under another sun

An alarming start: 6:45. I'd had a wretched night's sleep. Seems the that orange faced malignant narcissistic rapist racist criminal devil Trump has beaten Kamala Harris to the presidency. Shameful.  Lorraine and I up blearily, and after breakfast and faffing about, caught a train to Brighton, and arrived delayed at Gatwick. Realised at Seaford station I had left my phone at home. No trains via Lewes due to a points failure, so via Brighton to Gatwick. However planes delayed here due to fog, probably mixed up with yesterday's gunpowder. Astonishingly, however, our boarding was only delayed by half an hour of so.  The flight was fine. The small twin engined prop taking off like a flying coach all very smooth. Cramped inside however, but very happy to see Guernsey for the first time in two and a half years as we finally dropped below the low blanket of cloud.  A taxi from the airport. The most miserable taxi driver I've ever met, completely down on every aspect of Guernse...

Flying off today. Mixed feelings about leaving. Not long enough after three years, but certainly far far, better than nothing.  Up for breakfast, and then packed. Lorraine not wanting to be rushed, so I went for a short walk past the house that is still called Chelsea, where Gwen and Dave used to live, and where Mum had the Tobster. The house looks a bit tatty and unloved, but it was nice to see it. After paying up, Lorraine and I walked down to Icart to 'our' bench were I had proposed, and just hung out. I took some photos, and Lorraine knitted another tentacle just happy to be out in the fresh air. Our stay had felt a bit short, but so nice to feel that so much remains unchanged too. We walked a little around the cliff and then back to La Barbarie for a cold drink and some crisps. Ravis came and shook our hand as we left. All very friendly and nice. A taxi to the airport with a mumbly but amiable driver. Guernsey taxi fares very pricey: £15 from La Barbarie to the Airport. Se...

Hurrah! Off to Guernsey for the first time in three years. Trundled down to Preston Park station and caught the train to Gatwick. We were fearing delays and difficulties, but apart from our plane being delayed by an hour we were through security really quickly, having checked in online before. We were only carrying hand luggage which meant that there would be no hanging around. I felt twitchy generally and the vertigo I get from time to time was quite bad this morning. I tried to buy a couple of cups of tea from Pret but left in disgust after waiting at the front of the queue for twenty minutes. The flight however, was fine  on the Auringy twin engined prop. The weather in Guernsey gorgeous when we arrived (it being overcast in Blighty). Straight through security with our hand luggage and into a taxi with a loquacious woman driver from Madeira. Back to La Barbarie and a warm welcome from Sally there. Into our usual upgraded room. Lovely stuff.  Then after a cheeky glass of Lib...

A cool morning. Up early and after some urgent scampering about getting ready, we jumped in the car and drove off to Gatwick. The roads empty as it was a bank holiday. A prop plane which only slowly climbs to 16,000 ft. A pleasant enough journey, despite the knee pressing seats. I felt calm on the flight, although Lorraine felt a bit claustrophobic. Arriving in Guernsey in sunshine. A cheery lady taxi driver, and we were soon sitting outside the bar at the Barbarie. The entrance, bar and restaurant have all been redone. Quite smartly, but anonymously, in greys and topes and mushroom. They have stripped out quite a bit of what made it specifically La Barbarie. There are classical columns in the restaurant, what they are doing in a Guernsey country hotel is a bit questionable, and it is trying to be a bit Italianate, with a vinyl of an Italian maze in one part. When you are on the most beautiful corner of one of the most beautiful islands in the world, it does beg the question why not ...

Up early this morning, and Lorraine drove us off to Gatwick. Overcast day in Brighton. A queue at the Aurigny desk, as people had failed to get to Guernsey yesterday because of fog. One young chap was saying the had been circling for two hours. However everyone aboard today. The propellor plane held up on the runway for some time, and Lorraine and I started looking at Richard's collection Stone Witness again. I tucked it into the pocket once we were lumbering into the sky, and left it there when I got off, rather annoyingly. Once above the clouds a lovely smooth flight, and approaching the Channel Islands the blanket of cloud that had covered everything ended. Shortly after we landed the sun came out. A taxi to La Barbarie, and then we walked straight off to Icart. The cloud breaking up and the sun coming out, though shreds of misty cloud were still clinging on here and there.  Beautiful. Icart Point gorgeous as usual, and we sat on our usual bench in the sun. After a while we ...