EYSTUROYAR TUNNEL : A REMARKABLE PIECE OF ENGINEERING AND CREATIVITY

Wonders can be found on the Faroe Islands not only in nature, but also underground. On our way back to Tórshavn we drive through the Eysturoyar tunnel , which opened in 2020. It is the longest undersea tunnel in the Faroe Islands at 11.3 kilometres and the only tunnel in the world with a roundabout in the middle . The tunnel is Y-shaped and connects the main island of Streymoy with two parts of the island of Eysturoy. At the roundabout, one branch goes west and another one goes east. Thanks to this ingenious tunnel construction, the travel time from the capital to the two cities on the neighbouring island is only fifteen minutes, while it used to take at least an hour. As if the roundabout itself wasn't spectacular enough, the designers wanted a ride through the tunnel to become a total experience. Local artist Tróndur Patursson was commissioned to give the roundabout an artistic appearance. Around the giant central pillar on the rotunda, an eighty-metre-long steel sculpture depicts life-size silhouettes of people performing a traditional Faroese ring dance. When you pass the roundabout, the figures seem to move. The whole is put in the spotlight with special light effects in bright colours. We drive there again two days later, early on a Sunday morning, to take pictures with a Porsche. We can do that thanks to Joanes Hansen, a Porsche owner who contacted us on his own initiative when he heard that we were making a report for a Porsche magazine. His black 911 Carrera 4 in the extraordinary decor of the tunnel is of course the icing on the cake for us.

The artwork in the tunnel intrigues us and we want to know more about it. We visit Patursson whose studio is located in the harbour of Tórshavn, a large space that he shares with his son Brandur who inherited his father's genes and is also an artist. Patursson senior is now 76 and with his wild hair and inscrutable gaze, he looks like someone who lives in another universe. In addition to being a sculptor, he is also a painter and glass artist. There are countless works by him in the studio and we take the time to admire them. We ask about the significance of his work in the tunnel. The circle consists of 86 figures. “They symbolize the Faroese idea that by joining hands and working together we can achieve great things. At the same time, they are a tribute to our ancestors to whom we owe so much,” says the artist. Just like his father, Brandon likes to work with glass, but in a completely different way. He experiments with the so-called slumping technique in which glass is melted over a mould in a special oven, which leads to enigmatic shapes. Below them, he plays films that he has edited himself. The whole thing has a very hypnotic effect. In this studio, imagination and creativity know no bounds.

Strategic Location

The Faroe Islands: we may think that it is all peace and quiet, far from all the violence of war and international conflicts, but we are missing the point here, because the Faroe Islands are not as out of the picture as we think. Even though the nearest neighbouring countries may be hundreds of kilometres away, the Faroe Islands are strategically very well located in the shipping route between the two richest continents in the world and they – and their enemies – are well aware of this. When Germany occupied Denmark in 1940, the British promptly sent 8,000 soldiers to the Faroe Islands to ensure that the archipelago remained out of the hands of the Germans and to secure the important North Atlantic sea routes.

More than ten kilometres from Tórshavn, a former secret NATO military base, built during the Cold War, is still located on a 749-meter-high mountain plateau. The only thing visible from the outside are the two white domes that covered the radars. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, activities were systematically reduced, and the base closed in 2007. However, now that the threat from Russia is increasing again, there are concrete plans to put the installation back into use. Oddmar Kruse takes us up the mountain. You can read elsewhere in this magazine how it is that our Porsche man has the key to this old base. We glide up in a narrow elevator. We feel like miners. Upstairs we discover a large command centre with several floors. 150 soldiers once lived and worked here. First Americans, then Danes. A mini town in a mountain bunker. Agent 007 may be dead, but this all has a very high Bond content. The rooms have been vacated, but the infrastructure is in top condition. We can imagine that it won’t take that much time and effort to make this station operational again. We step outside through a small door. The view from the mountain is spectacular. Oddmar tells us that on a clear day you can see almost all the islands of the archipelago from this spot, but even on a drizzly day like today where the fog hangs low and the mountain peaks just poke out of the clouds, the view is equally spectacular.

EUROPE'S BEST KEPT SECRET

So much natural beauty, such freedom, such a remarkable society: once home we cannot stop talking about the Faroe Islands. The islands have touched us to the depths of our souls. In the Faroe Islands – where the weather determines the shutter speed of the days – infinite love for nature, social commitment, respect for traditions and modern development go hand in hand. ♦

In 2007 National Geographic Traveller named the islands

Most Appealing Island in the World , leaving more than 100 coconut paradises and big names far behind.

With thanks to :

- Oddmar Kruse, Ragnar Joensen and Joanes Hansen, Porsche owners

- Stefan Heijtz, the Porsche locater from Sweden

- Tourist Board of the Faroe Islands, Marta Káradóttir

- Nordic Travel, www.nordic.be

- Hotel Føroyar, www.hotelforoyar.com

- Harriet en John, www.hanusarstova.com

- Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands, Mr. Torstein Christiansen, www.hiltongardeninn.fo

- Levi Hanssen, Brand & Marketing Manager Hiddenfjord

- Barbara Carlsen & Sissal Kristiansen, the model & the Brand Director from Shisa, www.shisabrand.com

- Graatje Weber and Juliette Van Montfort, drone specialists

Double interview: Ragnar Joensen and Oddmar Kruse.

hey have a lot in common: the same education, a technical career in aviation, lived abroad and a passion for Porsche. These two Faroese only met five years ago, but they became friends right away. It's difficult to do otherwise when you have so many similar interests.

text: kathleen van bremdt - photos: sven hoyaux

You are both from the Faroe Islands, but have both lived abroad a lot. How did that happen?

Ragnar: I was born in the Faroe Islands, but my parents moved to Greenland when I was three years old. That was in the early 1970s. Greenland was then in full expansion and there were many interesting job opportunities. My father was an aircraft mechanic and helped build the aviation infrastructure. After eleven years we returned with the family. A few years later I went back to Greenland for work. In 2001, I moved to Sweden where I stayed for almost twenty years. I had a job in aircraft maintenance management by SAS, Scandinavian Airlines.

Oddmar: I was also born in the Faroe Islands. My parents moved to Denmark in 1976 when I was 14. Like Ragnar, I've lived in different countries for professional reasons and like him I was partly in aviation. After finishing school I joined the Danish Air Force and was sent around during education as electronic technician. In Norway I worked for the Danish Air Force and NATO. I was responsible for the maintenance of computer and datacommunication systems. Furthermore I worked for NATO here in the Faroe Islands on Mount Sornfelli. The radar station was built in 1959 during the Cold War and was an important link in the defence of the Arctic Circle. After the fall of the Berlin wall, military activities were greatly reduced. In 2007 the radar installation was closed. However, the base will be reopened in the foreseeable future. The idea to reopen the radar base already existed – there was talk of 2026 – but has now become more urgent because of the war between Russia and Ukraine. At this moment I work for the technical department of the MRCC in the Faroe Islands (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre).

Oddmar, you showed us around the old NATO base – for which our thanks, but how come you have a key to it?

Oddmar: Because they never asked for it back. (laughs) The Faroese Government took over the installation in 2014, so I help them when needed. There are still a meteorological station and other technical installations operational. I kind of surpervise the maintenance staff that is still working on Sornfelli. An app on my smartphone allows me to check through the cameras installed on the mountain at any time if everything is okay there.

Oddmar, do you perhaps know more about the sabotage of the gas pipelines at the end of September 2022 near the Danish island of Bornholm? Moscow has never been openly accused, but the suspicion was very strong that Putin was behind it.

Oddmar: At the end of September, four major gas leaks were indeed discovered in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, both of which run between Russia and Germany. To have four simultaneous leaks was too coincidental to be an accident. Seismological surveys have shown that the leaks were caused by powerful explosions. At the time of the events, the gas pipelines were not in use, but still contained large amounts of methane that was released as a result. The leaks made Europe very nervous because they showed how vulnerable the European energy network is. There are many theories about what exactly happened. For sure someone knows what happened, but unfortunately, we do not get that information as it is too sensitive. Other strange things also happen. At the beginning of October 2022, the GPS signal in Sweden was disrupted twice for 15 minutes. We're sure that was down to the Russians. They just did that to show us they can do it.

You have both lived in different countries. What were the differences?

Ragnar: In Greenland, the climate is of course very extreme. That requires some adjustment. Sweden is interesting because of the many possibilities at all levels: education, work, culture, etc. Life is also much easier in Sweden, and everything is within reach. You can drive from one city to another. You only realize the importance of this when you have lived somewhere like Greenland where that is not the case. Your life is much more isolated there.

Oddmar: After the Faroe Islands, Norway is my favourite. People there have the same mentality. In Denmark you have to make agreements for everything. Everything is very strict. In Norway everything goes much smoother, more spontaneous. I could call someone and ask: How about it? Skiing this afternoon? In Denmark everything had to be planned in advance. The Danes are also more closed in character. It's not that easy to make contacts. I immediately felt welcome in Norway. And nature in Norway is of course absolutely beautiful. We lived in Oslo, which is a fantastic city with a pleasant climate. Warm in the summer and snowy in the winter. Too bad living is so expensive there.

Was it a difficult step for you to come back to the Faroe Islands after living abroad for so many years?

Ragnar: No, I used to come to the Faroe Islands a few times a year anyway to visit friends and family, so there has always been close contact. For me it was really nothing more than a change of address. In 2019 the children had left home, and my wife and I felt like living in the Faroe Islands again.

Oddmar: It was the same for me. However you look at it: this is home.

And the weather? You don't feel like going to warmer places?

Ragnar: Once you've lived in Greenland, you can live anywhere.

Oddmar: I have no problem with the weather at all. One day of good weather immediately makes up for all days with bad weather for me. I have worked a lot with foreigners, and I found it interesting to see how they all react differently to the climate here. Some can live here, others can’t, and you can see that in just one week. Some complain bitterly, others think it's great to be outside in all weathers.

Where does your love for Porsche come from?

Ragnar: For me, it started many years ago. For a long time it was just a dream of that beautiful car, but once I had sufficient financial scope, I immediately bought one. That was in 2004. I was 35 years old then. I have always been more interested in the classic models. I like the analogue systems and their characteristics. Those older models are completely different from the current Porsches. The driving experience is also completely different. Much nicer in my opinion. There are no systems that compensate for the way you drive. In an old-timer, you feel like you’re still really driving.