St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands

Guernsey will be a tender port.  Guernsey, with an area of 24.3 sq. miles, is a tender port and is fairly exposed to the elements, so the tender ride can be 'interesting'; but if it's too rough then, as with all tender ports, there is the chance it could be cancelled. St. Peter Port is Guernsey's main town and was "put on the map" in 1855 when Victor Hugo, exiled from France, made his home at Hauteville House, where he wrote Les Miserables. The French impressionist painter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir spent a little over a month on Guernsey in late summer of 1883, staying in lodgings in St. Peter Port. He painted about 15 pictures on the island... click here for "Children by the Sea in Guernsey".

Here's a beautiful Youtube video of Guernsey!

 (thanks to my friend, Diana, for the photo)

The traditional language of Guernsey is Dgernesiais, hailing to the day of William the Conqueror (oh, by the way, I found out that William is my ancestor during my geneology research!). Mostly heard spoken by "pensioners", there has been a resurgence of interest in this Norman French dialect in Guernsey.

How about food? Islanders have an enduring passion ­ for food. Norman roots and a cosmopolitan seafaring heritage combine with the perfect gardening climate, bountiful sea and arguably the best milk in the world to make this a paradise for eating and drinking. Summer in Guernsey is all about al fresco dining, with long cliff top lunches and leisurely gatherings at old farmhouse restaurants. One of the locals’ best-kept secrets is fresh fish and chips and chilled local cider. Another foodie "to do" is to have a Guernsey Gache (pronounced "gosh")with local butter. There's nothing like it anywhere else! Click here for the recipe.

I read the book, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society". It's a neat fictional book (with a lot of facts) that takes place on the island during and after WWII.

Guernsey was occupied by the Germans during WWII so you can see a lot of emplacements around the island, including the underground hospital. The "Little Chapel" is also interesting and will likely get you a chance to see Guernsey cows.

The local bus service is excellent for tourists; just be aware that it only comes by some of the stops once an hour! It's cheap and frequent during the daytime hours. If you want a taxi there will be plenty.

You'll dock by tender and then you can take a less than 5 minute walk before you're actually in the city centre. If you want to stay in St Peter Port, then there are plenty of shops and restaurants to keep you amused.  If you're in search of a restaurant for lunch, there are plenty of choices, including everything from Chinese to Italian.   Christies gets great reviews as does Pier 17.

When it comes to shopping just be aware that despite being portrayed as a tax free Island, a lot of the retailers charge the exact same price as in their UK stores.

Some island recommendations are:

* The Little Chapel at Les Vauxbelets is thought to be the smallest church in the world, with space for a priest and a congregation of just two.
* Castle Cornet overlooks the harbour and built during the reign of King Stephen; it has influences from many eras, through to the German occupation of World War II. It also contains the Royal Guernsey Militia Museum, a Maritime Museum and attractive gardens.
* Victor Hugo's house
* German occupation museum, which gives a glimpse of island life during German occupation in WWII
* German underground hospital (I've heard that it's got a real atmosphere)
* Fort Grey (if you're interested in nautical history)