For those whose far flung adventures we read about on this site, this will disappoint as it is close to home and easy to get to; yet it is the realisation of a dream and the culmination of a year of planning. We wanted to celebrate our Sapphire anniversary with something special as we were now both retired. The criteria were: we both agreed on the destination, there would be no stress from travel or climate, there must be sufficient of interest to last 14 days, it should be somewhere we wanted to visit before but could not afford. The answer was Jersey.
You set yourself up for disappointment when you have dreamt of somewhere for years, we should not have worried, Jersey was so much more than we could imagine. The first impressions from the sea were spectacular. Arriving at St. Helier the image is bright and bustling, nearly an hour later, as we found our hotel, it was apparent that the car certainly does not rule here, people are the priority and negotiating the one way system without a map is a non starter. It turns out that a car is unnecessary, the public transport is efficient, frequent, reliable, simple to use and cheap. Our hotel, The BW Royal was excellent, the food stunning and only a few minutes walk from the centre of St Helier. It seems that everything that was good about British coastal resorts has been distilled, mixed with French style and flair and seasoned with Jersey’s unique history. An inexpensive coach tour right around the coast is a must, sampling the attractions with a good guide helps to decide where to go and what to see. The visuals are stunning, coastal areas both achingly ”beach” beautiful and rugged in turn, charming fields of Jersey cows, country lanes lined with woods, flowers and bushes to rival anywhere on the mainland and everywhere has this aura of perfect peace that soothes and mellows the excitement of somewhere new. The places of interest are many and diverse. History in the War Tunnels, Elizabeth Castle and the Jersey Museum; seeing and tasting at La Mare Wine Estate; wild life at Durrell Conservation Centre, sport at the Mansell Museum. To describe them all in detail would need a review the size of the Jersey Guide, suffice to say that there is something for everyone. Ignore those who say eating and drinking on Jersey is expensive, the choices range from ultra cheap cafes to Michelin restaurants, great local beers to fine wine; the choices are endless and all great value.
We loved Jersey and dare we say it was everything we dreamed.
