EVERY summer, Majbritt Jakobsen spends more time hunched over her sewing machine. She makes the woollen breeches, skirts and embroidered waistcoats the Faroese wear for Olavsoka, a midsummer holiday of parades, dancing and mass renditions of hundred-verse ballads. Demand is booming, even from fashion-conscious youngsters. A few years ago, she would stop taking orders in May. This year, it was February. Even so, she worked 16-hour days to get the outfits ready in time.
The Faroe Islands, a tiny cluster of rocks in the North Atlantic, are suddenly cool. Politicians fretted for years about a shrinking population; these days more people are settling here than packing up. There are now 50,000 islanders, a record high, though they are still outnumbered by around 80,000 sheep. Tourism is on the up, too, with adventurous foodies lured by the dubious charms of fermented lamb and whale blubber. National pride is surging, claims Mrs Jakobsen. “We will put the Faroe Islands on the...Continue reading
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