Podcast 233: Diary of a Middle-Aged Hitchhiker

The Faroe Islands is a place where hitchhiking is both safe, legal, and socially acceptable. So why not give it a whirl? This week, we stick our thumb out and ride with strangers from Torshavn to Gota. We'll meet some new friends on the way, and do a lot more walking than we had expected.

But happiness is a journey, not a destination, right?

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on the media player at the top of the page, and on Stitcher Smart Radio. Or you can download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_233.mp3

Podcast 232: FAROE ISLANDS BEATS GREECE!!!

This week, a brief discussion of the Faroe Islands' historic victory over Greece in their Euro 2016 qualifier match. According to an article in the Guardian, the 1-0 win may count as the biggest upset in international football (soccer) history, at least in the history of the FIFA rankings.

Enjoy the show,and if you need to be cheered up, to watch the embedded video above. It's very fun.

As always, you can listen on the media player at the top of the page, on iTunes, or Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_232.mp3

Podcast 230: G! Festival 2014, Day 3, The Singalong

Ave performing at the G! Festival

This week, a report from day 3 of the G! Festival.

We'll hear music from Ave, Marius, and the world's best cover band, Confect.

The final day of the festival was filled with a lot of great music and the threat of flooding. Festival organizers had to evacuate the performance area at the beach after high waves and high tide threatened to overwhelm the venue.

But adjustments were made and the music continued until the early, early hours of the morning. It was all par for the course at the coolest music festival in the world.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here:  http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_230.mp3

If you're interested in seeing next year's G! Festival, you can join us for next year's Nordic Obsession Tour. We'll be touring the Faroes, and you'll have the option to stick around for the G! Festival if you want. Early registration is open now.

Podcast 229: Manor

This week, we talk about "Manor." It's a short story written 130 years ago and set in the Faroe Islands. The author, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, was German and never traveled to the Faroes, but his story was rediscovered by two of our favorite Faroese people (Birgir Kruse and Eiler Fagraklett, to be exact) and translated into Faroese for the first time.

We'll visit the release event for the book, talk about the gay themes in the book, and learn more about "Manor's" author, who is considered by many to be the world's first gay rights activist.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on the media player at the top of this page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here:  http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_229.mp3

While the Faroese translation of "Manor" is new, an English translation has been around for many years. You can read the English translation of "Manor" here.

Podcast 228: Jennifer Henke

Jennifer Henke in the Faroe Islands, July 2014

This week, a tribute to Jennifer Henke. She was one of our first guests on this podcast back in 2009, and has appeared on the show many times since. In 2010, she wrote a book about her experiences in the Faroe Islands, and the search for her father's family.

This week's show features highlights from her appearances on this show, and some stories of our experiences with her as well.

As always, you can listen to the show in iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio.

You can also download the show directly here:  http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_228.mp3

Podcast 227: The Great (Whaling) Debate

Hans Hermansen (left) and Pete Bethune. Photo by: Heri Simonsen

This week, we bring you a debate between Hans Hermansen, a vocal proponent of Faroese whaling, and Pete Bethune, a conservationist and animal rights activist from New Zealand. The debate aired live on Ras 2 and is moderated by our own Heri Simonsen.

While the podcast maintains a resolutely neutral editorial stance on Faroese whaling, we encourage honest debate on the subject.

Heri set up this debate to give people on both sides of the issue to put forward their ideas in a forum less heated than, say, a street corner Q&A session. Both Hans and Pete were given the questions ahead of time, and people listening on Ras 2 could send in questions via text message.

You can listen to the debate on our media player at the top of the page, on iTunes, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. Or you can download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_227.mp3

Podcast 226: G! Festival 2014, Day 2

This week, we sample the music from day two of this year's G! Festival. It includes an intimate performance by Eivor, an innovative set by avant-rockers ORKA, and the day ends with an excursion to steal food from the grandma of the most famous singers in the Faroe Islands.

As always, you can listen on our media player at the top of the page, on iTunes, and on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_226.mp3

In this week's show, we talk about the HOYMA festival the G! Festival people will be staging on November 1st. To learn more about that, you can check out the G! Festival website.

Podcast 225: Q&A With Sea Shepherd

This week, we're featuring a question and answer session with Sea Shepherd organizers who spent the summer in the Faroe Islands. The animal rights group had several volunteers stationed throughout the Faroes to monitor the beaches and try to prevent any whale hunts from happening.

Fourteen Sea Shepherd volunteers were arrested when one such hunt happened in August, and another three were arrested on animal cruelty charges a few weeks later. Other volunteers were arrested on DUI and drug charges and still others were implicated incidents including assault, vandalism, and petty theft.

Over time, many Faroese began to view Sea Shepherd volunteers as an army of occupation in their country.

So at the end of the summer, the leaders of the Sea Shepherd campaign participated in a question and answer session at the Democracy Festival in Runavik. There they faced often hostile questioning from their Faroese hosts.

Both sides mostly talked past each other during the session and it's safe to say both the Sea Shepherds and the Faroese left the session with their individual opinions intact. But we're offering up this audio so people who weren't there can hear both the Sea Shepherd's rationale for this summer's campaign, and how that campaign was received by the Faroese.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, and on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_225.mp3

Podcast 224: G! Festival, Day One

Malk de Kiojn. Photo by Regin Dalsgaard Courtesy: G! Festival

This week, part one of our annual coverage of the G! Festival. Thursday is the shortest day of the G! Festival, but they still packed a lot of good music in. We'll hear music from a groundbreaking Danish Hip Hop group, then talk to a Faroese singer who made a big impression at this year's festival.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on the media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. Or you can download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_224.mp3

EP 221: The Nordic Sound

On this week's podcast, we talk to Danish filmmakers Frederik Kyhn and Matias Tolstrup about their project "Out In The North: Finding the Nordic Sound." The project isn't complete yet, but the footage they've already released from the Faroes is pretty great. We'll link to all four videos here and we strongly urge you to heed the advice at the start of each video and put on some headphones. The sound and the video will really transport you to the Faroes. (Also, for English, press the "CC" button on the videos)

Kyhn and Tolstrup spent much of July filming Faroese musicians and talking to them about the creative process and how their homes are a part of that.

After that high-minded chat, we head out to some windmills and try not to get peed on by a stranger.

As always, you can listen on iTunes or our media player on on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_221.mp3

Want more videos? Oh, we've got them. Here's ORKA:

And a lovely bit of music from Eivor:

And as if that's not enough, in this final video, you get to see music and conversation with the insanely talented Sakaris... and almost every tree in the Faroe Islands.

If you want more from Out in the North, you should "like" their Facebook page, and follow them on Twitter, and check out their other work on Vimeo.

Podcast 220: Matt and Heri on the Radio

Live on the air at Ras 2

This week, our summer break ends as Heri Simonsen turns the tables on podcast host Matthew Workman and asks him the questions for a change.In this interview that was originally broadcast live on Ras 2 as part of it's special Olavsoka programming, Heri asks Matt about the recently completed Nordic Obsession tour, American soccer (football, to you European types), and about the uninvited guests to the Faroes who spent the summer skulking around in black hooded sweatshirts.

You can listen on iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. Or you can download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_220.mp3.

On the live broadcast, we included some great Faroese music, but streaming rights prevent us from sharing the songs in their entirety here. However, we were able to hunt down a few of the songs in this Spotify playlist. Also, you can see some of the photos we took at this year's Olavsoka here.

Podcast 218: Pete Bethune and the Faroe Islands

This week, an interview with conservationist and animal rights activist Pete Bethune. A few years ago, Bethune hatched a plan to bring hundreds of volunteers to the Faroe Islands to monitor the beaches and intervene in the event of a whale hunt.

Now that another group has actually executed this plan, we talk to Bethune about why he abandoned the idea and why he thinks it would have been counter-productive to the cause of anti-whaling in the Faroe Islands. Bethune also talks about how he fell in love with the Faroese people and culture while still maintaining his steadfast opposition to the Faroese whale hunts.

If you've been hearing a lot of news reports from the Faroe Islands lately and you don't quite know what to make of it, this special edition of the podcast is for you.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_218.mp3

Podcast 217: Faroe Beer

This week, we'll talk to the brewmaster for Faroe Beer (Föroya Bjór). They've been around since 1888, and most alcohol sales have been illegal during a substantial portion of their history. But they've hung on and the laws in the Faroes have loosened up and they can finally brew their signature beverage again.

We'll hear about the fun and the struggles of making beer in a country with a complicated history with alcohol, then we'll stare at a glass of beer we weren't really able to drink.

As always, you can listen on our media player, on iTunes, and on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_217.mp3

Podcast 216: Faroe Islands Meets Uruguay

This week, we talk to the film crew from Uruguay who traveled to the Faroes to produce this commercial. It features a Faroese man who may be the ultimate fan of the Uruguayan national football team who isn't actually from Uruguay.

Our good friend Heri Simonsen caught up with the producers who found Ivan Eginsson Eysturland on Facebook, and decided he should be the face of the World Cup-themed ad campaign for a South American credit card.

You can listen to those interviews on our media player at the top of the page, on iTunes, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_216.mp3

The ad at the top of this post is just one in a series OCA is producing. One even features our very own Heri Simonsen. That spot hasn't been released yet, but when it is, we'll post a link to it right here. Stay tuned.

Podcast 215: Airport, 2014

This week, we talk to the former CFO of Vagar Airport about the changes coming to the only airport in the Faroe Islands. And we'll take one last stroll through the old, cramped terminal before it ends up (literally) on the scrap heap.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on the media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. Or you can download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_215.mp3

Above is a video presentation about the new airport that we reference during the podcast.

Podcast 214: Checking In With The Neighbors, Orkney 2014

About once a year, we like to check in with the neighbors, specifically Shetland and Orkney. The two island groups are the Faroe Islands' closest neighbors, and they share a lot of history with the Faroes.

This week, we talk to Tom Ordeman about his relationship with Orkney, and the similarities between Orkney and the Faroes. If you want to read more about Tom's travels on the islands, you can find more on his blog.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on the media player at the top of this page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_214.mp3

And watch out, because we've got BONUS MATERIAL. This week's show is pretty long, so we didn't have time for all the fun stuff in our interview. But here are two more fun bits. The first is about a comic strip that is essential to unlocking the secrets of Orkadian culture, and the other is about a sporting event called the Kirkwall Ba, which is something between a rugby match played between teams of a few hundred people, and a street riot in slow motion. You can listen to the bonus stories here.

Podcast 213: Brynjolfur and Faroese Electronic Music

This week, we talk to Faroese musician/producer/DJ Brynjolfur. He's been prominent in the Copenhagen electronic music scene for some time, but his career has really taken off in the past year with tours of Europe, an upcoming set at Roskilde, a mention in Mixmag, and notice from the tastemakers at KCRW.

We'll talk about the early days of the electronic music scene in the Faroe Islands, and his transition to living in Denmark.

Then we'll head out to the beach on a cold, cloudy day and (surprisingly) find people playing in the water.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. Or you can download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_213.mp3

EXTRAS;

Don't forget our Kickstarter campaign. We're trying to raise $2,000 by May 21st, and we don't be able to do it without your help. We'll use the money to finance our next reporting trip to the Faroes and upgrade our aging sound equipment.

Check out Brynjolfur's Soundcloud page. It's got both the songs we played on our podcast, plus original material, remixes, and mixtapes.

And finally, here's the music video to Brynjolfur's single, "I Love You." Enjoy.

Podcast 212: The Kickstarter Singalong!

This week, we launch our second annual Kickstarter campaign. We're raising funds so we can return to the Faroe Islands and record more episodes of our award-winning podcast. We are the only show in the world that covers the Faroe Islands in English. If you like you what you hear, please show us some support, and we'll go back to making more episodes of the show you love.

And we've got singing on this week's show. We've got more audio from the singalong portion of last summer's G! Festival. And as a special bonus to you, our blog readers, we've got some video from that event, too.

As always, you an listen on iTunes, on the media player at the top of this page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_212.mp3

Kickstarter is Live

Our Kickstarter campaign is live. Go on over to our Kickstarter page and check it out. And you can watch this video of me looking very tired and explaining the goals of this year's campaign. We got overwhelming support from our listeners last year, and we hope to see similar success again this year. Thanks in advance to everyone who listens and supports our show.

Coming Soon: Kickstarter

Just as a heads up: We'll be launching this year's Kickstarter campaign on Wednesday. Check back here then for more information on how you an help support this podcast.

Podcast 211: Johan Í Kollafirði and Famara

This week, we talk to  Johan Í Kollafirði. He's a Faroese actor, radio host, and farmer and a celebrity in a country that typically doesn't allow celebrities. Johan spent several hears homesteading (or squatting, if you take a different view) in an abandoned farm called Famara. It was the start of a plan to create a place that was a unique mix of Utopian retreat, artist's colony, and maybe even halfway house.

We start the show by driving down a treacherous road searching for Famara and Johan. Once we catch up with Johan (spoiler alert: he wasn't at Famara), we learn of the years-long project to restore the abandoned farm, and the Faroese government's attempts to evict him.

We spoke with Johan just as the eviction battle was heating up and making front-page headlines throughout the Faroes. So, we'll end with an update on what happened 10 months later. It's a tale that is at turns funny and heartbreaking.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on our media player, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_211.mp3

And we've got some bonus material as well this week. First, here's another picture of Johan that we liked...

Also, here's a video Johan made of his early days at Famara:


 And finally, here's what Famara looks like now.

Credit: Solborg Bordoy

And if you're having any problems listening to any of our other players, try this:

Podcast 210: G! Festival 2013, Day 3: Here Comes The Sun

On this week's show, we review all the action from the final day of the 2013 G! Festival. The final Saturday of the festival was arguably the most beautiful in the 12 year history of the event. Daytime temperatures soared to nearly 80 degrees (F) and it was even possible to get a sunburn  amid all the festivities.

So on this unusually sun-drenched episode of the podcast, we hear music from Lover, Lover, Laid Back, Hogni, and the reunited Boys in a Band. Also, we've got what may be the silliest interview with Teitur you'll ever hear.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_210.mp3

And if you're interested in going to the G! Festival this summer, they're started announcing acts for the 2014 event, you can learn more at the G! Festival website.

Podcast 209: G! Festival 2013, Day 2

On this week's show, we explore the festival grounds on the second day of the G! Festival. We talk to some people in a hot tub, sail out to a VIP boat, then return to the beach for a night of music from Teitur and Eivor and Faroese producer Brynjolfur.

As always, you can listen on our media player, on iTunes, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also directly download the show here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_209.mp3.

And as a reminder, time is running out to sign up for our tour of the Faroe Islands this July. Registrations end this weekend. So check out the Nordic Obsession website and register while there's still time.

Solar Eclipse: Coming to the Faroe Islands

The countdown is on. A solar eclipse will be visible in the Faroe Islands in less than a year. Here's more from our good friends at Visit Faroe Islands...

ONE YEAR TO GO UNTIL THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IN THE FAROE ISLANDS

Total solar eclipse, 20 March 2015, 9:41am - the Faroe Islands will be one of only two places in the world where this natural phenomenon can be observed from land (the other is Svalbard). Travel to this remote and green archipelago of 18 tiny islands, inhabited by just 40,000 people and 70,000 sheep. Hills, valleys, waterfalls and lakes form the part of the landscape, the dramatic cliffs are a favourite with seabirds, and the surrounding waters are dotted with spectacular seastacks, some steeped in legend.

The first record of a total solar eclipse in the Faroe Islands was 30 May 1612 at 11:25am. An ancient story goes that four quarrelsome brothers from the village of Sumba were tending to their sheep and arguing, when they were suddenly shrouded in darkness. They were petrified and promised the Lord that if they lived through the terrible experience, they would live harmoniously. The sun soon reappeared and the brothers never quarrelled again.

During the week of 20 March, eclipse parties, gatherings and festivals will take place across the Faroe Islands. Please see the Total Solar Eclipse website for the latest information.

Access: A special direct flight from London, to coincide with the eclipse, will be operated by Atlantic Airways. Please contact the airline direct on booking@atlantic.fo (online bookings are not possible). An alternative option if to fly via Copenhagen, Oslo or Keflavik.

Accommodation: Most hotels are fully-booked already, but there is plenty of B&B, guesthouse or home stay accommodation available (as well as camping options). Please see the Total Solar Eclipse website or email solareclipse@torshavn.fo

For further information, please see: www.solareclipse.fo or www.visitfaroeislands.com

Podcast 208: G! Festival 2013, Part 1

This week, we look back at the first day of the 2013 G! Festival. The three-day event typically starts on a Thursday with a somewhat shorter bill of artists than in the following days. But there was no shortage of great music.

We'll hear a little music from Marius (pictured, above), Frostfelt, and BYRTA. We'll also explore the new features and venues the G! Fest added.

Our recap of the G! Festival comes a little later than it has in previous years. As a matter of fact, the festival has already started announcing acts for this year's event. You can see who's playing this July at the G! Festival website.

You can listen to this week's episode on our media player, on iTunes, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_208.mp3

Reminder, we'll be taking visitors to the G! Festival this year as an add-on to our ultimate tour of the Faroe Islands this July. To sign up, go to the Nordic Obsession website.

Podcast 207: Faroese Media Landscape 2014

This week, another conversation with Birgir Kruse. This time, we're talking about Faroese media. The past 9 months have seen a serious shakeup in the media landscape. The country's biggest and oldest paper died, a new internet portal was born, and the TV news took the entire summer off. Birgir will help us make sense of it all.

Then we'll head off to a small village (pictured, above) that is home to a few industrial installations and was supposed to be home to most of the Faroe Islands' international shipping. Just what happened? We'll try to sort it our.

As always, you can listen on our media player at the top of the page, or on iTunes, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also directly download the show here:  http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_207.mp3

And as a reminder, time is running out to sign up for our ultimate tour of the Faroe Islands. Go to the Nordic Obsession website and reserve your place before April 4th.

Podcast 206: Football and Jail

On this week's show, we talk about sports. Specifically, we talk about soccer, or football if that's what you call it... we're not going to start that fight again.

Anyway, we'll hear some highlights from the Faroe Islands epic win against Gibraltar last week, and see who the Faroes will play in the qualifying rounds of EURO 2016. Then our good friend Heri Simonsen will talk to a German football coach who was in the Faroes last week.

Finally, we'll drive up a hill and arrive at one of the most beautifully situated jails on earth.

As always, you can listen on our media player, on iTunes, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also directly download the show here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_206.mp3

Podcast 205: Faroese Atlas

This week, we talk to our good friend Birgir Kruse about the thrills and challenges of putting together a world atlas in Faroese, It's all about language and identity and far more complicated than I would have imagined before putting this show together.

Then we visit a tiny village on Sandoy (pictured above) and try to interview a rooster.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on the media player at the top of the blog, or on Stitcher Smart Radio.
You can also download the show directly here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_205.mp3

We've still got some open spots on our tour to the Faroes this summer. Learn the details and reserve your spot by going to the Nordic Obsession website.

Podcast 204: Faroese Cooking

This week, we talk to Faroese chef Gutti Winther about cooking with locally sourced ingredients on the Faroe Islands. We'll also ask why he returned to the Faroes after working in some of the top kitchens in Copenhagen. You can watch an episode of his Faroese TV show here. (Even if you don't know Faroese, it's quite fun to watch.)

Then we'll travel south to Porkeri and find out why homes on this street (pictured above) are slightly larger than the average Faroese home.

We'll also find out what American hair metal band has been invited to play at this year's Summer Festival in Klaksvik.

And don't forget, we still have some slots available for our tour of the Faroe Islands this summer. It leaves from Copenhagen on July 8th, and we're limiting registration to just 8 people. To learn more, go to the Nordic Obsession website.

As always, you can listen to our show on iTunes, on the media player at the top of this page, and on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also directly download the show here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_204.mp3

And back by popular demand, here's a media player that will have out show even after we post the new one.

Podcast 203: Brits, Tunnels, and Wind

This week, our good friend Heri Simonsen talks to an Englishman who runs a British school in China. He's in the Faroes to visit friends and recruit students for the coming school year.

Also we'll hear about plans to build two long sub-sea tunnels, and we'll walk to the water (pictured above) and contemplate a treacherous journey to church.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. Yon can also download the show directly here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_203.mp3

You can also listen on our new media player at the bottom of this post.

And as a reminder, we're still taking reservations for our ultimate tour of the Faroe Islands. You can get more information at Nordic Obsession Tours. The deadline to sign up is April 4th, or whenever we hit our maximum capacity (8).

Podcast 202: Faroese Anti-Whaling, Part 2

This week, part two of our conversation with Runi Nielsen. He's a Faroese conservationist and a vocal opponent of whaling in the Faroe Islands. Last week, Nielsen gave his specific reasons why he thinks Faroese whaling should stop, This week, Nielsen talks about the effect outside groups are having on the debate over whaling in the Faroes (spoiler alert: they're undermining their own cause). We also talk about what it's like to be a Faroese person trying to convince his countrymen to abandon a centuries-old practice.

Then we head out to a soggy football pitch and watch a 2nd division team practice.

As always, you can listen on our media player, on iTunes, or on Stitcher Smart Radio. You can also download the show directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_202.mp3

Also, we've still got slots for our exclusive tour of the Faroe Islands this summer Registration ends on April 4th. Learn more at Nordic Obsession Tours.

Finally, we're experimenting with other media players, so here's this week's show in a new player. let us know what you think...

Podcast 201: Faroese, Anti-Whaling, Part 1

This week, we talk to Runi Nielsen. He's a Faroese conservationist and a leading voice against Faroese whaling. In part one of our interview, Nielsen makes the case against Faroese whaling and the long term effect of "Whale Wars, Viking Shores" on the debate in the Faroe Islands (hint: none).

While we recorded this interview last July, we released it this week in response to the old "Denmark is a Big Shame" email going viral over the weekend. The post is so full of inaccuracies that we're not going to get into it here. But if you would like to read some rebuttal and fact-checking from Russel Fielding, an academic who has been a guest on our show, you can find it here. The Huffington Post also has an opinion piece offering a different perspective on the whole "Big Shame" post.

Also on this week's show, we listen to some music from the first five acts announced for this year's G! Festival. And we listen to the sound of fireworks in Torshavn on New Year's Eve (see video above).

And if you're interested in seeing all five of those bands this summer, you can sign up for the tour we're leading of the Faroe Islands this summer. Just go to Nordic Obsession Tours to learn more and reserve your spot. Remember, space is limited to 8 people and we've already had our first couple of sign ups.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on Stitcher Smart Radio, or on our audio player at the top of the page, or you can download the show directly here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_201.mp3

Podcast 200: Happy Birthday to Us!

Us, in 2009.

This week, we mark our 5th birthday, and the 200th episode of the podcast. So we're pulling out all the stops with an extra-long double episode. We'll revisit some of our favorite moments from the last 100 shows, and look forward to our next set of adventures.

We'll explore the origin story of the podcast, which actually starts with this post about British sailors being taken hostage in Iran. We'll also take in highlights of our show where I just wander the streets of Torshavn in the morning, our show where Heri does a comedy routine, and our accidentally great coverage of 2012's historic Faroe Pride rally.

We also talk to a Danish man who is on a quest to visit every country in the world. We caught up with him as he passed through the Faroe Islands, and you can keep up with his journeys by following him on Facebook, Twitter and on his blog.

And finally, we'll unveil our new adventure, Nordic Obsession Tours. We'll be leading a tour of the Faroe Islands this coming July. You can get all the details on the Nordic Obsession website, and you can keep updated by  following Nordic Obsession on Facebook.

As always, you can listen on iTunes, on our media player at the top of the page, or you can download our show directly here:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/faroepodcast/Podcast_200.mp3