Jersey…
I would strongly recommend visiting this wonderful little island to anyone who has never been before. Although our primary reason for going was to see my friend Fiona wed her (now husband) Peter, we still had one full day to go out and venture round the island.
We stayed at a lovely little B&B in the heart of St. Helier called Surrey Lodge. The location was perfect as we were mere minutes away from the main centre of town, with all the shops and restaurants within walking distance. The main bus station was located just a few minutes away next to the harbour where we were able to catch an EasyLink hop-on-hop-off bus which travels around the island, stopping at all the main landmarks and attractions at a cost of only £7.50 for an all day adult travel card... Children under 16 go for free!
Jersey has so much to offer, and time was limited, so we decided to visit Mont Orgueil Castle, and the Jersey Zoo.
Mont Orgueil Castle must be one of the best castles I have ever visited (and those of you that know me know that I have visited quite a few and how much I enjoy castles and ruins). The castle itself has only recently been re-opened to the public after some restoration work. Built in the 13th century, towering over the bay at Gorey, this apparently is one of the best preserved castles within the British Isles. With spectacular views over the island and across the sea to France, I would recommend this castle to anyone. Unfortunately, I had to leave Michelle and Kieran at the bottom while I explored the castle as there are quite a few steps to climb before actually reaching the entrance – pushchairs are a big no no. Still they found it fun wandering around the quaint little shops along the harbour.
So much of the castle is open to the public, and I found it great fun wandering around the grounds, through dark, damp corridors and eerie chambers. What made it even better was that because we travelled to Jersey out of the peak season, I must have only counted about 15 people or so visiting the castle which meant I could quite freely wander without seeing anyone (and that also meant I could take lots of pictures without tourists getting in the image!!!)
Jersey Zoo was a really great place to visit too. We went specifically for Kieran, and although I’m not a great animal lover, I did find the whole place interesting with a great variety of endangered animals on display. We could have quite easily spent an entire day there, but unfortunately we were limited by a few hours.
Of course, as I mentioned earlier, the real reason we went to Jersey was to be guests at my friend Fionas’ wedding. The wedding was a civil ceremony which took place in a lovely little hotel/pub/restaurant in St Aubins called the Old Courthouse, with beautiful views overlooking the bay. The weather was gorgeous, and although Kieran was the only child there, he had an effect on everyone and made lots of new friends!!
We are already planning our next visit to the island (hopefully sometime in early 2007).
