Jersey again

Friday 6 April

Not quite as early a start as our last adventure but still early and our first crossing this year on the fast ferry, a smooth crossing but lots of traffic, again, on way South.  Stop off at Flic & Gary’s for a brief time with Cody, and then off to Holiday Inn Express at Portsmouth laden with an Asda shop for Sarah & Ali as well as a bike for Harry and our ferry the following day to Jersey.

We leave half an hour late probably due to arrival of a Saga cruise ship and we have 10 hours + on this as the route takes us East of Alderney for a change before we turn Westwards for Guernsey.

A very empty sailing with possibly under 100 people on board, certainly most of them heading for Guernsey, our stop on the way. We, probably along with many others, have a cabin for the day crossing – ours has the benefit of a TV and a shower.

Food good value for money but hot drinks expensive at £2.60 per drink.

Harry in bed by the time we get to Jersey so we don’t get to see him until the following day. Why does travel make you tired, even in the same time zone?

The first day was exceptionally foggy and rainy so not a lot of point going out other than me helping Ali with a dump trip to get rid of fencing panels unburnable in a home fire and sundry other rubbish from their efforts of clearing around the house. It is still cold here and an open fire is very welcome.

Insulation being installed to stop it being so cold

However, the weather did clear up for most of the rest of the week so we were able to get out and about and away from the refurbishment of the house that Sarah is undertaking to make it warmer for next winter.

Harry was pleased with his road bike we bought with us for him although he is a bit small for it at the moment.

During the rest of the week, we managed breakfast at Colleens café at Greve de Lecq (where have you heard that before) a play on the beach for Harry albeit in the cold wind, crazy golf (where I managed to step back onto thin air and fell over rather spectacularly) and a few visits to the newly refurbished Millbrook Park with their sunken trampolines.

Dinner out with Laura & Jim at Somerville, with Sarah, Ali and Harry at the fabulously reasonably priced Roccos and a final lunch with Harry at Pizza Express at St Brelade’s.

Stocking up on food at the local Co-op whilst Harry entertains the staff at Tot Stop is an experience as food is so much more expensive here in Jersey than at home. Carrots for example are double the price, and whilst milk is virtually the same price but for at least 15% less milk.  I reckon that the £70+ we spent would have only cost about £45 in the UK or at home.

Harry did manage to get his road bike out in the field to follow a course as well as building some good tracks on Quadrilla – a Canadian marble game – and some intricate Lego models.

Just a selection of Lego

Sadly it was soon time to go as Harry was back to the school routine but not before we managed to buy some of the rare Jersey Royal potatoes which have not had a good year because of the harsh winter and will be scarce in the shops this year.

Fast ferry back to Poole, overnight in Southampton and a visit to Flic before heading up north (Overnight at Oxford) for our ferry back from Liverpool on the Wednesday.

Not quite sure how I managed to get us up to Liverpool as I had developed a full blown head cold on the last Sunday we were in Jersey and by Wednesday, it was a struggle to keep an eye open.  Unfortunately, Sal caught it from me so the first few days at home were not much fun for her.

Three weeks at home now before some more Babysitting duties in Reading and a rush back for the TT.