Where In The World Wednesday: Jersey

Where in the World Wednesday is a weekly feature run by Classy in Philadelphia, that I came across through P at *Insert My Blog Name Here*. The idea of WITWW is to post a picture of you someplace in the world...it doesn't have to be somewhere foreign or tropical. It might even be somewhere in your own hometown.

I thought taking part would be a good way to brag about show you some of the places both near and far that I have been lucky enough to visit in recent years. I won’t be posting pictures of myself as I much prefer to be behind the lens, but I think the concept is the same. Why don’t you participate too? Just use the WITWW button created by Feris in your post, then visit the comments on Classy in Philadelphia to see who else is taking part and leave your link in her comments section so that other participants can visit your blog too.

So, I’m starting off this week quite close to home.... on Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, which is located just off the coast of Normandy, France. Jersey has been a self-governing British Crown Dependency since 1066, and is therefore not part of the United Kingdom. Low income taxes lure tax exiles to the islands, and visitors can take advantage of the tax-free shopping opportunities.

Map taken from HERE

Victor Hugo described the Channel Islands as “pieces of France fallen into the sea and picked up by England”. Indeed, Jersey holds many similarities to mainland Britain, but is typically sunnier and warmer and has subtle French influences....particularly in the place names and the food.

The island has beautiful beaches and coastlines with spectacular cliffs, authentic French restaurants and a rich cultural heritage of monuments, from prehistoric tombs to medieval castles. There are also several grim reminders that the islands were occupied by the Germans during World War II...such as the artillery direction-finding towers dotted all around the island. Jersey is home to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust too.

B and I spent a fabulous, sunny week on Jersey in spring 2003. We stayed in a B&B and hired a car to explore the island from top to bottom...it’s possible to cross the island in under half an hour (and that’s driving on the narrow little roads at the maximum speed limit of 30 miles per hour).

We'd bought our first digital camera just before the trip, and experimented a lot with the different settings. Here's a selection of my pictures...

Plemont Bay

Devil's Hole

Corbiere Lighthouse

St Ouen's Bay

 

 Royal Bay of Grouville

Royal Bay of Grouville with Mount Orgueil Castle in the background

Mount Orgueil Castle

Tulips in the Churchill Gardens

The grounds at Samares Manor

Elizabeth Castle - access by causeway at low tide, amphibious vehicle when the tide is full

Lalique glass altarpiece in the Glass Church

"Camel Rock"