Well… I’ve been the ferry for the whole day, so I expect this will be short. Firstly a few hints for the ferry. The couchettes are fine, certainly for one night. I’m breaking my journey at the Faroes but normally it’s two nights to Iceland, so two nights depending on your fellow travellers may be different! There is no bedding provided, it was pure luck I brought my sleeping bag up from the bike – it happened to be in the pannier with my clothes, and made more sense than lugging the cooking gear and food. Also there are no pillows. I didn’t blow my inflatable one up as I was causing enough disturbance anyway – the other four men (they are segregated) were all asleep at 10:15 when I thought about setting my bed up. I had been pretty quiet doing most of my unpacking and faffing out side of the room (with doors like wild West saloon ones, not reaching the ground or ceiling), then I sat on my bunk and started to tug the velcro on my cycling shoes – fast and loud or slow and painful – I went fast, and got a couple of groans from my companions.

I pre-ordered the meals, which is worth doing but you don’t really get a complete meal, just as much as you can eat main course. Coffee and pudding are extra – not really a problem as I never had room from the first plate full. Breakfast on the other hand was everything included, and with nothing better to do than make sure you try everything – twice. It’s excellent. That being said there are three restaurants and bars food, so plenty of choice to match different pockets.

It’s a really nice boat, but with nothing to do for many hours I just installed myself at the back of the bar (where there are plug sockets), in sight of the TV for never ending World Cup coverage. Two of the games got some interest, Iceland v Argentina, and Denmark v Peru, as they were the two countries we were sailing between. There was a good range of Faroese Beer and I tried quite a few of them.

On Sunday lunchtime we went very close to the Shetland Islands. I brought my binoculars and could see fishing boats, some small settlements and Muckle Flugga lighthouse right on the northern tip (and radar station). Also lots of sea birds flying around, and suddenly it was easy to spot fellow Brits, as we were all enjoying good 4G mobile phone coverage.

Apart from that, there was nothing to do apart from planning my Faroe bike ride. I’m going to try to get the bike on a bus to Skalabotnur (sounds like one of the Transformers to me). Then I can spend the rest of the day cycling up to Gjogv, and over a mountain pass to Eioi, where there is a campsite. Then to a campsite at Vestmanna, via some big waterfalls. Then back over another mountain to Torshavn and the ferry. This picks up quite a few of the things I wanted to see, and avoids any of the difficult tunnels. Although they sound dangerous to me as a cyclist – some are single track with passing places! It also means I only have to cycle over the Torshavn mountain once. This is all weather dependent, the weather forecast has gone from “almost gales” to not looking too bad (it has a fair chance of rain obviously) overnight.

It must be said generally I’m quietly bored, and I don’t think I’ll ever go on a cruise. There don’t seem to be any other cyclists, and seems to be big groups of bikers or motorcaravaners in the bars.

Not much more to say really, but based on the beer on board Faroese Beer should be good, and just waiting to arrive in Torshavn at 10:30pm.

It took a quick 10 minute ride to the campsite through a light drizzle and I was first tent here and after I pitched my tent there was a continuous convoy of camper vans and tents arriving off the ferry. The Faroese are very strict about camper vans, with them only allowed on designated sites. This looks like a good idea, as at least the local economy gets some financial benefit, and the remote areas not spoiled with camper vans parked up everywhere.