Guernsey Island, England

 

Maybe the port I anticipated the most was this one.  We were on Guernsey Island on May 10th.  It is a beautiful British island- the only part of England to be occupied during WWII by the Germans.  We read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" and watched the movie based on the book.  We were excited to see the setting of this book.

We took the excursion on this island named after the book.  It was a wonderful tour that we enjoyed very much.  It was a perfect day!

We were scheduled for the afternoon tour, so took the water shuttle over to the island a couple of hours early to explore a bit.  It was a bit chilly.

The Holy Trinity Church is near the port.  The town square is near the church.  We headed there first.

The people are so pleased that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert came to visit the island and the Holy Trinity Church.  There is a granite edifice commemorating their visit.

This bench was funny.  The man, Major- General Sir Isaac Brock looks you right in the eye as you sit by him on the bench.  He is not fond of Americans. Can we just bury the hatchet, buddy?

Major General Sir Isaac Brock was instrumental in defeating the USA in significant battles in the War of 1812.  He died in battle.  He was from Guernsey.  This plaque and the bench statue you just saw in the town square honor him.

I was touched with the many ribbons, pictures and notes posted on the fence around the square from children and others in support of Ukraine.

We went inside the beautiful church.

The stained-glass windows were beautiful.

I love visiting old churches.  This one was beautiful and there was a sacred feeling there.

Ada found this cute gift shop.  It was so fun to explore.  We all bought something in there.  I love my Guernsey souvenirs: hand-made earrings and an egg cup.  Ken bought a bird book of the area.

Then it was time to get on this old, grey bus for our tour.

I love this pastoral scene.  Golden Guernsey Cows.

City Hall

Liberation Day is celebrated every year on May 9th on Guernsey Island.  It was the day Guernsey was liberated from the Germans in WWII.  We missed it by a day!  I guess there was a big parade, feast, and celebration.  Many banners and decorations were still displayed on the homes.

Tired Golden Guernseys

Who are these people?  Stay tuned for tomorrow's post to find out.  It's pretty exciting!

There are a few things we have seen in our travels that make a real impression. They are places that have a special feeling, that are unexpected, that are most memorable, that ever after hold a special place in your memory and in your heart. Ken identified it as places that you feel the spirit strongly.  They are places that take your breath away.
  
For instance, some of those that we have seen in our travels that are in that category are the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania:

 Kukenhoff, the tulip gardens of the Netherlands:

St. Peter's Basilica in Italy:

Utah Beach in Normandy, France:

North Cape Lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, Canada (it is where I got the call from my surgeon saying that the breast cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes- making it a very sacred place)

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We now add another to that list.  The Little Chapel on Guernsey Island.

This beautiful little chapel measures only 16' x 9' and is covered entirely with mosaic.  It was created by Brother Deodat, a priest, in 1914.  It only holds about 8 people and is situated up on a hill. 

Close ups of the mosaic. Every inch is covered with broken china, seashells, and pebbles.

Some of the mosaic created scenes such as this fountain.

Brother Deodat meticulously hand placed every piece.

Inside the little chapel.  The beautiful altar.

Seeing this beautiful little chapel was truly a highlight of our trip and of our lives.  What places have you visited that hold a special place in your memory?

As we rode on the bus we saw more Liberation Day decor.

We stopped at Fort Gray, also known as the cup and saucer

We stopped at a little cafe/ gift shop to sample English raisin bread and tea (or water in our case)

Our guide gave us her card so we could go to facebook and view the parade and celebration that happened the day before.  She was a great guide.  If you are ever in Guernsey, look her up.

After a great excursion, we tendered back to the ship.

We loved our day on Guernsey Island.