May 23: Guernesy Island: just bummin' around

Previous: May 22

Today's plan was to finally have a relaxing day without over-scheduling ourselves, and we actually succeeded.

We started the day early-ish by bussing to Sauzmarez Manor by 10, when a farmer's market nominally opened. The Manor has been in the same family since the late 12th century. Given the frequent and drastic political changes during that period, it's somewhat amazing that one family retained title for so long. Clearly they were remarkably politically astute.

Shoshanna through the doorway to the manor:

The manor had an interesting sculpture garden, which included questionable choices such as a giant rusting scorpion and giant cobra, but also a cleverly done gorilla hiding in the bushes:

Unfortunately, the market wasn't much of a market—fewer than a dozen booths, none of which had any farm products—and most of the other goods were unimpressive, apart from a sale of Persian rugs, many of which were quite lovely. There was also an art sale, mostly not to our taste but with a few nice pieces, and an antique sale, which was in one small part of the manor. If the rest of the manor was equally nice (lots of dark wood with intricate carvings), it would be worth taking the house tour when it reopens on Monday.

Carving of the story of Solomon and proposed division of the baby:

After the manor, we walked back to the hotel and stopped by an ancient statue of the "Grand'mère", a stone carving of a woman dating back to about 2000 B.C. that miraculously survived its centuries-long proximity to a Christian church. Which is to say that it wasn't obliterated as being a pagan artefact, though it appears to have been altered once the church moved in.

Grand'mère:

After we'd paid our respects, Shoshanna led us on a long walk through hedgerow-clad roads and fields to get home. All nice and flat, with NO STAIRS!!! Once we got back to the hotel, I lay down for a nice nap (that becamse a 2-hour sleep) and then did a bit of quick blogging before we left for our final excursion of the day. That involved a half-hour walk down quiet country lanes to a local cider operation, Rocquette Ciders, for a tour. Our guide, Keith, was entertaining and knowledgeable, and took us through the orchards and production facilities for about 45 minutes. It's a lovely property nestled in a valley and claims to be an organic facility, though they haven't formally applied for certification.

Rocquette Farm and bottom edge of the orchard:

We ended the tour with sampling of their wares. Their basic cider is pleasantly dry (i.e., just a hint of sweetness), their apple brandy was tasty and not too sweet, though it had a serious kick, and their apple vodka mix was sweet and almost syrupy; I think it would have been better thinned out a bit, or possibly served warm on a cold winter night.

Home in time for a quick shower before dinner, which was another tapas, largely similar to the dishes we had last Saturday (e.g., a bread–salad–hummus–olive plate, tiny egg rolls), but with variations on the theme (e.g., roasted potatoes rather than potatoes baked in tomato sauce, curry chicken rather than lemon-roasted chicken). We ate with Richard and Margaret, two British travelers about our age from Reading. Both were interesting people; he had a PhD in sustainability and she shared a love of plants and was an avid kayaker who's now switched to canoes. They asked for travel tips (things to see and places to go) based on our favorites during our time here, so we provided details.

Tomorrow's plan is to hike down to a part of the coast near the hotel, walking along rural roads rather than taking a bus, though bussing may be involved at the end if we walk along the coast far enough.

Next: May 24