First day here proper and time to go off-island. Having seen most of the island already i'm heading to the even smaller island of Herm, about 3miles across the water from St Peter port. The trident tours ferry ticket office is on the corner of the north quay, and i get a return ticket for the day. £18 for the 10.30 crossing out and any return boat i want.
The ferry does nothing but shuttle back and forth from Herm, and i reckon it carries about 100 people. it docks right on queue.
St Peter port disappears again as we set off
I've done the north of Herm previously so today it's the southern bit by a coastal walk which will bring be back to the harbour for the return later in the day. As the tide is quite high we dock high on the jetty but too many people to get a clear pic.
Starting the southern loop of Herm, pass probably the worlds cutest prison
starting the climb. Steps. Steps are not my favourite but no choice at this point
After going up through the bushes the view opens out with St Peter Port clearly in sight just a few miles away. The cruise liner arrived earlier this morning and its passengers are now exploring the town, thankfully nowhere near me.
Sheer drop, huh? Ok, let's see...
er, yup, looks about right. no fake warnings here.
reached the southern tip of Herm already barely 20 mins in, not sure i can realistically go much further south.
Champagne rock is apparently a table like rock where people celebrate stuff with champagne. With no notice the best i can do is a water bottle.
carrying on round, there's a sea cave. Beautiful clear blue water here and all around all the islands
more very pretty coastline
getting a bit thirsty now and up ahead i see the cafe at Belvoir beach, so get ready for a quick pit stop.
I've reached the point for my return to the harbour and it's barely been an hour, i thought it would take much longer so as the Belvoir cafe is closed today, i decide to carry on and do the more of the coastline.
what counts as a major road junction on Herm.
A few minutes around the corner is shell beach and its cafe; signs of life suggest it's open. The sight of that clear blue sea makes it quite joyful, a real pleasure to see.
whether correct or not i detect an absence of sugar. With it still being before midday, a slice of white chocolate and Mango cake and a soft drink will have to make do. I thought a little pricey - £7.50, but considering the transport needed to get it all there, understandable.
shoes off and time for a walk on the beach. Shell beach is supposed to be coarsely crushed shell, but i find it quite nice to walk on, quite soft and warm but not hot. certainly nicer than other "sand" beaches i've walked on.
I go for a paddle as i walk along the sealine, but wow, that water's cold. I have expect to see icebergs passing by, but just that clear blue sea. A shame; it looks tropical but it absolutely is not. It is the Atlantic, after all.
I carry on walking along the beach, but it's quite difficult. Soft sand is hard to walk in as we all know and the beach shelves sufficiently that i feel like i'll be toppling over. I tried high in the soft stuff and low on the wet stuff, both equally tricky. I stop complaining to myself and just walk.
Eventually i run out of Herm to walk on, so north to south in just over an hour at a leisurely pace. I forget how small Herm really is
Rounding the corner and on the main Island the port of St Samson comes into view; there's not much of Herm to do now. Along the "top" there's a bit of a rock formation blocking the beach which i don't fancy scrambling over so go inland a little and come across the "Pierre aux Rats". Apparently it's a marker point for local fishermen.
Just behind it there's a scattering of stones. There is very old history on these islands going back to 4000BC (yes, before the pyramids). Can't help but think this looks like a stone circle that's taken a turn for the worse.
Getting close to the harbour and it's approaching lunchtime. Never though i'd get this far or so quickly. On the beach there are some birds. Not on any part of the beach, just here. Must just be the place to be...
On the flightpath for the approach into GCI, Guernsey International Airport. International i think as i do believe they have a weekly flight to Norway as well as frequent flights to the UK. Either way, this doesn't look big enough for any kind of scheduled service here.
Passing the Herm Cemetery. Apparently all others are carried out on Guernsey or Jersey; these 2 died of a disease that i forget and their bodies were refused entry into either so buried here.
Time for lunch and as i return back to the harbour area i pass the mermaid pub which seems as good as place as any.
A little rehydration while i wait for lunch to arrive
Today a British staple, fish and chips. I don't get to chose fish very often as MrsFr is quite allergic, so while she's not here...
The fish is a little soggy underneath although otherwise cooked well and chips a little dry, but not bad and quite enjoyable.
Passing the harbour again, the high tidal range in these islands is quite clear. in just a couple of hours it looks like its dropped by at least 4m and it's still going out. I've heard the tidal range here is one of the highest in the world at around 10m.
I had originally intended to return on the 1535 boat, but that's hours away and i'm pretty much done. It's approaching 2pm so with an earlier boat at 1435 i decide to walk to the chapel in the middle of Herm as it seems not far away. What i hadn't banked on was the steepish climb up from the harbour having just eaten
Inside St Tuguals chapel its unsurprisingly small, but has a nice garden and cute bell tower.
returning down to the harbour, the main crossing point
Due to the low tide, the return ferry doesn't go from the harbour but the rosaire steps, a short walk away
salt crystals have formed on the barrier from the last high tide, i reckon currently about 8m from the current sea level. Quite incredible to just watch the tide come in over something man made.
the downstairs inner cabin and outside deck of the ferry. I've heard that even with a swell of just 1.5m, this is a very tough ride. With wind and rain the inner cabin becomes standing room only and a quite un-enjoyable experience for those... without a strong constitution
Leaving Herm by the Rosaire steps
rounding one of the even small islands of Guernsey called Jethou
St Peter Port comes back into view
Despite being a shorter day than planned, it's taken a bit out of me so i slink back to the hotel for a shower and then retire to the bar for the evening to start this TR while MrsFr has an evening session on her course.