Sark

• This Channel Island is a 50 minute ferry ride from Guernsey and considerably different in topography from Herm. Sark is basically a plateau which drops precipitously to the sea around its perimeter. Good beaches are few and difficult to reach. From Maseline Harbor, it is a tiring slog to the plateau, some 300 feet above sea level; most arrivals pay to be pulled up by tractor.
  

  

  After lunch in town, we set off by road and path toward La Coupee. En route, we admired a newly planted vineyard on a sunny, south-facing slope ...
  

  

  and found a rare Sark beach as we approached La Coupee:
  

  

  The narrow, steep-sided isthmus called La Coupee connects the Little Sark peninsula to greater Sark. This was our first sighting:
  

  

  Soon enough, we found the entrance to La Coupee around a hill and prepared to set foot on Little Sark:
  

  

  The photogenic roadway on top of the ridge is only about 10 feet wide and 262 feet above the sea ...
  

  

  but we managed to cross it in safety:
  

  

  The drop-off is indeed quite steep:
  

  

  The view to the right from the same spot is even lovelier:
  

  

  After suitably exploring La Coupee, we headed back up the Sark Road in search of other sights.
  
  Herm Island and its magnificent beaches provide a stunning backdrop to this 3-sheep pasture. However, the woolies place no value on the view:
  

  

  Similar pastures are not uncommon on Sark:
  

  

  The weather was delightful with the most interesting “fair weather” clouds we have ever seen. It was cool but blue skies and sun with light winds made up for it.
  

  

  This sign at a crossroads didn’t tell us anything about the direction we were headed.
  

  

  The road we took was typical of those on the island. The first building on the left houses the Seneschal, the President of Sark’s Parliament:
  

  

  We passed St. Peter’s Anglican Church, built 1820 ...
  

  

  and soon found ourselves back in town on “The Avenue.” Since cars are banned, tractors are common, hauling everything imaginable, even groceries for home delivery. They are also noisy. Bicycles are seen on all the roads but cannot be ridden on pathways and steep roads (such as the harbor road and on La Coupee).
  

  

  More of main street. As this was early in the season, during parts of the afternoon, this main drag could be very quiet.
  

  

  Now here’s a proper crossroads sign. Naturally, it is at the main intersection entering town.
  

  

  An exceptionally attractive hotel that caught our attention was the Aval du Creux:
  

  

  When it was time to return to the harbor, we took the leisurely pathway. The harbor road is on the left:
  

  

  Sark has two main harbors, each connected by short tunnels to the harbor road. This is Creux Harbor at low tide, clearly not the one we used:
  

  

  This tunnel took us to “our” Maseline Harbor:
  

  

  Awaiting the 5 pm ferry for a return to Guernsey:
  

  

  The ferry was not very large but plenty big enough for the small group intending to board.

  

  
  

  Epilogue

  This spring was especially cold, windy and showery in England and the Channel Islands. While it seems true that we would have enjoyed better weather overall had we stayed home, the Brits take it all in stride, and, obviously, so will we. Getting reacquainted with friends, visiting some new destinations and learning more about ones we’ve visited before are enriching experiences. Now that our itchy feet are soothed by travel, it is simply great to be home.