Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands - along with the more famous Jersey - which lie in the English Channel, although actually closer to France than the UK. It's a British Crown Dependency, although is not technically part of the UK.
Before arriving, pretty much all I knew about Guernsey I'd gathered from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a great novel set during the German occupation of the island in World War II.
Due mostly to their unique location, the Channel Islands have an interesting history, having been colonised, invaded, or influenced by Roman, Norse, French, German and British peoples over the years. The most visible influences today are the French and British however.
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| Castle Cornet |
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| Cute and delicious French restaurant |
They have their own pounds, at the equal value of the GBP, and have some great ice cream (much better than neighbouring Jersey's ice cream, naturally). Nowadays it's a tax haven, hence the abundance of funds and companies based there, and need for accountants.
While I was there, we had dreadful weather one day in Guernsey, but the following day we visited the small neighbouring island of Herm and were treated to a stunning day. Herm is car-free, with a population of around 60, and we explored the island on foot, before checking out the island's beer festival that day. A lot of the landscape reminded me of NZ.
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