Northeast Guernsey

• Oatlands Village with its 1892 brick kilns was, for us, the start of a long walk through the northeast corner of Guernsey. Only a handful of businesses were open at the Village when our bus dropped us off. Consequently, in short order, we were hiking toward Pembroke Bay, passing on the way the picturesque Vale Parish Church:
  

  

  Strong winds and a heavy --- though, thankfully, brief --- shower greeted us as we approached the coast. Pembroke has a wide and attractive beach, many items of historical interest and a wonderful beachfront cafe, facing a great expanse of sand and water. In the photo below, the “Beach House” cafe is in the center hidden behind a grassy berm:
  

  

  We walked quite a distance to reach this 28 ton monolith called the Millennium Stone:
  

  

  Only after arriving did we learn that it is not thousands of years old but only thousands of DAYS. It was erected as part of the local millennium celebration for the year 2000. We should have guessed! Although it makes a great photo, we would have been a little ticked to have hiked that far through wind-driven rain if that was all there was to see. However, a few dozen feet away from this modern monument is the La Varde Passage Grave, a construction that is truly ancient:
  

  

  

  There were no ticket takers and in we went. Patty took this photo from the back wall:
  

  

  Around the island many other archeological sites of a similar nature can be found.
  
  The beach at Pembroke Bay is wide, smooth and sandy but there were no takers this day with its significant wind chill. Note that even the sand has been rippled by the wind.

  

  Storm clouds were retreating as we headed east along the shore:
  

  

  Before reaching the bay’s eastern end, bright skies were opening up behind us:
  

  

  
  Pembroke Bay is peppered with a dozen cylindrical defensive towers, noticeable in the shots above. They are not of WWII vintage but rather were built at the time of the American Revolution. These “loophole towers” were meant to protect against possible French invasion. France, having sided with the Americans, was an enemy of the Channel Islanders who were loyal to the English Crown.
  

  

  

  
  Farther along, we paused to examine another prehistoric passage grave called Le Dehus:
  

  

  

  Apologies for these two poorly focused photos --- operator error --- but in the capstone near Patty’s head the face of a prehistoric human stares back at every visitor:
  

  

  

  Outside the passage grave, Patty had no similar trouble focusing the camera:
  

  

  
  As we tramped along, all the beaches we passed were suffering low-tide syndrome. Eventually, we reached St. Sampson to catch lunch and then a bus home. It had been a longer walk than we anticipated.
  

  

  Happily --- though belatedly --- we discovered that there are direct bus connections between St. Peter Port and Pembroke Bay. That was a good thing, for the very next day we had to return to Pembroke to retrieve a much-loved umbrella inadvertently left behind at the beach’s cafe.
  
  On our last day on Guernsey, we returned to the north side of the island to visit Saumarez Park. Once the private residence of the de Saumarez family, it is now the largest public park on the island. The fourth Lord de Saumarez was responsible for many of the garden’s trees and buildings. Having worked in the Tokyo embassy prior to WWII, he introduced into his gardens a significant Japanese element which still exists:
  

  

  The former de Saumarez family home is now a well-kept St. John Hostel:
  

  

  

  Its setting was inspirational for a parting Guernsey portrait:
  

  

  
  As pleasing as Saumarez Park was, we were really bowled over by Le Friquet, a garden center like no other we have ever seen. The main building is laid out as a great circular ring with a large, shaded plant area in the middle (where this Buddha head was photographed):
  

  

  The buildings stock everything anyone even remotely interested in gardening or plants might consider buying: real and silk plants; decor for garden, home and patio; women’s and kids’ clothes; toys; jigsaws; fish, small pets and pet food, etc, etc, etc! It also housed a large cafe/snack bar with dozens of tables and comfy seating, a toddler play area and very posh restrooms. Not surprisingly, there were many new moms with their young ones in attendance.