Channel Islands- Jersey with Duncan, Midi & Marguerite

 Channel Islands- Jersey 

We touched down off the beautiful island of Jersey. As we disembarked, we felt the lovely warm island air. We had arrived on a very important day in Jersey’s history as it was liberation day which is the day the island celebrates its liberation from German occupation during World War ll. The islanders had decorated the fronts of their houses with bunting and flags to help commemorate this special day.

 

It was off down to the marina to the fantastic Maritime Museum which is home to the tapestry room where a series of incredible tapestries depict both Jerseys occupation by the Germans and its liberation. The tapestries were completed in exquisite detail and were supported by interactive screens where we could follow the story of Germany ‘s invasion of the island including its bombing of the harbour and how they forced the islanders into a heart-breaking choice to either flee their homes and seek refuge on the mainland or live under their rule. We learned lots about what life was like for those that stayed on the island under the new regime. There was so much to see, and we loved how interactive the exhibits were; we could really get hands on. 

We caught Le Petit Train from Liberation Square which took us along the sea wall to St. Aubin. Along the way we were given an audio description of the miles of golden sands and its World War ll fortifications to our left and many interesting buildings to the right. 

An ice cream treat was a must! We are on holiday after all! 

Today we had decided to visit the magnificent Elizabeth Castle and getting there would provide us with a very unique experience in itself as we had arrived just in time to hitch a ride to the granite island on the castle ferry. Now this was no ordinary ferry, this was in fact an amphibious vehicle meaning it could both travel across land and sea. On the way over to the castle the tide was out so we simply took a bumpy drive over the causeway to the castle gate. 

When we arrived at the gate a lovely lady was there to welcome us and give us lots of helpful information about the layout of the castle and where things were. We listened to some interesting history, including the story of St. Helier, the port and towns namesake who lived on the tiny island and would light a signal fire to warn the towns folk of impending attacks from pirates which ultimately lead to him coming to a gruesome end at the hands of the pirates.

Then, we made our way to the parade ground stopping on the way to check out a German built bunker which still serves as a reminder of the Germans occupation. We came across a finely dressed military gentleman or sergeant as he insisted on being called. He gave an extremely informative talk on the castle’s history and its function as a defensive position over the centuries. He then gave us a demonstration on how to load and fire a musket. The noise it made as the gun was fired was incredible and we couldn’t imagine how it must have sounded in a real battle with dozens of muskets being fired at once. The sergeant asked for volunteers, so Gary and Mark put their hands up as they knew they’d be the right men for the job! The sergeant gave a fantastic live demonstration of one of the cannons being fired and Mark and Gary were responsible for pulling the ropes which get the cannon into position. The fuse was lit and there was a big bang and huge puff of smoke. It was a very exhilarating moment. 

The sun was shinning as we set off on our coastal tour of all 43 miles of Jersey’s coastline. Alex provided us with lots of information as we went along also pointing out the houses of some famous islanders. The highlight of the tour was a stop at St. Brelades Bay with its stunning stretch of coastline which looked so beautiful in the afternoon sun. Here we had time for a drink and an opportunity to look round some of its quaint little gift shops. On the way back we stopped to check out an old World War ll German gun tower which now serves as a hostel for travellers visiting the island. 

Today we travelled to the opposite end of the island to visit Gorey Castle, an imposing 12th century fortress which overlooks the bay. We had a fantastic time exploring the castle taking every opportunity to stop and marvel at the stunning views in every direction where we could even see the French coast which was only a mere 11 miles away from where we were standing. We checked out some medieval artillery and weapons and even discovered lots of amazing art works hidden about the castles many rooms.