Guernsey Island is one of several English Channel Islands and is located off the coast of Normandy. Although it is not officially a part of the United Kingdom it is a Crown Dependency which means it is a self governing part of the Crown. It's defense is the responsibility of the British Government. After World War II Guernsey started to become a popular tourist destination for the British especially for honeymooners. Guernsey is also famous for the Guernsey cows. The Guernsey cows are used mostly as dairy producers and are known for the very rich flavor of the milk they produce. During World War II the English Channel Islands were occupied by the German army. Before the occupation the majority of the children on the islands were evacuated to England. Most but not all of the children had relatives in England. During the occupation more than 1000 Guernsey residents were deported to concentration camps on the European mainland. The Germans built heavy concrete fortifications around the island. Guernsey was liberated from the Germans on May 9th, 1945. This date is celebrated yearly as their Liberation day. That being said our visit to Guernsey was actually our first port of call on a British Isles cruise. My wife had read the book "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" several years ago and was really looking forward to our visit. We saw the beautiful hillsides and various coastlines around Guernsey. It was clear enough for us to actually see the Normandy coast. We saw plenty of sheep and oh yes the famous Guernsey cows. Our guide told us about Guernsey's history and we saw several of the concrete bunkers that were created during the Nazi occupation. Our view from high on top of a hillside along the coastline with Normandy just visible through the haze A map showing the Channel Islands and the France coastline A very rocky coast The Little Chapel decorated with pebbles, shells and bits of broken china The Little Chapel was a part of the book, it actually measures 16 feet by 9 feet and can seat 8 people. A picture taken inside the Chapel Another image from inside the Chapel The exit and yes most people have to duck to go through it We continued on to the western coast of Guernsey with a very different looking coastline. We stopped to try the famous Guernsey ice cream. It was good but I must say it wasn't the best ice cream I've ever had. After some free time we went to see the remains of an ancient Roman ship that was discovered off Guernsey. We were there at low tide A very low tide The happy couple enjoying their free time In front of an old fort Timbers from the ancient Roman ship One of the concrete bunkers from the occupation Before returning to the ship we spent a little time walking through the pedestrian area in St. Peters Port This was a very nice but a little rushed visit to Guernsey. There's so much more to see and I can easily see coming back to stay a few days to explore the island more in depth.
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