir, of course 🙂 Yes, this gorgeous district perked up on the volcanic rocks that divides the Torshavn harbour in two (in Vesteravág and Eystaravág) is Tinganes, the oldest settlement in the area, which dates back to 825. And the entire place is extremely typical to the Faroese architecture, which in the end, uses anything nature has to offerL stone, turf and… we would say wood judging by the high number of wooden houses on the islands, but there is no tree in the area. The wood is brought from the neighboring Norwegians, where they have also borrowed this Nordic style of decorating the houses – simple, minimal, neutral colors. And maybe a bit from the Danish people, although one should never say to a Faroese person that his Danish 🙂 There is plenty of grass, it can be found on each and every single rooftop and that’s because it isolates the house and it protects its structure during the powerful storms during wintertime.














RO: Si daca tot am pomenit de orasul-port al lui Thor, orice vizita in Torshvan trebuie musai sa cuprinda o plimbare printre barcile si iahturile din port, printre cafenelele din preajma si casele colorate din fundal. Apropo, feroezii au o cafea dementiala 🙂

EN: And now that we’ve mentioned about Thor’s harbour town, each visit to Torshvan should include a walk through the boats and yachts from the harbour, through the nice cafes that are all around and those colorful houses from the background. And by the way, the Faroese people have an exceptional coffee 🙂





RO: Si-o fi Torshavn o mana de oras, insa are cateva restaurante dementiale. Cine n-a auzit de KOKS, restaurantul premiat cu stele Michelin din Kirkjubøur, foarte aproape de Torshvan? O casa traditionala care nu ar spune mare lucru la prima vedere, care insa ascunde niste minunatii de mancaruri inspirate din viata si natura feroeza. Meniurile insa incep de la 200 euro de persoana, deci nu tocmai accesibile. Insa sunt o multime de alternative chiar in inima capitalei, aproape de Tinganes, printre casele cu acoperisuri de iarba. Restaurante pescaresti, vechi de cand lumea, cu o bogata istorie in spate si cu mancaruri proaspete ce difera in fiecare zi, in functie de ce prind pescarii din zona. Foarte mult somon in primul rand 🙂 Pentru ca da, pestele este poate ca cea mai importanta resursa naturala a locuitorilor si pana una alta… n-or fi venit ei vikingii degeaba in insule in urma cu mai bine de 1000 de ani, stiau ei ce stiau 🙂

EN: And Torshvan might be just a tiny town but it definitely has a couple of great restaurants. Who hasn’t heard about KOKS, the Michelin stars awarded restaurant from Kirkjubøur, very close to Torshavn? O traditional house that doesn’t say much at first sight, but hides some gorgeous foods inspired from the life and nature in the Faroes. But the menus start from 200 euros per person, so not quite accessible. There are a lot of alternatives right in the heart of the capital, close to Tinganes, among the grass rooftop houses. Old restaurants, specialized on fish and seafood, with a lot of history behind and fresh foods that are always different, depending on what the fishermen catch in the morning. Basically, a lot of salmon J Because yes, the fish is probably the most important natural resources of the Faroese people and in the end… that’s probably why the Vikings have come to these islands more than 1000 years ago 🙂

RO: Si avem o lista intreaga de restaurante autentice in centrul Torshavn-ului, de la Barbara Fish House (unde fac un monkfish delicios, in ciuda aspectului odios) pana la renumitul Aarstova, insa preferatul nostru dintr-o toata nebunia de restaurante concentrate in centrul Torshavn-ului, in case traditionale, ramane Katrina Christiansen. Si asta pentru ca intreaga casa are o istorie fabuloasa, ba mai mult, este locul de nastere al unui celebru  si foarte influent scriitor feroez, Willian Heinesen. Mancarea este un mix neobisnuit, insa absolut delicioasa, are o tenta de spaniolisme (chiar ei spun ca servesc tapas feroeze :D) insa atmosfera e de departe punctul forte al restaurantului. Pare sufrageria unor bunici care parca te imbuiba cu toate bunatatile locale. Fiecare etaj al casei vechi de 300 de ani are o poveste, pentru ca de-a lungul timpului fiecare parte din casa veche a fost rand pe rand, fie magazin de haine (mall-ul orasului la vremea respectiva), fie o fosta frizerie (pe vremea cand casa nu se numea Katrina, ci Bartskerastova) ori resedinta unor doctori. Insa in ultimii 12 ani a fost casa nimanui, abandonata complet, usile zavorate, obloanele trase si tot asa 🙂  Insa la 1 aprilie 2017 casa a fost redeschisa si acest restaurant nou nout pare sa fie deja unul dintre cele mai apreciate locuri din oras. Ce-i drept, sunt multe locuri in Torshavn unde se pot incerca mancaruri spaniolesti (mda, feroezii chiar au o obsesie pentru salsa caliente :D), insa slava cerului, la Katrina nu canta Despacito pe fundal si nici nu danseaza vreo domnisoara flamenco printre mese 🙂 In schimb stai la sueta vreo 2-3 ore, bei un vin rosu delicios, mai gusti din cele n luate cate n feluri de mancare, care nu stim cum se face, dar nu se mai termina niciodata. Si-acum da, cu durere si rusine in suflet, recunoastem ca toate mancarurile din pozele de mai jos le-am mancat noi. In doi 😀

EN: And we have an entire list of authentic restaurants in the center of Torshavn, from Barbara Fish House (where they make a delicious monkfish, despite the hideous aspect) to the famous Aarstova, but our favourite from all the restaurant madness remains Katrina Christiansen. And that’s because the house has a fabulous history and even more than that, it is the birthplace of a very famous and influential Faroese writter, Willian Heinesen. The food is an unusual mix, but absolutely delicious, it has a Spanish touch (even they say that they serve Faroese tapas :D) and the atmosphere is the strength of this place. It looks like our grandparents living room, serving you all the local goodies. Each floor of the 300 years ld house has its own story, because during the time each part of the house was either a convenience store (a kind of shopping mall in town), either a barber shop (when the place was not called Katrina, but Bartskerastova) or the dwelling of several doctors. In the last 12 years the house belonged to nobody, it was completely abandoned, the doors locked, the windows shuttered and so on 🙂 But on 1st of April 2017 the house reopened and this brand new restaurants seems to be one of the most appreciated in town. There are a couple of places where tourists can enjoy Spanish dishes (yup, the Faroese people have somehow of an obsession for the salsa caliente :D), but luckily, at Katrina there’s no Despacito in the background and no lady dancing flamenco between the tables 🙂 Buuut you can quietly enjoy your evening here for a couple of hours, drink some good wine or taste some of the never ending tapas that keep coming to your table. And now, with pain and disgrace in our souls, we’ll admit it, all the foods that we’ve photographed below were eaten by just the two of us 😀 








RO: Buuun si daca tot ne-a apucat limbarita despre mancarea feroeza, am cautat tot internetul sa intelegem care e nebunia feroezilor cu mancarea spaniola, pentru ca sinceri, peste tot sunt tapas si sosuri picante 🙂 De fapt si de drept, treaba sta chiar invers, spaniolii sunt obsedati de mancarea feroeza, in special dupa codul sarat din apele Atlanticului de Nord 🙂 Toata Spania, in special nordul Spaniei, viseaza la apele pline de cod ale insulelor Feroe 🙂 Cert e ca locsorul acesta, ascuns intre cele patru etaje inghesuite ale casei albastre din centrul capitalei, are o insemnatate aparte pentru locuitorii din Feroe si nu e deloc de mirare ca seara de seara locul e plin de oaspeti. Si-acum revenind la mancarurile delicioase incercate la Katrina Christiansen, ei bine, in topul listei stau langustinele, scoicile, pestele si fara doar si poate lasagna vegetariana. Si vinul demential – spaniol, bineinteles 🙂

EN: Oooook, and now that we’ve started talking about the Faroese food, we kept searching on and on to find what’s all the fuss about the Spanish food, because honestly, there are tapas and spicy sauces all over the place 🙂 In fact, the obsession is the other way around, the Spanish people are obsessed with Faroese food, especially the salted and dried cod from the North Atlantic ocean 🙂 All Spain, especially the northern part of it, dreams about the Faroes waters filled with cod 🙂 Truth is that this place, hidden between those four crammed floors of the blue house in the center of the capital has a special meaning to the Faroese people and there is no wonder at all that each night this place is completely fully booked. And now coming back to the foods that should be tried at Katrina Christiansen, oh well, on the top of the list there we have the langoustine, the mussels, the fish and by faaar the best vegetarian lasagna in the world. And of course, the wine – Spanish wine, what have we thought? 😀  








RO: Cu siguranta orice drum in insulele Feroe fie porneste din Torshavn, fie are cel putin o oprire in capitala colorata a insulelor. Insulele indepartate si neatinse de piciorus de omenire, cum le place feroezilor sa ne spuna 🙂 Si au dreptate! Ori de cate ori ne vom gandi la izolare si liniste (dar linistea aceea deplina de simti ca te dor urechile), ne vom aminti de Feroe. Si chiar daca nu pare cel mai primitor teren, cel mai fertil sau cel mai plin de paduri si resurse naturale, pamantul feroez te uimeste cu peisaje dementiale, cu verdeata cat sa nu poti duce in fata ochilor, cu aer proaspat, sate colorate si primitoare, valuri inspumate si negresit, un strat gros de ceata in fiecare dimineata 🙂

EN: For sure each trip to the Faroe Islands either starts from Torshavn or has at least one stop in the colorful capital of the islands. The remote and unspoiled islands as the Faroese people like to call them 🙂 And they are totally right! Each time we will think about isolation and tranquility (but that time of tranquility that simply hurts your ears) we will remember about the Faroe Islands. And even though it might not be the most welcoming place on Earth, as it doesn’t have fertile terrains, lush forests or natural resources, the Faroese land surprises you with amazing scenery, greenery as far as the eyes can see, fresh air, colorful and welcoming villages, churning waves and every single morning a thick layer of mist 🙂