Isle of Bute  Friday 16^th October 2015

 

We travelled by car with the tandem in the back until we reached Gaurock. The shortest route is from Wemyss Bay but it is undergoing repairs. From Gaurock to Rothesay takes an hour by boat and we decided it was as cheap to take the car as it would be to leave it for the weekend in a carpark.

The larger than expected ferry should have left at 2.55 but it was late. There were quite a few cars and we sat inside with lovely sunny views to the side. This ferry has a designated area for people travelling with pets and despite the large signs saying so we had inadvertently managed to plant ourselves amongst all the dogs. We felt rather out of place as owners compared pooches and swapped titbits. It did get quite noisy and we could have moved but it was interesting to watch how they all interacted- from great danes down to poodles.

It is beautiful scenery down the Firth of Clyde and the sea was like a millpond.

We disembarked at Rothesay and after a short ride we found our B and B for the weekend. The Boathouse overlooks the harbour in a terrace of Victorian buildings. Our room has a sea view from a huge bay window.

 We were a bit disappointed with the lack of choice for eating out seeing as we were in the main town but we plumbed for the Victoria hotel. The food was nice enough but the atmosphere was a bit “stuffy” and I got a bit tired of the waitress from somewhere in the EU who maybe was trying to use her limited English but ended up telling us off for leaving some “healthy” vegetables. Perhaps she was a dietician the amount of times she used the h word!

We had hoped to have a really dark sky but unfortunately the street lights were really bright. It did seem that Bute was going to be a really pretty place though.

 

Saturday

After hearty breakfasts including porridge, haggis and black pudding-  for which I was very grateful later on as places for refreshments were sparse after the town, but our waitress friend would have been horrified-we left under a blue sky and the sun trying to vaporise fog over the sea and mainland. The isle of Arran seemed to be surrounded in mist most of the day with just the highest land floating on top.

The views all day have been fantastic. We set off towards Mount Stewart which we would have liked to visit but it is closed from the beginning of October. Despite this we thought we might have a glimpse if we rode down the long drive to the visitor’s centre passing orchards with apples still on the trees. We didn’t even spot a chimney so the estate must be vast.

Back on the road with the sea towards our left we carried on till the track for St Blane’s church. There is no proper parking for cars. We could lock the bike against a fence- not that we think Bute in any way a crime spot- but we do wonder if parking here is a problem in the summer. It was a 20 minute walk up a fairly steep hill where there is part of a ruin of the 14^th century church with fragments of 11^th century monastery walls dotted about. The light through gossamer mist gave the site a magical feel and we didn’t regret the walk though it was much harder walking back down the hill.

Back along the lane to the road we saw the huge rock formation that is the fortress- Dunagoil and we lingered a little while this time. It is a place steeped in history with marked paths for walking. I would have liked to have seen the caves there. As we looked I was sure I saw a large fin pass in the sea behind the fortress. We had been told to look out for basking sharks.

Moving on we passed an airfield- literally a field with a wind sock- and standing stones then more sea views till we reached Scalpsie Bay. There is a small car park with bike places here but there was only a motorcycle. We followed the path through the fields to the bay hoping for sightings of seals. There was a route marked on a sign with a map but we were unsure how far it was and it meant us disturbing the sleeping motorcyclist on the sand in the sun. We went the other way admiring the pink rock, looking like rose quartz, scattered over the shell strewn beach.

A couple of women were also trying to seal spot and the motorcyclist sat up and started playing a composition on a guitar. As we came closer he broke out into a rendition of “Here comes the sun” and I couldn’t help myself from joining in- he was good! In the sea we saw the dog like heads of several seals skimming over the water before diving.

We needed to press on so we carried on up to the custom made viewpoint, a platform fenced and gated looking out to sea. There were several people on it with binoculars getting excited. We could see a fin and when we looked through the glasses we could see the long outline of the basking shark, silvery where the sun hit its huge shape. We were lucky!

Keeping as close to the coast as we could down to Etterick Bay we took a footpath cum cycleway. We had to get off the bike for the sandy bits and our pedals got caught in the tussocks of grass- not really suitable for bikes but it was nice to be closer to the sea. This took us down to the only refreshment place outside towns (of which there are 2) a beach café. It was bustling with people and although a simple sort of shack it had waitress service and the cakes were to die for. Everything was homemade and we learned later that it was owned and run by a man in his 80s who works 7 days a week. What a gold mine!

Here we turned and rode across Bude past St. Colmac and more standing stones. Then came the Marina, Kames Bay and we were on the other side- there were no roads up to the tip of the island from Ettrick Bay.

After 5 miles we reached the other ferry at Rhubodach which has a really short crossing, about the length of 3 boats I thought. Farmers used to send their livestock across the water here to the mainland at Colintraive. We passed Rhubodach Forest with paths for walking but it looked foreboding today. Perhaps in the summer!

We watched the ferry leave and then rode the 8 miles back to Rothesay passing the other town of Port Balletyne. We wanted to visit the Victorian toilets in Rothesay. It cost us £3 each and as there were no other gents around I was allowed in to see the marble urinals and glass cisterns of which there were many. Victorian ladies didn’t have public toilets  and these  decorated with ornate tiles must have been a statement of prosperity. It was well worth a look.

We ate at the Esplanade which was good for real ale and then we watched a fabulous sunset.

 

Sunday

This was a really friendly place and we’d certainly go again. We caught the ferry at 9.45 after walking round the castle noticing a heron on the battlements.

The ferry had left on time but this is often not the case. There was some cloud but still a bit of sun. At night we had noticed a ship lit up in what looked like fairy lights across the water. We had passed it on the way to Rhubodach and heard gunfire here. It belongs to the ministry of Defence and is where nuclear submarines fill up their tanks. Now on the ferry we pass by a line of 3 frigates( out of a possible hundred) on Nato exercise, each with its own police escort. Just one sports a union jack but they are devoid of markings, stark grey.

It’s strange to think that this lovely place is probably less than an hour from Glasgow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Cumbrae

 

We left on Thursday 15^th October after lunch. The traffic though heavy wasn’t too bad as we drove up the M6. It was nearly dark when we arrived at Ayr for an overnight stop and we remembered the shorter days Scotland has in the winter.

Next morning there was dense fog which dampened our spirits somewhat. After a short distance towards Larg, where we would catch the ferry to Great Cumbrae, we suddenly came out into brilliant sunshine and so it remained all day. This was really lucky as most of the country was having bad or dull weather.

We arrived at the ferry car park just in time to partially build the bike, after smashing 2 bottles of beer destined for an evening tipple, hastily buy a ticket costing £5 each return, before embarking on the Caledonian Macbrayne boat. These seem to be half hourly though.

The water was very still and the views lovely on this very short trip- about 10 minutes. After arriving at the port, which had a small car park and a loo, we turned left at the road and rode the 10 miles clockwise around the island. The road is well tarmacked and flat with few cars but many families with bikes. A local nickname is island of a thousand bikes. The weather was good for us but it can be very windy though the ferry side is often protected by the mainland.

 There are some interesting geological rock formations. We passed the” lion” before Millport, Cumbrae’s town and at the beach here is the” crocodile”, unfortunately painted to more represent its title. Across to the mainland after leaving port you can see the power station run on the local deep sea coal. We could smell the burning coal.

It was 4 miles to Millport and we stopped at the one café on the island- the Dancing Midge. We didn’t feel very well received as customers but we wondered later if it was our cycling gear. To our astonishment this little island has 3 bike shops all hiring bikes, even tandems and one had a large 5 seater conference bike constructed in the round with a basket in the middle for business stationery and lap tops. Bikes rule here!

Following the road takes you right by the sea most of the time and the views after Millport were of Arran and Bute across the firth of Clyde. Riding here was a very tranquil experience and we often had the road completely to ourselves with just bird song to accompany us. We were sad to see a squashed hedgehog which couldn’t have been from a bike. There was a bus but we were only passed by a handful of cars and that was around Millport.

 

 

Back at the ferry again a lot more people were arriving, mostly with bikes. It was just past midday. Elderly ladies with shopping trollies were waiting to go to the mainland for their weekly shop. One lady said the ferry usually manages to run no matter the weather but just occasionally high winds stops 1 or2 crossings.

We both loved this island and would have liked to go through its middle to the highest point and to see the Cathedral but we needed to press on to get to Bute where we were staying 2 nights.

 

Cycling the other half of Jersey        Friday 28^th August

 

We set off once we had extricated the tandem from the car park where we were blocked in by a hire car. We still hadn’t sussed out the one way streets and Bob tried to find the route we’d take tomorrow for the ferry but we came out too high up and decided to try later and just carry on for now. We were on cycle route 1 again going east past the industrial part of the harbour, then on the main road by the sea. The beaches here are rock strewn and also with the dreaded sea lettuce.

We passed another look-out tower, which are dotted all along the edge of the sea and then cycled  through a golf course in a beautiful situation, right on the coast with a good view towards Mont Orgueil Castle. We stopped at Gorey where the castle sits on rock above the village. The beach is expansive and clean. It is 9 miles from where we started today.

Now the road seemed less busy and the route very scenic. We climbed quite a bit and the houses are more spread out. The sea is almost turquoise in the sunlight. We looked over a field of sunflowers at the cove below.

At Catherines’ woods we saw a red squirrel with a black tail. They are apparently hard to spot but we must have been quiet unusually!) We haven’t seen much wild life generally but then it did rain a lot.

We arrived at the Gerald Durrel Wildlife Park at 1pm where we would be guaranteed some sightings. At the cafe we battled with some wasps and consequently left are OS map which when we realised and went back was nowhere to be seen. Still the cycle paths are well marked.

We loved the gorillas and listened to the talk about them in the blazing sun. It is better than an ordinary zoo as there aren’t the bars and cages if the animals want to be outside. We seemed to be really close to the animals. The fruit bats were lovely to watch once the noisy people had left- you were told to be quiet because there was a baby bat attached to its mum. Everyone seems to love otters and there were 6 I think -a big family. All the enclosures were well thought out and we really enjoyed our afternoon.

We were on lanes past beauty spots where you could see France, Sark and Guernsey. We had to get off the bike for a short way as someone had been cutting a hawthorn hedge and the clippings were everywhere.

We went to the Devils Hole, accessed from the Priory Inn pub car park passing the sign for its play area-Little Devils which looked good for kids. From the car park, after locking the bike we walked down a wooded and winding path, passing a pond with a giant metal effigy of the “devil” over the years changing as the former statues have become worn. It was quite a steep descent and shingly which made it slippery in cycling shoes. It is about a mile walk there and back. There are 2 platforms from where you can view the crater caused by sea erosion of what once was the roof of a cave. It is 100foot across and 200 feet down. The views out to sea were good too. It has only been called Devils Hole since the 19^th century when the figurehead of wrecked boat was thrown into the hole by the tide. As it stuck there someone had the idea of adding horns to the wooden torso and so it started.. The walk back up is strenuous.

We headed back across the island via Vic in the Valley where we had dinner again. We were disappointed that the menu hadn’t changed and was fairly limited but we still enjoyed it. It was cold riding back through the valley and in St Helier we successfully did a ferry reconnoitre, arriving at the hotel just before 8. It was probably 30 miles today to complete the island circuit, though it might have been a bit less.

 

 

Thursday 27^th August

 

We decided that as the predictions by the met office were decidedly poor we’d go by bus to the Occupation Tunnels. An all day ticket cost £7.50 each here and we left from the state of the art bus station. There were many people arriving by coach and after paying the entry fee of £10 each we were rather miffed to be stuck in a crawling people -queue inside the mile long, chilly tunnel .We dreaded the thought of being in this for the whole length, but luckily, eventually whatever it was that slowed people down stopped being a problem and we could read and look at our leisure. It was interesting and worth doing. The displays seemed to convey life of the occupation in Jersey in an unsentimental and balanced way. There was a lot of reading with some interactive parts. The visitors are encouraged to empathise with both sides reminding us that the German soldier had a family at home. When the island ran out of food they were starving too. The tunnels though were built by prisoners and slaves. The underground hospital was hardly used for intended purpose. We had been given replica identity cards of islanders from the period when we bought our tickets. In the cafe afterwards we found information on our characters. I was a hated female collaborator and Bob was a preacher who spread news about the war’s progress to encourage his parishioners and consequently paid with his life in a prison of war camp.

 

We left on a number 8 bus taking us to Plumont Bay and then on to st Ouens where we caught a number 12 back to St Aubyns and where we thought we’d like to look around.

 

It was raining but even despite this we were disappointed -with the local hostelry who couldn’t keep the beer properly and the lack of things to do here. We liked the decanter lamp shades though! We walked back along the promenade for miles to St Helier noting the quantities of sea lettuce that really colours the sea green and makes the sand look like pasture. This must be costing the economy which relies on tourism for how can you swim in this?! We heard on the news that they might introduce a type of oyster which might help reduce the nitrate levels and therefore the weed problem.

 

The tide was in and the amphibious trucks were floating back from Elizabeth Castle.

We explored the town and found a pub for tonight where later we had fish and chips and well kept Liberation ale.

 L’Islet in St Aubin’s Bay Wednesday 26^th August Morning

 

As predicted the weather was awful. L’Islet is the tidal island on which Elizabeth’s Castle now stands in St Aubin’s Bay. It was formerly the site of the abbey of St Hellier but after confiscation by the Crown at the Reformation it was used for military purposes. Sir Walter Raleigh, Governor of Jersey 1600-1603, named the castle after Elizabeth 1.

 

The cause way is about a mile long and the tide was right out. The seaweed was really smelly and a real problem this year! We couldn’t understand why they didn’t clear it off the beaches.

After walking against the wind and through driving rain we arrived to be told that the castle would be closing at 12 o clock- in just over an hour. Unlike Castle Cornet there was no reduction, even though the furthermost bits were inaccessible today. We bought a ticket £12 each, which included the price of the amphibious vehicle, “duck”, for going back.

There were regimental exhibits and plenty of canons. We didn’t like the World War 2 bunkers but I really liked the gardens which gave good views and had chickens and a rooster running wild, hiding in the mounds of flowers. There were many slippery stairs to negotiate. Even if we had had more time we probably wouldn’t have stayed much longer- except to walk to the very end where there is another ruin.

The ride back didn’t require us to go through much water but it was because of the winds and rough sea that the castle closed early- these aren’t built like boats and as the causeway covered ,it would have been too dangerous to run them.

 

Afternoon

 

We walked back to the hotel then tried to dry off our clothes and shoes with the hair drier but then were evicted so they could clean our room. We sat in the smart hotel foyer in our socks flicking through magazines and an article about Lalique caught my eye. When the weather cleared we would ride out to St Matthew’s Glass Church which contained some of the glass artist’s work. A tiny patch of blue appeared which stretched across the sky to make a lovely afternoon.

We set off on the tandem along the promenade which was also part of cycle route 1 and took us alongside St. Aubyns Bay till we reached a large park. We pushed the bike through here to avoid the traffic, to the road parallel with the promenade. Not far, to the left of the park is an architecturally boring church, St Matthew’s but inside are the most beautiful glass sculptures and friezes. The church was built in 1840 and then refurbished in 1934, all the glass work executed by Renee Lalique. He had known Jesse Boot( of the Boots company) who’s wife was the benefactor in her husband’s memory. The huge glass etched doors are automatic and they welcome you into a fairly small interior where a large glass cross, glass font, frosted glass communion table, and pillars with internal lighting and decorated with lilies and angels all make this a remarkable building. There is no charge but there is a box for donations. I really liked it!

 

We retraced our steps to the cycle path where after St Aubyn, there is another tidal island with more fortification, just off the shore. Unfortunately we couldn’t be around when the tide was out as it cut right into the day. We took the old railway line, steadily up- route through lush woods and beside river for 5 miles approximately, until we came out at La Corbiere. Plenty of people were cycling and Bob was able to help a young girl whose pedal kept falling off.(The bike had not been well maintained by the hire firm. )In the end small stones had to be pushed into the workings to fix it-not having the right tool for the job!

When we came off the railway track and followed cycleway route 1 there was a fantastic view ahead and out to sea of the lighthouse on a rock. The road then went out to the Point and down a big hill so we decided to go back a small part of the railway track , about a mile in order to take the road North. We  walked a steep hill that took us to a plateau about a mile off the north coast and then we travelled diagonally back to St. Hellier. We stopped at a pub but they couldn’t fit us in for a meal. A few more miles downhill and we were at Vic in the Valley where we had such a nice meal that we went back another day too. We then sped down hills past a watermill and past the Glass church until we were on the promenade at st Hilliers. Behind us was a wonderful sunset. By 8.30 pm we had completed half the island at only 25 miles- though we did miss out a few peninsulas.

 

Last of Guernsey and heading out for Jersey Tuesday 25^th August

 

We gave breakfast a miss and had cereal in cheap camping bowls sitting in our room. It was exceedingly wet outside and a lovely cooked breakfast might have cheered us up but we had decided because of the time of the boat, to have dinner at midday. We had really enjoyed our stay here though- it was relaxed though of high standard. We packed up the tandem and left around 10, which was late for us.

 

First thing we had to do was ensure Bob had some clothes for the rest of the holiday. We were quite happy to wait for his washing to “cook” in the warm and dry Laundrette and the uninhibited young man in there bombarded us with questions about our life and cheeky comments which kept us entertained.

It was still pelting with rain when we came out and we made it up the hill then spotted a hotel. Maybe they did morning coffee. They gave us some anyway and we stayed 2 hours more having a roast dinner each before we left. With a vague idea that the sky looked a bit brighter we set off for the Little Chapel riding on the little lanes whenever possible.

 

 

 

 

 

It sits on a bank beside Blanchelande Girl’s College at Les Vauxbelets and was created by Brother Deodat in 1914, aspiring to be a miniature of the Grotto and Basilica at Lourdes. As we rode down the lane towards it, it was impossible not to smile at this colourful chapel decorated with broken bits of china, shells and small stones. When you came closer there were mosaic pictures and patterns of colour. Even though it is undergoing some much needed restoration this doesn’t detract from its fairytale quality. It had stairs down and nooks and crannies inside which belied the apparent size from outside it. We were amazed this was made by just one man.

 

We rode by the airport( several times) looking for a National Trust property, Les Caches, that we’d seen on a video at the Folk Museum. We found it but because it was on private land and there was no sign outside we assumed it wasn’t open to the public. Later we found out that it was closed till May 2016 for redevelopment. It would have been nice to have been told this at the Folk Museum!

 

Back at St Peter Port we visited Castle Cornet to while away the last of our time on Guernsey. Bob had a text from the ferry company to say that our boat to Jersey was delayed by 25 minutes. Normally £10, the admission tickets to the castle are reduced after 4 pm as it closes at 5, so it made sense to wait on the 15 minutes or so. The sun was out in earnest now and the sea looked calm. I sat down to write a postcard and suddenly the wind whipped it out of my hand. Unfortunately I’d stuck the stamp on. We eventually found it high in a gutter. It took a bit of ingenuity from an attendant who retrieved it by stacking stools on one another and climbing up. Despite all the previous rain it was none the worse for it and he enjoyed the challenge!

 

The castle looks to me from a distance to be made of concrete and with the middle keep section taken off it gives it a very boring outline. It was the official residence of the Governor of the island. The keep housed gunpowder that blew up when struck by lightning in 1672 taking with it the lives of the governor’s wife and mother among others. There are well documented exhibits. The buildings are much more interesting up close and evocative of a bygone era. We could see Herm and Sark. The Clipper, our ferry was just arriving so we thought it was time for us to leave.

 

It took ages for the boat to unload and as the only bike we were waiting with the cars. Several people had been waiting for the ferry yesterday when it couldn’t dock because of a cruise ship taking its place in the quay and they were trying again today. Despite being asked to move and threats of huge fines the captain wouldn’t budge and caused the ferry to go on to Poole without passengers disembarking or taking on people for Jersey. Quite a fiasco!

 

We were sent on the boat after the lorries but before the cars and the bike had a small space on the lorry deck. It was many stairs to the passenger deck which unlike the Liberation had tables and comfy chairs. In sunshine and slightly choppy seas we set off but the roll was less than from Poole to Guernsey and we stood outside in the sun for some while.

 

It would take around 2 hours , counting getting off the boat, which seemed a rather protracted affair. We had to wait to be taken down to the tandem by someone who hardly spoke 2 words of English and after a lift ride we were hustled into a people carrier with no explanation. Eventually with a full car of foot passengers he took us down a ramp and let us out at the place where we found the bike. By the time we were ready to leave all the harbour personnel had gone and we were in danger of being squashed by lorries. It was dark and disorientating. We eventually found the way out but then the streets of St Hellier, in the town centre, are all one way and we weren’t sure where to go to the hotel. A kind lady heard us talking and helped us, along with another passerby which helped ease the unwelcome feeling we’d been having. It wasn’t far out of the main centre and we found our hotel, another Great Western, where the tandem went in a gated car park. Here we had a four poster bed, a huge heart shaped bath and a balcony!

Experiencing Guernsey             Monday 24^th August

 

With the weather due to get worse we took the 41 bus to Saumerez Park under grey skies and drizzle. There was an interesting Folk Museum here and it being with the National Trust for Guernsey we were able to use our English National Trust cards. The costume section was particularly good especially the lingerie. We learnt that English had only been used on the island since 1925- before it was always French. It is odd that with so many French street names that people here don’t generally speak French or at least pronounce the names French- like. We had it in writing that the tomato industry had declined since 1980 -leaving the greenhouses to grow wild in dilapidation we noticed. We were surprised to see the amount of pesticides that used to be thrown at them- nicotine amongst them.

 

After walking the park and seeing the preparations for the Flower Festival ( sadly we won’t be here then) we caught another 41 to Grande Rocques. It was raining in earnest now and the wind was taking our breath away. We found a tavern on the verge of a bungalow estate where we had a quick lunch then sheltered for yet another bus on to Fort Grey. Tickets were on sale at Guernsey Pearl which is quite an interesting place. The jewellery was stunning. There is a lucky dip- For the price of £16 you can choose an oyster, guaranteed to contain a pearl. They open it, clean it with salt and water then value it. A young girl showed us her pearl, now put into a pretty silver cage and on a silver chain. It had been valued at £25 so not a bad profit. The shop mostly lost out to the customer- but what a sales ploy!

Fort Grey contains mostly lighthouse memorabilia and shipwreck details over 2 floors. It was the site of a castle that later became a Martello tower that is known as the cup and saucer. The wind whistled around it spookily and I couldn’t concentrate on the exhibits that needed more light for me to appreciate them.

 

 

 

 

There is no shelter here for the bus back to St Peter Port and as the buses are stopped by a hand signal we got soaked. The bus was busy too, not surprisingly but we passed fields of sunflowers and warm stone walls. Getting off at the bus terminus we visited La Valette Underground. It cost us £4 each and was full of weaponry, German helmets, medals and actual wartime notices with dire warnings against helping any British personnel. It was all very chilling and not helped by a visitor who seemed to think he was living in the era, marching up and down and going into explosive dialogue with imaginary people. I was glad to see the guns well locked up especially as he always seemed to be near us no matter how hard we tried to get away. This was an actual “residence” of the Nazis for 5 years.

 

Opposite our hotel we had observed that Christies restaurant was always busy so we decided to have an early bird meal there. It was delicious, well presented and a good price too.

We would have liked to be free to go wherever the fancy took us on our bike but the weather wasn’t good enough but it was an interesting day on the whole.

Cycle ride around the coast of GUERNSEY      Sunday 23^rd August afternoon

 

We arrived back from Herm and after a quick lunch thought we might manage to cycle half way round Guernsey but it was still a glorious day so we managed a complete circuit by 6 o clock just leaving out a couple of peninsulas. With the sea on our left we went past Castle Cornet and the bus depot, climbing out of St Peter Port on a winding busy road (though there was less traffic today because it was closed in town because of roadworks). We walked on the pavement as we didn’t need to kill ourselves! Eventually it plateau-ed out and it was several small lanes marked as 15 mile an hour, Ruette Tranquille, to follow. These give priority to walkers, cyclists and horse-riders but don’t prohibit normal traffic.

 

We rode to St. Martin’s Point for views but we didn’t stay long as the car park was full and people milled about. By the airport small planes took off one after the other very close to the houses. Perhaps they had good double glazing or maybe they were deaf. They all seemed to be propeller planes but the noise was intense for a few seconds.

 

There was a windmill marking the Goldsmith’s house and workshop and then we went down to Fort Grey on the coast which we followed until we turned off to go to Lihou Island. We would have visited this if the tides were right but unfortunately they were particularly high and the causeway was continually covered while we were on Guernsey. It is only accessible 2 weeks of every month.

 

Next we rode to Vazon Bay which was the most touristy bit of Guernsey for us. There are good surfing waves and the bay is good for swimmers. Facilities here are newly built.

At a little cabin cafe we had a “flat” coffee at Cobo Bay. The sea was beginning to have rocky outcrops and at Port Soif the rock seemed to be a pinky- red colour and the waves rolled beautifully surely for surfing , though we didn’t see anyone. The west beach had sand dunes.

 

We were on the cycle way when at 5.30 church bells began to peal out. Next we came upon Bordeaux Harbour which is one of the few places where dogs can walk the beach all year round -mostly restrictions apply. There are small fishing boats here and the currents make it inadvisable to swim.

 

 At Samson’s Bay we were nearly back at St Peter Port. Here was more industry, then many offices, perhaps connected with banking (so important to Guernsey at the present time) and then a proper cycleway beside the road.  Just a few more mile took us back to the hotel and we had gone 24 miles in 3 hours. We would visit some tourist attractions tomorrow in the rain.

HERM    Sunday 23^rd August

 

We left on the 10.15 ferry from St Peters’ Port on Trident and the 20 minute ride cost £12 each return. We stood out front in the sun.

 What a lovely place Herm is! You can see it is a well loved and looked after island and we passed some of the people maintaining it today- someone collecting rubbish and another mowing the path ways. Despite this it has areas of different character and terrain. We walked around the coast path which is approximately 3 miles, sometimes hilly and rocky but always with lovely views out to sea. Some of the walk was quite challenging with narrow, close to edge paths. We took a clockwise route past the camp site with few facilities it is almost wild camping. We met a family of 6 later from Guernsey who camp here every summer holiday and really love it.

 

Shell Beach was a bit disappointing in that it had few shells but it was a good place to swim and some brave older people were in the water which they said was warmer than the outside air, though this would only have been because of the wind.

 

The path climbed near here, with some steps and through bracken and some exotic looking plants. We passed a burial chamber and then the back of the campsite where children were swinging in the pine trees. Despite there being quite a few people on the small island it somehow seemed to absorb them and we weren’t among crowds at all. The next bit was exerting and the wind had dropped with the sun hot on our backs. There were plenty of butterflies, common blues among them and we found unusual feathers with orange- brown markings near the tip. We watched several kestrels hunting. Further along there is a nature reserve for nesting Puffins (June) but there is no sign of them now.

 

We needed to catch the 12.35 boat in order to make the most of the best weather and cycle some of Guernsey. We hurried past the large building of the White House Hotel which we heard had no telephones, clocks or televisions and was quite old fashioned. It sounds lovely to me! At the quay children were tomb-stoning into the sea. We made the boat easily as it was late leaving with all the campsite” luggage” – tents, stoves, gas bottles, inflatables etc. which took  up the front of the boat so we sat inside.

 

We arrived back for a quick lunch around 1pm and got ready for a quick bike ride but instead ended up cycling right round Guernsey, making the most of the fine weather.

 

 

 

Thursday 20^th August – 29^th.  Exploring the Channel Islands.

 

 Poole to Guernsey

Home commitments meant we couldn’t leave till well into the afternoon. With the tandem packed in the car we left for Winchester where we stayed the first night, not too far away from Poole where we caught the ferry. We were able to visit our next door neighbours of more than 10 years ago and they kindly looked after the car   - parking is very expensive and hard to find in Poole. From their house it was mostly cycleway by the sea to the ferry.

 We learnt that 70% of visitors to the Channel Islands go by air and though we were lucky with all the crossings we did this holiday we wouldn’t want to go by sea again. You can travel overnight by Condor Ferries with a cabin on the Clipper from Portsmouth, the older boat or in seats on the Liberation from Poole, which looks smart and is new this year. The Liberation, though looking like a catamaran which should give it extra stability and being twice the speed of the Clipper, rocks even when static in dock. When the sea is only a little choppy the motion is greater than what you would normally expect. It is better to stay in the aircraft style seats though we did walk about a bit. It was evident that most of the ship’s cabin crew found the exaggerated motion uncomfortable too.

It was a lot cheaper to go with bikes -£90 for one trip between us (bikes are free) whereas with a car you pay for the passengers and £100 for the vehicle. Bob had the sat nav with him and the boat averaged 35 miles an hour which is a good speed.

The Liberation left Poole at 3 pm and then it was 3hrs to Guernsey, where we got off, then it carried on to Jersey for another hour. It would leave again around 9 pm for Guernsey and then Poole arriving about 3 in the morning. The time varies as it continually sails back and forth until it breaks down or there is a problem.  

We liked the safety rap on the video and it certainly made you listen.

There were lovely views of first Alderney, still in the Channel and then Herm as we drew close to Guernsey both of which are in the Atlantic Ocean. Sun -shine was a bonus in an unsettled week. A toddler asked her grandpa what the yellow bits in the sea were – the sea was really sparkling!

 

At Guernsey we were let off the boat quite quickly and we arrived at our hotel not long after 6. It was a short walk away. Our tandem went in a garage just off the main shopping street and Moores Hotel was handy for shops and restaurants. This felt like a really happy place to work and we enjoyed our time here. Breakfasts were wonderful, especially the red fruit compote. Our room had air-conditioning which we only needed a couple of days as the wind moved up several notches and the rain made it cooler.

 

SARK

Saturday we got up really early, missing what would have been our first breakfast in order to get a really early boat to Sark, 8 am.( early bird at £24 each) This was a mistake as we couldn’t have a boat back till 4pm and we were ready to go back after a few hours. The boat filled up with a noisy football team and some others who looked like they might be doing some sport like cricket. We moved outside to be kinder to our ears! It took about an hour across, passing the Barclay brothers castle hideaway on the next door island. It seems that they have quite a say in how Sark is run owning hotels and properties there too.

Just outside the harbour we passed a huge, anchored P and O cruise ship. Apparently there is one there most days during the summer and they boat in large groups of tourists who help boost the economy in Guernsey. We hired bikes and went all around the island. It isn’t possible to take a path round the coast but we walked to its extremities. Sark is beautiful but precipitous. We only saw one place where you can swim- down a steep, slippery path to a cove a long way below, near the bridge to Little Sark.

The first thing we did on Sark soil is to have a bacon sandwich which we really enjoyed in the little harbour cafe. We walked through a cave like tunnel to a protected harbour and saw how clear the water is. The sea was a gorgeous blue from viewpoints! A lot of people took the tractor taxis that pulled trailors of visitors up the hill( and it was a slow puff - making walk for us!) where eventually there are houses and shops. We hired our bikes form Avenue. They had gears that worked and they looked in better condition than the other Company’s. Ours cost £7 a day each but mine was awkward and I have never looked so drunk in the saddle, it wobbled so much, so a day was too long! The road is very stony. Traffic is just bikes, horses and tractors.

 

We set off north, parked the bikes against a wall and walked down some bramble ( the tiniest ever blackberries!) and blackthorn edged paths to a seat overlooking steep drops down to the sea across to Herm and Guernsey. There were plenty of butterflies- small coppers, red admiral and others we couldn’t identify. There was a clay pigeon shoot advertised and shooting started while we were there, though we could only hear them. There were paths that seemed to go further to the edge of the cliffs but they seemed to peter out and I was too chicken to risk it.

We went back for the bikes and rode to a little shop where we bought delicious peaches. Their homemade lemon curd was very tempting but didn’t fancy its chance on this rocky road. Here we met a lady, an anthropologist, who arrived here 40 odd years ago and after meeting her future husband at a whist drive decided to stay. She had once had a mobility scooter but crashed it and now rides a motorised pushbike that looked far too cumbersome for her to handle. She seemed quite a character.

 

We rode down to the duck pond and then up by vineyards to the Monument. There were flying ants everywhere with clouds of insects around the pinnacle. We felt too itchy to sit in the sun here for long. Later we passed our rowdy fellow passengers, playing their game of football in proper kit with what looked like a club house in the grounds- serious stuff!

 

We headed out to Little Sark. The roads have been full of rocks but here the track was smoothed out dry mud and it led to the narrow La Coupee Bridge, spanning across the 2 islands. Cyclists had to walk their bikes at this point and the views again were stunning though not perhaps for anyone suffering from vertigo.

We passed the hotel, La Slabonnerie and the Tea Gardens travelling on as far as we could go, past what looked like self catering holiday places. We ended up cycling on grass until a wooden barrier told us the rest of the island this way is private. It was back to the Tea Gardens, obviously part of the hotel, where we had a light lunch and marvelled at the unusually marked Jersey Tiger Moth ( we identified later at the Visitor Centre back in the village. We never saw one again, even on Jersey!)

 

The air was getting heavy with stormy weather approaching and the last thing I wanted was to push the bike( that I couldn’t wait to be rid of) up any more hills but it had to be done to cross the bridge again. It was busy around the visitor Centre. There was a small area of craft and second hand sales and a marquee selling cream teas- the whole island was involved in a cream tea competition that encouraged tourists to vote for their favourite. Slight snag here as there is a limit to how many cream teas one person can consume to be able to compare. We voted at the visitor centre which sadly had little of interest though the lady there was able to help us put a name to our butterfly photo.

 

It was slow peddling behind the workhorses pulling their tourist load. The road was too narrow to get by easily. It was good to see them rather than tractors, which create dust and are very noisy. The bike shop was closed when we got there so we leant our bikes against the wall like everyone else and hoped that was OK. The Post Office could boast a gold post box from the Olympic Games for the medal won by the Dressage winner, Carl Hester.

 

In the centre of the village you could only have a drink at the pub if you bought a meal so we walked back towards the harbour where at the top of the hill there was a lively Local. It was playing really loud music, even in the garden ,where we sat under an umbrella with just the first drops of rain falling. Bob enjoyed his exceedingly bitter beer but with dark clouds gathering I was getting anxious about the boat journey back. We whiled away an hour then took the footpath down the hill instead of the road now busy with tractors. There were many more people than came over with us so they had to put on the larger boat. The trip back was better than expected , being still and mild but Guernsey was shrouded in mists.

 

After hearing bad things about the Barclay brothers who own the Telegraph as well as hotels and properties on Sark it was good to hear that they possibly helped save the fishing industry here. I don’t think it compensates for them ruining lives for immense profits on Sark though. They don’t even live in their castle on the next door private isle of Brecqhou which apparently if you stay in one of their hotels for at least 2 nights you can book a tour.

Sark uses oil for electricity which makes this 5 times more expensive than the mainland, said some locals. They have suitable waters around them to generate from the sea and talks are just beginning to that end.

 

 

Back on Guernsey we had a lovely set meal for £12, with their garden vegetables ( maybe!?) at the Pickled Pig and we thought the staff very friendly and accommodating.

Next we decided to go on a circular bus trip-we just didn’t get off at the end of the line- for £1. This gave us the lie of the land and we met some friendly people. Apparently all the derelict greenhouses we were seeing are due to changes in EU regulations and where you would have seen, as we did in the 80s, glass houses full of tomatoes, now only a few are in use having lost out to the Dutch market. We loved the look of Grande Roques -perfect for sun set watching and decided to go to Herm next , before the predicted bad weather, leaving the tandem in the hotel garage yet another day.