All of the older traditional buildings in the Faroes consist of heavy stone walls and a living grass roof.  In addition to providing good insulation through the cold, black winter, this construction also offers protection from the wind.  In the winter months, sustained winds of 45 mph are common, with gusts and gales exceeding 100 mph, and the weight of the sod and grass prevent the roof from being ripped off in a storm.

This portrait is of a man in the village of Bøur trimming the grass on the roof of his house with a scythe.  In August, while I was traveling in the Faroes, all of the islanders were busy cutting grass on their farms and hanging it to dry to feed their sheep through the winter.