The Channel Islands

Guernsey is only one of several islands but does have roads and cars. We also visited Sark and Herm which do not. On Herm you could walk everywhere, and on Sark there are horse and carts, bikes and tractors. Mostly they are holiday destinations with hotels, tents and self catering accommodation. They all have good beaches, with lots of boating too.

Guernsey's main town is St Peter Port , where Katrina and Charlie live. It is very steep with lots of steps and stairs up from the port, has a large smart shopping area, a very busy harbour with cruise ships coming and going, a castle, and a thriving financial sector. There is really no government except some sort of cross between heriditary and nominated officials, and no taxes are paid to Britian, although they are still British Territory and defended by the British military. They run their own schools and health services but go to England for anything major. There are many very good restaurants , all serving crab in many varies forms, but best in crab sandwiches. Lots of fish as well, including sea bass and sole.

The Occupation is still their main tourist focus, with lots of stories from the children who were evacuated and those that were left behind under German rule. They all ran out of food by the end of 1944 but Churchill wouldnt allow supplies to be sent because that would benefit the Germans, but a Red Cross boat did come in December and they were finally liberated in May 1945.

We saw some lovely gardens with great perennial borders in the traditional English style, although we went to a garden walk on Herm, and the young gardener was taking great pride in being waterwise and was growing many Australian and African plants, such as callistemon and many echiums

This is the view of Sark as we flew over with a very dramatic road which links Little Sark with Sark. The road is on a narrow strip with cliffs falling away on either side. We went to a lovely garden here at the home of the Seignor (the hereditary boss).

We went for 3 days to St Malo in France and 2 hours on the ferry. We all enjoyed this very much , and you realise that living on an island can be quite limiting, also the food was great in France. We went to Mont Saint Michel which was really spectacular, even without being cut off from the land, just a huge structure started in the Middle Ages built on to solid rock.

SEE YOU ALL SOON HOME VERY SOON