Guernsey!
Our trip to Guernsey of the Channel Islands took the form of a day trip from Jersey. We boarded a small Manche-iles ferry early during our second day in St. Helier and the trip took no more than an hour and a half each way. We were absolutely glad we went. Douglas was and is a beautiful place.
Just the day before, we had mistakenly booked a day long excursion to St. Malo in France through Condor Ferries. We went to the Condor Ferries terminal in downtown St. Helier and when we were told that no ferries were traveling to Guernsey the following day, we booked and paid for a trip to St. Malo instead.
We consoled ourselves that maybe, it just wasn't meant to be for us to set foot in St. Peter Port in Guernsey. Thus, we paid, took our tickets for our French trip, and left.
Along the way to the hotel, we passed by the main tourist office and just for grins, we inquired about excursions to Guernsey. We were told that there were indeed still plenty of seats for the day we wanted but it was with the much smaller company, the Manche-iles ferries. We were advised that should we decide to go, we had to go to a travel agency nearby.
We were both glad at the news since we realized then that we still had the opportunity to go to Guernsey. After all, we had planned to visit it right from the time we decided on traveling to Ireland and the UK this summer. We were likewise disheartened that we had already paid Condor Ferries nearly a hundred pounds for the St. Malo excursion. We had no idea if we could cancel our reservations and get a refund. Luckily, the male employee in the tourist agency where we went to buy our tickets for Guernsey helped us cancel our reservations for France by calling the main office of Condor Ferries in the UK. With all that confusion straightened out, we were more than ready to set foot on our 80th Traveler Century Club country.
The Castle Cornet and the Manche Ferry we took to go to St. Peter Port, Guernsey from St. Helier, Jersey
A view of our Manche Ferry from the St. Peter Port city center waterfront
The very first glimpse I had of Guernsey was the Castle Cornet.
What was underneath the dock was what we saw first as we disembarked the Manche Ferry in St. Peter Port
The st. Peter Port waterfront was absolutely picturesque
Marc at St. Peter Port, Guernsey
St. Peter Port, Guernsey
The Liberation Memorial, St. Peter Port
At Liberation Square close to the Ferry Terminal
This may appear to be the mast of a ship. This is fact lies in the middle of the street in St. Peter Port close to the Liberation Square.
This is what it is really like in full view.
The Tourist Information Office, St. Peter Port, Guernsey
A visit to the Tourist Information Office in St. Peter Port is a must. Located along the waterfront facing the marina and Castle Cornet, it is hard not to see. It has a ton of guides, brochures, and pamphlets as to the island's attractions and accommodations. It also sold a number of souvenirs and postcards.
The main entrance to the Guernsey Information Center
The Albert Statue and the Town Square
The Albert Statue and the Town Square up close
The Albert Statue
St. Peter Port, Guernsey
We thought this was a restaurant just like the popular Swan Oyster Bar in SFO. Turned out it was not a restaurant but a place that sold raw and uncooked fish. From here, Marc and I proceeded to visit Castle Cornet. (See the separate entry about the castle.)
The lighthouse as very short distance away from Castle Cornet
A close up view of the lighthouse where a number of locals were fishing
Castle Cornet
The Constables Office
The Constables Office
A War Memorial in St. Peter Port, High Street
Marc and I saw this mural on a wall of hotel and restaurant. I had to do some research to find out if it had a name. I found out that this mural actually had images of celebrities and important personalities from the island both from the past and in the present.
A Best Western Hotel right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle in St. Peter Port, Guernsey. This is where I would like to stay in Douglas if and when Marc and I return.
The Lloyds Bank
