I first fell in love with the Channel Islands...well Jersey that is...in 1988. My mind was made up then that I would return - I just didn't think it would take almost thirty years!! Two years ago I revisited Jersey and it snuggled into my heart once again. While I was in Jersey I decided I would visit i's "rival" sister island, Guernsey someday soon. Being the two biggest islands in the Channel Islands they have a long-standing rivalry, with Jersey referring to the residents of Guernsey as donkeys and Guernsey referring to Jersey residents as crapauds (toads). All in good fun of course. Why donkeys? Well one of the reasons is it refers to the stubbornness of the Guernsey natives - they prefer to think of it as good character strength. Another reason was that traditionally if a Guernsey man had reached the age of 25 without being married or visited London he was referred to as a donkey. Okay.... Then maybe the most logical..donkeys were used most frequently in the Channel Islands in St Peter's Port due to the steep hills. Why a toad for Jersey? Jersey was the last of the channel islands to be cut off after the Ice Age so the common toad is only found here. And another reason is according to a Guernsey legend St Samson of Dol (whoever he is...) arrived in Jersey to such a hostile reception he carried on to Guernsey where he was welcomed. He repaid the inhabitants by sending all the snakes and toads to Jersey. If it's true and Guernsey has no snakes well that puts it ahead of Jersey in the "creeply crawlies I want to avoid" category.
So on Friday March 23rd I boarded an Aurigny (Guernsey's airline) flight from London Gatwick to Guernsey.
The original plan was to take a bus or two to my guest house but it was raining and sometimes it's just easier to get a taxi and be delivered to your door. I had a warm welcome at El Tabora guest house which is the only Two star Guest House on the Island. I felt like I was back in the 80's but with wifi! I loved staying there and if I went back I would stay there again. The two hosts David and Colin were fantastic and just couldn't do enough for their guests. Breakfast was ace! Colin was efficient and friendly, David was the cook and had a great sense of humour. A dynamic duo! The guest house wasn't right in the centre of town but it was a 20 minute walk or so they say - I opted for the short bus ride as St Peter Port is quite hilly!
Here is a picture of El Tabora Guest House - my room was the two left windows on the second floor (considered first floor in UK).
I wandered down the main road to Waitrose supermarket and picked up a sandwich and fruit for my evening meal and ate in my room. It was still pelting down rain.
The next morning after one of David's delicious cooked breakfasts I took the bus to the main bus depot by the harbour and got the number 91 bus which goes right around the island (mainly sticking to the coast) clockwise - the number 92 goes anti-clockwise. There was a kiosk at the station where I purchased a puffin pass for 15 pounds which gave me 27 rides. (I used them all up and had to pay for a couple of individual fares) There are no transfers - one ride is one ride off the pass. Of course, I had to keep the pass because how cute can you get??!!!
I didn't get off the bus but rode around peering out the window. The round island trip took about 90 minutes.
I decided to have a quick look around St Peter Port and liked what I saw. It is a charming little town with lots of nooks and crannies. The water front was lovely and I must say I liked it better than St Helier in Jersey. (you win this round , Guernsey)
This is the view at Albert Pier opposite the bus station looking towards Castle Cornet (pronounced Cornett...) - don't worry I will be visiting Castle Cornet later on in the trip...
Prince Albert checking things are working as they should at his pier.
I loved the narrow cobblestoned streets in St Peter's Port...I didn't linger too long in the centre of town but made note of a few shops and cafes I would visit on another day.
I then got the number 61 bus to Fort Gray to visit the Shipwreck Museum. There were over a hundred shipwrecks on the Hanois reef between 1734 and 1978 when (finally!) the shipping lanes were changed. Relics of these wrecks were the focus of the museum so it was a bit sad but very interesting as well. The museum is housed in a Martello tower which are spread all around the coast in the Channel Islands. (and in Ireland as well)
Token dog photo. Honestly, how cute is this? In fact, I was shaking as I was walking towards it thinking "please don't move, please don't move" (fellow photographers will get this) It was waiting for its owners who were having tea in the tea shop that was directly opposite the museum where my bus stopped. Shortly after I took the photo it jumped down.
I absolutely loved this approach to the museum.
I took a bus to Vazon and from there I walked to Cobo Bay which took about half an hour IF you didn't have to keep stopping and taking photographs and taking huge gulps of the wonderful sea air and grinning so much your face hurt. Fun fact: this blog was nearly called Misplaced Ocean Child as I love the ocean and feel so at peace when I am beside it. My preference is for rocky deserted beaches like this. (surfer dude a bonus!)
Visiting places like this in the off-season means dogs on the beaches - I LOVE seeing dogs on the beaches!
How could you not love walking along a path like this?
Duly noted!!!
I headed to the Cobo Fish Bar. And had some excellent fish and chips. Apparently, this place was voted one of Britains top fish and chips. An island tradition is to sit on the wall and watch the sunset eating their fish and chips. Sadly due to the cloudy weather there was no visible sunset that evening. I regretted having those fish and chips in the middle of the night - this may be too much information but since I had my gall bladder removed I can't eat too much greasy food in one day or let's just say the calories don't stay with me. (bonus!) To quote the Beatles... "I Should Have Known Better". Ah well, they were good but wasn't tempted in the least to ever go back during my one week stay. Next visit! (but I will resist one of David's cooked breakfasts that morning)
Then I hopped a bus from Cobo Bay (once I figured out where to catch the correct one..) directly back to the stop less than a block from my guest house.
And that's the first 24 hours or so of my time in Guernsey.
I wandered down the main road to Waitrose supermarket and picked up a sandwich and fruit for my evening meal and ate in my room. It was still pelting down rain.
The next morning after one of David's delicious cooked breakfasts I took the bus to the main bus depot by the harbour and got the number 91 bus which goes right around the island (mainly sticking to the coast) clockwise - the number 92 goes anti-clockwise. There was a kiosk at the station where I purchased a puffin pass for 15 pounds which gave me 27 rides. (I used them all up and had to pay for a couple of individual fares) There are no transfers - one ride is one ride off the pass. Of course, I had to keep the pass because how cute can you get??!!!
I didn't get off the bus but rode around peering out the window. The round island trip took about 90 minutes.
I decided to have a quick look around St Peter Port and liked what I saw. It is a charming little town with lots of nooks and crannies. The water front was lovely and I must say I liked it better than St Helier in Jersey. (you win this round , Guernsey)
This is the view at Albert Pier opposite the bus station looking towards Castle Cornet (pronounced Cornett...) - don't worry I will be visiting Castle Cornet later on in the trip...
Prince Albert checking things are working as they should at his pier.
I loved the narrow cobblestoned streets in St Peter's Port...I didn't linger too long in the centre of town but made note of a few shops and cafes I would visit on another day.
I then got the number 61 bus to Fort Gray to visit the Shipwreck Museum. There were over a hundred shipwrecks on the Hanois reef between 1734 and 1978 when (finally!) the shipping lanes were changed. Relics of these wrecks were the focus of the museum so it was a bit sad but very interesting as well. The museum is housed in a Martello tower which are spread all around the coast in the Channel Islands. (and in Ireland as well)
Token dog photo. Honestly, how cute is this? In fact, I was shaking as I was walking towards it thinking "please don't move, please don't move" (fellow photographers will get this) It was waiting for its owners who were having tea in the tea shop that was directly opposite the museum where my bus stopped. Shortly after I took the photo it jumped down.
I absolutely loved this approach to the museum.
I took a bus to Vazon and from there I walked to Cobo Bay which took about half an hour IF you didn't have to keep stopping and taking photographs and taking huge gulps of the wonderful sea air and grinning so much your face hurt. Fun fact: this blog was nearly called Misplaced Ocean Child as I love the ocean and feel so at peace when I am beside it. My preference is for rocky deserted beaches like this. (surfer dude a bonus!)
Visiting places like this in the off-season means dogs on the beaches - I LOVE seeing dogs on the beaches!
How could you not love walking along a path like this?
Duly noted!!!
I headed to the Cobo Fish Bar. And had some excellent fish and chips. Apparently, this place was voted one of Britains top fish and chips. An island tradition is to sit on the wall and watch the sunset eating their fish and chips. Sadly due to the cloudy weather there was no visible sunset that evening. I regretted having those fish and chips in the middle of the night - this may be too much information but since I had my gall bladder removed I can't eat too much greasy food in one day or let's just say the calories don't stay with me. (bonus!) To quote the Beatles... "I Should Have Known Better". Ah well, they were good but wasn't tempted in the least to ever go back during my one week stay. Next visit! (but I will resist one of David's cooked breakfasts that morning)
Then I hopped a bus from Cobo Bay (once I figured out where to catch the correct one..) directly back to the stop less than a block from my guest house.
And that's the first 24 hours or so of my time in Guernsey.
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