Jersey packs a punch!
It is often said that size isn’t everything but for an island measuring a mere 9 miles east to west and 5 miles north to south, Jersey certainly packs a punch.
A group of 30 Regent Travel walkers recently spent a week on the island and were blessed with beautiful autumn sunshine and balmy temperatures ……. right until the last day when Storm Amy made an unwelcome appearance.
Day one provided a bonus ‘island tour’ by coach to get a taste of what was to come. It only takes 40 minutes to drive from side to side …… unless of course you get side tracked by one of the many stunning beaches, castles or perhaps a reminder of the WW2 occupation – any of which seem to appear around almost every corner.
One walk focused on the north east coast ending at the imposing 12th century Gorey Castle and providing spectacular views along the way across the tranquil sea to France, only 14 miles away.
Another walk, this time in the south west corner – ended at Corbiere lighthouse which is cut off from the island twice a day when the causeway disappears under up to 9 metres of water at high tide. This island has one of the highest tides in the world. The walkers were delighted to spot dolphins from one of the headlands; and at other times an occasional red squirrel in the woodlands.
A visit to the island has to include spending time at the Jersey War Museum to better understand what the islanders endured during the German occupation from 1940 until 1945 and some quiet moments of reflection.
Jersey is of coutse famous for its dairy products. Guests could not resist the opportunity to sample local ice cream, yogurts and cream teas – safe in the knowledge that they would walk off any odd calorie that may have sneaked in to their well earned treats.
Yes, storm Amy might have visited but she certainly did not stop the enjoyment of our walking and sightseeing visit to Jersey; everything on our itinerary was achieved and more!
And this time next year there will be an opportunity to make a similar walking trip to the neighbouring islands of Guernsey, Herm and Sark. If you can’t wait until then, April offers the chance to join an escorted sight seeing tour. These islands are a mere 14 miles away from Jersey and each offer their own individual charm and interest.
Martin penned this report at Jersey airport whilst waiting for our flight back home to be called when there was an announcement no Tour Manager wants to hear ……….. “ping, pong. Your flight to Liverpool has been cancelled”.
Immediately he was surrounded by his group eagerly awaiting news of what we would do next. Very soon, lots of other passengers joined the throng seeking his guidance – sadly for them, they were traveling on package tours or independently and found themselves abandoned and unsure what they could do. These unfortunate events take time to resolve but with Martin there on the ground, along with an extremely helpful Handling Agent and the power of Loz, Becky and Wendy back home in the Regent Travel office, all options were being explored whilst the 30 guests were treated to that age old cure all ………….a cup of tea.
Other passengers stood in line for a couple of hours getting more and more anxious, wondering what options would be left for them and why they “didn’t have a Martin” and his support team at their disposal. Well, they hadn’t booked with Regent Travel had they?
Eventually all was sorted; all 31 of us were to remain on the island of Jersey for another 3 nights, staying together as a group in the capital, St Heller. This announcement brought a surprising cheer and round of applause from Martin’s group that left him quite stunned – no one complained. As he later explained, “yes, it may be inconvenient to us in some respects, but there are probably 100 plus disappointed outbound passengers at Liverpool airport who thought they were going to Jersey today for a holiday; ours had just been extended”.
This extra couple of days provided ample opportunity for our walkers to explore places earmarked for further investigation another time, perhaps undertake a new walk or maybe visit a different part of the island.
This had already been another memorable Regent Travel holiday for the walkers but with a flight cancellation and a 3 night extension to our break, it is one our 30 guests will never forget.
Martin, Tour Manager
Should you wish to travel to this exciting part of the world please contact us on 01785 818202 or email info@regent-travel.co.uk
