Friday thru Sunday - Guernsey & Jersey

Friday morning in Guernsey
The tour group were going to Sark for the day and as it is walking only and horse-drawn conveyances I made the sensible decision to stay in St Peter's Post. After a delicious sleep in, I had a pot of tea and set out to explore near the hotel.

Cup of tea on the terrace, Duke of Richmond Hotel, Guernsey

My room, Duke of Richmond Hotel, Guernsey

View from the terrace, Duke of Richmond Hotel, Guernsey

Close by the hotel is the Priaulx Library, you can read about the library here. The library preserves Guernsey's history and genealogy and makes it available to the public. A family historians paradise, how I wish I had Guernsey ancestors! The librarian on duty was thrilled I was from Australia and doubly thrilled I was interested in the library and the collection. She introduced me to a book produced by La Société Guernesiaise titled Guernsey Emigrants to Australia 1828 - 1899 by David Kreckeler. The book lists 1229 Guernsey men who emigrated to Australia and has a short biography of the men and their sea captains. I have ordered a copy of the book for the Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ).

Ashes of Mr Priaulx - difficult to see

Priaulx Library, Guernsey

The library is located in the Candie Gardens, beautiful trees and flowers and a photographic exhibition of  Guernsey thru the ages in movement.

Photographic exhibit, Guernsey

Queen Victoria in the Candie Gardens, Guernsey

Saturday
Next day we visited the German Occupation Museum. Guernsey was occupied from 30th June 1940 until liberation on the 9th May 1945. You can read more about this extraordinary museum here. The whole island of Guernsey is full of fortifications, bunkers, tunnels etc that remain after the Second World War. There is even an underground hospital that the Gedrman Army used. I am not really one for remains of war but most people on the tour were fascinated. We even saw a bunker on the side of a hill that had been turned into a house - come on Grand Designs.

After returning to the hotel we were fortunate to meet with Molly Bihet, who told us in her words about the occupation and liberation. Molly was nine when Geermany occupied Guernsey and fourteen at liberation. she has written a number of books about the occupation and they are fascinating reading - much more interesting than bunkers, guns etc. You can read more about Molly here.

A Child's War by Molly Bihet

Sunday - Guernsey to Jersey
Sunday morning we checked out of the Duke of Richmond Hotel in the morning, cases in the coach etc. Isn't it amazing that when you repack a bagit never seems to go in the same? As the ferry to Jersey wasn't leaving until 4 pm we had the day to explore more of Guernsey.

Beautiful day and low tide at Guernsey

Ferry left on time from St Peter's Port, Guernsey and arrived at St Helier, Jersey at 5:10 pm. Our wonderful guide, June, took us for a lovely drive through the south and west of Jersey. Great scenery and a majestic sunset. I was in my heaven when we stopped near a graveyard at the Church of St Brelade.

Memorial of Captain John Harmon, buried at sea, 1876

There were many gravstones dedicated to seafarers with sad memories of people lost at sea and died in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. These people were cod fishers and many moved to Canada following the cod.

It was a long day and I was releived to arrive at our hotel, the greenhills Country Hotel. More about the hotel tomorrow.