Guernsey is the second largest island in the Channel Isles (south of the UK) behind Jersey. I was very fortunate to be able to stay with family friends in Guernsey for a week.
There are two options to get to Guernsey from London Condor Ferries and the Aurigny airline.
I took the boat from Portsmouth which takes 8hrs and costs £35. And then I flew back to Gatwick which is only 1hr and costs £69. Make sure you are prepared for the frequent delays due to fog.
I visited the Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery for £2 (student price). There was an interesting exhibition in Patois (Guernsey French) which is a highly endangered language with only about 200 speakers. I think it sounds like French but with a very posh British accent.
At the museum reception desk, you can borrow the key to the nearby Victoria Tower for periods of up to 30min. The tower commemorates the surprise visit made by Queen Victoria, the first by a reigning monarch, in 1846. From the top, there is a great view over St Peter Port harbour.
I also visited the incredible German Occupation Museum which is run single-handedly by the interesting and knowledgeable Richard Heaume. There's a cafe at in the middle where I got to try the local cake, Guernsey Gauche.
Entrance to the museum is £6 and cash only. Make sure you have Guernsey pounds (yes, I've learnt that each region has its own currency and while you can usually pay with any type of pound, vendors do have the right to refuse.
Guernsey was the only British territory in Europe to be occupied by the Germans during WWII. Richard has amalgamated an amazingly extensive collection and I learnt that:
the island of Alderney and all school-aged children in Guernsey were evacuated to England in 1940
the Germans invaded on the 28th of June 1940 and officially took charge of the island within two days
wounded Germans were brought to Guernsey to the Underground Hospital
the Germans built multiple observation towers around the island which can still be accessed today (see pics below)
Guernsey was given German place names, and the driving was changed to the right-hand side of the road
three Jewish ladies who had tried to escape the war were trapped in the Channel Isles, a Crown Dependency, but were unable to enter England. Devastatingly, they were deported to Auschwitz
from 1945-5, many civilians had their radios confiscated, were unable to find work, and lacked food. Over the winter, they starved, eating only moss and drinking bramble tea until Swedish Red Cross intervened
after fiver years of German occupation, Guernsey was liberated on the 9th of May, 1945 by HMS Bulldog with the end of European War
After exploring the museum, Richard took me on a tour (him on tractor, me on bike) to the house that once belonged to Captain William Le Lacheur. Interestingly, the Guernsey-man is credited for having transformed Costa Rica's economy and bringing coffee to England. He also sponsored the sons of Costa Rican farmers to be educated in the UK and they are known for introducing football to Costa Rica. The Costa Rican ambassador to the UK made a visit in 2019.
I went on an idyllic day trip to the tiny island of Sark, part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The ferry there was pretty rough and delayed due to fog. Thankfully, I met a lovely group of locals to pass the time. With a population of around 500, I fell in love with the island. I loved the nature, the narrow passageway known as the Coupé, and the 'Window in the Rock'. There are no cars on Sark and the locals navigate their way along the dirt roads via foot, bicycle, or tractor. I was easily able to walk around the island in a day. The island also lacks street lights, so the stars are incredible at night.
Guernsey Post is separate to Royal Mail and can be identified by the iconic blue pillar boxes. While Guernsey Post provides service to Sark, the pillar box is painted gold instead of blue to commemorate Carl Hester's gold medal in Dressage at the London 2012 Olympics.
Guernsey has quite a few interesting walks. I visited the Déhus Dolmen, a neolithic stone burial chamber, dating back to 3,500BCE. The 10m-long passage grave was excavated in 1837.
And I also went on the beautiful Moulin Huet Bay walk which features five of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's paintings from his month in Guernsey during 1883. They have been lined up perfectly from his perspective.
Notes:
- Unfortunately there were a few points of interest closed over the winter period including: the Underground Hospital, Castle Cornet, Victor Hugo's House, Suarez Manor, and multiple fortresses.
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