Guernsey. Hybrid.

Not part of the United Kingdom, but a crown dependency, Bailiwick of Guernsey is more Norman than it is British. The country includes the islands of Guernsey, Herm, Sark, Alderney, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou, Lihou and some small islets. A few of the islands have their own languages.

So far, I visited Guernsey and Herm. These were rather short visits, but I managed to see what I wanted. Well, almost. On Herm, I did not get to see the puffins and on Guernsey, I did not see the Little Chapel. However, since Guernsey is so easy to reach, and the tickets are so reasonable, I will almost certainly go there again. If only to see Sark island as well.

Although the air on the islands is Norman and the landscape looks and feels like northern France, the vast majority of the Victorian architecture resembles southern England. An interesting hybrid, I suppose.

Oddly, the remarkably insignificant, yet unique and important site of the Fairy Ring (first top left picture here) is not very popular. It is superbly located. Very few people knew how to direct me. Even the friendly and talkative taxi driver, who eventually took me there, did not know what I was referring to. Even though he had been there before - some 20 years before... And it is (supposedly) an ancient Norman or Norse burial or rituals site!