BY BECCA HENSLEY
HauteTRAVEL
St. Peter port
A TRIP TO STORYBOOK GUERNSEY AND SARK Discovering the charm of the Channel Islands ARE WE DRESSED APPROPRIATELY TO MEET A SEIGNEUR? That’s what my friend Jenn and I wonder, as we cling to the side of a small boat, bouncing amid a tumultuous sea. We’re headed to Sark, a tiny island in the English Channel. It’s described in literature as a royal fife. We’re not completely sure what that means in today’s vernacular, though it conjures images of feudal lords, Rapunzel-length hair, and One of the smaller islands that comprise the bailiwick of Guernsey (a group of islands which form a district within the Channel Islands), it has history that dates back to Neolithic times, including colorful habitations by Romans, Vikings, corsairs, and beekeeping, elixir-making monks. Measuring just two-square-miles-round, it allows no cars. Instead, its 400 residents use horses, battered bikes, and tractors, the last of which, like a vintage toy, pull the fire engine and ambulance when needed. Flecked with ancient cottages, a tiny village, and pint-sized farms, sleepy Sark has clumps of forest, soaring seaside cliffs and moldering stone walls that edge snaky dirt lanes. Just one policeman, one doctor, and one school suffice. The occasional church tower or old mill rises from its fields. Nooks and niches abound. In short, this hideaway smacks of fairy tales.
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PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY OF HOTEL CERRO
mythical feats. In fact, the self-governing island has its own set of laws and parliament.
