Jersey On Holiday (Whether I Like It Or Not) Sept 1999
Our cycling holiday this year came right out of the blue as far as I was concerned. Zelda decided to book a weeks touring
on Jersey island in the first week of September. I say it was a surprise as I thought we would be touring on our new toy
the HONDA..............
This was indeed our first proper cycle touring holiday together, would we still be friends after a week of
compromise?
The island turned out to be a cycling paradise and forever turning up even more surprises, not least the 80
degrees fahrenheit scorching sunshine.
A return to Jersey after 35 years gave Zelda some headaches would she remember any of it? Let's face it she
struggles to find her way round Oxford sometimes!!
Planning the holiday began with a request for a brochure from the Jersey touring agency. It soon became obvious
all the package options were not going to be to our liking. Day trips with old age pensioners on stifling coaches around
an island only 46 square miles was not a healthy thought.
We finally settled for a sea crossing of 4 hours on a fast 2 hulled ferry. Accommodation was a major decision
there are so many different types of establishments in Jersey to suit your pocket and taste. Hotel Talana was to be our
base for the next 8 days. A 2-star Hotel offering B&B + evening meal for £22:50. All rooms are on-suite spacious
with T.V. Interestingly camper vans and caravans are not allowed on the island, so your holiday will be in a guest house,
hotel, or camp site.
The ferry disgorged its passengers at 11:45 P.M., so with lights on Zelda and I gently rolled off the wet ferry
ramp & headed towards the lights of St. Helier. The capital of Jersey was heaving at this time of night with revellers
making their way home, a little self consciously we threaded our way towards our hotel and arrived in time for a drink.
Breakfast at 8:30 A.M. was shared with around 40 other guests most of the other residents appeared to be O.A.P.'s
taking a break after all the kids were back at school. The size and selection of breakfast saw me eat everything put in
front of me plus what Zelda couldn't eat! So we let the food settle and chose the cycle route for the day.
Setting off back towards St. Helier our first point of call was to be the lighthouse of CORBIERE a focal point
for Zelda's memories. The temperature was already in the upper 20's and cycling on the marked sea front cycleway of St.
Aubin bay it was easy to think you were in France. This beach extends for 4 miles, with lovely golden sands. From St.
Aubin we picked up the flagship of Jersey cycle routes the only rail line ever built and now a super gravel cycle highway
to Corbiere.
Corbiere is only 12 miles from St Helier along this unique rural track the lighthouse appears between 2 headlands,
painted white, it contrasts with the blue sky and white horses of the Atlantic Ocean. You can walk out to the lighthouse
when the tide is low along a causeway and admire the now un-occupied lighthouse. Two different plaques remind you of the
powers and dangers of the cruel sea. A lighthouse assistant lost saving the life of a person cut off by the incoming tide.
A personal reminder from a grateful crew rescued from their upturned vessel.
Jersey uses its cycle/walking routes and tracks in all of its literature, something it is proud of. The island can
be circumnavigated in a day by a touring cyclist. Some 46 square miles, make it large enough if your only transport is
feet and pedal power. A speed limit of 45 M.P.H. and indeed a 20 M.P.H. limit on designated country roads give you a feeling
of safety.. A friend of mine recounted how bored he got after 3 days on the island, he'd seen it all from the arm chair
in his hire car, Zelda and I plan to return to explore the parts of the island we missed!
Carrying further round the coast we stopped at St. OUENS bay. We are now basking in nearly 80 degrees of heat and
decide to spend a couple of hours on this famous surfing beach. Another stretch of golden sands, but we are now seeing
quite a lot of the remains of Hitlers Atlantic wall. Their stark concrete bunkers are sunk deep into the sand dunes. The
Island must have been an important strategic part of the dictators plans to take so much time and effort building these
defences.
We finished our days meandering with a ride back to St. Hilier across the middle of the Island. Its worth noting
if you have to get back in a hurry the Island is only 6 miles across so you are never too far from shelter.
For the serious cyclist there are many challenging roads to train on. The coast road from St. Hilier provides a
time trial undulating course, while any venture inland you meet hills, they can be steep and gruesome. In the first week
of September I was up and training in 60 degrees sunshine before breakfast just before St. Hilier came to life, which is every
bit as chaotic as Oxford or London.
Deciding to take time off the bikes we caught a bus to Gorey which seemed to offer quite a lot for a relaxing
walking day out. A bus every 30 minutes meant we would not be trapped if it turned out to be a Blackpool seafront type
resort.
Gorey on such a glorious day proved interesting, the castle shown in all the brochures was as imposing as it appeared in
the pictures. The sheer size and thickness of the walls leaves you feeling sorry for the poor workers who had to graft on
such dangerous rock formations. Ironically the Castle was never really put to a test in battle and ended up a prison for
political prisoners evicted from England.
Gorey is also the home of Jersey Pottery a business making an extremely large range of ceramic goods which are
hand crafted works of art. It is well worth a visit even for my limited pain threshold for trinket shops. What makes
these works so interesting is that all stages of production are on show you can stand and marvel at the steady hand
required. It was interesting to note the clay used for the pots is imported from Cornwall. All this makes for an
expensive range of goods, indeed the cheapest hand crafted egg cup would set you back £8:00!
Zelda had a distinct memory of cliff walking and a decent down to Devils Hole, as far as she remembered it was
around the region of Greve de Lecq. We cycled across the island and dropped down into this oft visited cove and judging by
the size of car park it is very popular. The seaside haven was almost unchanged and I was able to share with her those
distant childhood holiday memories. I made a particular note of her recounting the photo of her mother TOPLESS in the
sleepy resort of Grieve de Lecq. So Jersey was quite liberal in the 60's, the opinion of my mother in law had changed,
what a young rebel!!
A relenting climb in the granny gear to reach the cliff tops, made us sweat, it was another day in the high 70's.
Once we had reached the cliff edge we locked up the bikes and set off on foot to Devils Hole. This well marked and used foot
path is typical of the islands attention to its natural heritage, keeping us holiday ramblers on a safe but challenging 5
mile round trip walk to meet the devil. The Devil is made of bronze and set in a small pond which you pass as you descend
down to the cove with the gaping hole in the cliff face where the sea crashes through at high tide.
A beautiful day, a stunning afternoons walking, 35 miles on the bike, we arrived back at the hotel tired, ready for
a shower and that evening meal. This is when we realised how convenient this all was, imagine having to go looking for a
restaurant when you have trouble making the bar!
The drivers in Jersey seem to be in a 60's time warp. With a speed limit of 45 M.P.H. and the roads simply unchanged
since they were built; a Jersey driver needs plenty of room and consideration. Any visitor who hires a car is identified by
a H on the number plate, the driving standards are apparent!
Car parking is mostly free but apparently at a premium in peak holiday times. Car ownership in Jersey is
astonishing, it is quoted as every person on the island owns 2.2 cars!
Walking was just as much fun as cycling, we decided to explore NORMONT west of St Aubin bay on foot. Using the
bikes to cover the 4 miles of seafront from hotel to St. Aubin. We locked them in a bike rack amd set off on foot to
explore the headland.
The tourist map we were using supplied with our brochure was adequate and we had reached Normont Head after around
30 minutes of walking. This viewpoint overlooking Portelet and St. Aubins Bays gives a fine panoramic view of the unspoilt
natural cliff and sandy coves.
It was here that Hitler built his main observation bunker from where his officers could sight and defend the
approaches to St. Helier using the 7 guns positioned on the headland. The command bunker and guns have been reclaimed by a
charity trust and restored to a state of apparent readiness. I was lucky the 40 foot deep concrete shelter was open, a
modest entry fee and I was treated to a tour of this self contained life support centre. This sombre stark tomb would have
been virtually impenetrateable with its own scrubbed air supply, central heating and a small hospital. A large periscope and
range finder dominate the main command room.
Coming out of this cold structure into the sun gave you a sense of freedom and thank god we don't have to go
through another war like that again.
The day continued walking around the headland to St. Brelades Bay every corner you turned gave yet another fine
view. An ice cream, a couple of hours sun bathing before walking inland back to our bikes, finishing off another fine day.
The island has so much to offer you especially if you want to travel using natures best provided body parts.
There were many tourist type locations we did not visit waiting for that all too common English trait of a rainy day. We
will return one day and probably finish exploring, so a holiday in Jersey did prove to be an experience I would like
rather than not!