West Coast of Guernsey

Up for breakfast after a good night's sleep. We were late and Pat and Maureen were already in place at the breakfast table straining at the leash for breakfast.

Once this accomplished Lorraine and I met the car hire guy in the bar and secured a grey ford fiesta. We were soon off in the car to Icart. The morning beautiful but just as we got out of the car, the rain lashed in but it was over in a minute and we started again. We walked them around the corner to what is now being called The Proposal Bench, and looked down at the sea and headland with great shadows of clouds mottling the water rather beautifully. A few snaps there and a toddle around in the other direction to see my favourite cliff raising its head to look out to sea.  Pat and Maureen loving the flowers everywhere, predominantly bluebells, white garlic (stinking onions) and bits of early yellow gorse and other yellowish spring flowers.

Then into the car again, and we drove off past the airport across to the west coast. We parked up by the tiny Portelet Harbour in Torteval, and walked around to Pleinmont Point. Maureen not walking so well at the moment, so she chose to sit on a wall looking at the view and we walked on for a short distance. Later Pat and I nosed into some German bunker lit by the light of my iPhone.

Then into the car and we drove off to Vazon bay, where we had a light lunch in a new cafe. Then we drove a few hundred yards to Fort Hommet, where there was open to the public a 10.5 cm Coast Defence Gun Casemate Bunker. I'd never been in this before. Interesting how, over the years, Guernsey is slowly changing its attitude to the occupation. The bunker was well worth a visit.

Lorraine and I went for a walk around Fort Hommet, and Pat and Maureen had a quick snooze in the car. We then drove back to La Barbarie.

In the evening off to the Captains for some cheap and cheerful grub and I enjoyed a couple of local beers called Wonky Donkey. Lorraine didn't much care for hers so I helped her out.

Back to the Barbarie for a few more drinks and a game of Cribbage in the bar. I have only played once and it seems to involve a good deal of arithmetic to work out your score. Pat is trying to teach me and looks at me with a combination of infinite patience tinged with sadness as I fail repeatedly to be able to work it out. All good fun though.

Eventually it was bedtime and we all sloped away happily to bed. Rather a lovely day.

Below Lorraine, Pat and Maureen hair being blown in the wind, clouds on the sea from Icart, Portelet harbour, the lane to Pleinmont Point, the view once there, inside of a neglected bunker, inside the casemate bunker at Fort Hommet with Maureen looking down the gunsights, and Fort Hommet.











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