It’s a little island in the English Channel, closer to France than to Britain. It was occupied by the Germans during the war. In fact, our first stop was to the museum that chronicles that part of the island’s history. A considerable amount of that episode is preserved. There are plenty of pictures to help tell the story. Unique in the collection is a picture of a British Bobbie, no longer carrying a weapon, but still in uniform, directing traffic under the watchful eye of a German soldier.
Like many occupations the first thing the Nazi’s did was cut off all information. Radios were confiscated and the local newspaper was shut down. The free flow of information was not stopped. Citizens crafted their own crystal radio sets and passed the information along to the former newspaper reporters. The result was an underground newspaper. Unfortunately, one of their neighbors, probably hoping to secure more food for his family, reported the activity to the Germans. The reporters were imprisoned and died in captivity.
Guernsey’s climate is great for growing. Bathed by the Gulfstream the temperature rarely gets too hot or too cold. Cows like the grass and produce a very rich blend of cream. Much like Victoria, in British Columbia, the residents grow plenty of colorful flowers. A possession of the British Monarchy, it accepts three different currencies and they make great ice cream.
A 7 hour stay, which is fairly short. I guess we need to “get on the road” early to get to our next destination on time, but it gave us a chance to socialize with all our Cruise Critic friends.
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