And I'm tired, and extremely annoyed. The reason? Only a three hour delay at Jersey airport, with no information being given as to the reason why other than "it's a technical problem". Congratulations. That tells me bugger all. But, I shall refrain from naming the airline - the people who know me will know which one I'm talking about! *Grin*
Having said that, there was a similar delay on the way to Jersey - only this was due to crew sickness (the captain called in sick at the last minute, so a substitute had to be called in) - something which we didn't find out until we were on the aircraft!
Now onto the holiday itself. I make no apologies for the amount of external web links that will be in this blog entry - they can give you far more information about the places that I went to than I can (ok - their versions of it). The opinions in this blog, are mine, and mine alone - and I make no apology for them whatsoever.
Once we'd landed at Jersey airport, Mum and I went to collect the hire car. OK- that wasn't a problem. The car itself was though. It was a Fiat Panda (See http://www.fiat.co.uk for a picture of the hideous interior!!! I'll give you a clue - it was the yellow - with a pale blue exterior!)
I will say one thing - if it was my car, I would have taken it straight back to the garage where I bought it from, as there were several things that sounded seriously wrong with it: - the gearbox clunked when you changed gear manually (it was an eastronic box), it whined like there was a servo winding itself up, when the offside front door was opened, and it also sounded like there was a wheel bearing going in the offside rear.
Once we'd found the hotel (The West View hotel: - good food, good beer, and quiet - but I would recommend having transport of your own to stay there, as it's a little bit remote - see http://www.jersey.com for more details!)
After we'd gotten lost because of the lousy directions that we'd been given by the hire company, we got settled, and then headed off for a tour of the island.
Our first stop was Jersey Pearl. (http://www.worldpearl.com ) Don't get me wrong - I'm not one of these women who loads herself up with jewellery. Far from it. I tend to go for a couple of classical pieces, and make them count.
But, as I was wandering 'round, I will admit, I fell for a lovely pair silver drops with dark pearls on them. They weren't wildly expensive, and I will admit, I kept walking back to them and I knew that was it - I was going to buy them.
The following day, Mum and I went to the Eric Young Orchid Foundation. It's open throughout the year Wednesday through to Saturday. (http://www.ericyoungorchidfoundation.co.uk/) Unfortunately, the site doesn't show the display houses, but as soon as I get the scanner on the computer working, I'll post the photographs that I took there.
There were orchids that smelt of Vanilla - yes, orchids do have scent! The vanilla pod comes from the vanilla orchid! We then went for a drive round the island.
To be honest, it's hard to remember which day we did what, but some things really do stick out in my mind - the trip to Jersey Lavender (http://www.jerseylavender.co.uk) being one of them.
Simply because on the previous trip to Jersey, I bought some Lavender & Rosemary cologne and that was it. I was hooked. Needless to say, I've stocked up, and made damned sure that I can get it via the web site!!
One of the other places that sticks in my mind is the La Mare Vineyards & Distillery. (http://www.lamarevineyards.com) For the simple reason, that on the two occasions I've tried their wines, I've found them little better than paint stripper.
OK, they may be award winning wines, but as far as I'm concerned, you can keep them. The apple brandy wasn't much better - again, it reminded me of something that you could use to take the paint off the floor!
However, the one place that I really wanted to visit was the German Underground Hospital. It's now known as the Jersey War Tunnels (http://www.jerseywartunnels.com/) and I will admit, the first time I went, I was with my late father.
Mum refused to go on both occasions, as the one and only time she went, it gave her the creeps to such an extent, she's refused to go back ever since. So, I left Mum with the car keys, and off I went.
The first time I went, I will admit to feeling slightly daunted. But for some reason, this time, I felt really uncomfortable. Ok - I know that there will be some people who twitter on about me picking up psychic vibrations - it was nothing as far out as that. It was the mere fact that the last time I was there, I was with my late father, who did a wonderful job of explaining the things that I didn't understand, as I hadn't studied history at school.
As part of the entrance fee, I was given a reproduction of a Jersey Identity Card or Identitaetskarte, which related to a person in the gallery - along with a brief summary of their life, and what happened to them during the German occupation of the Channel Islands. [The only part of the UK that the German Third Reich actually managed to invade during the Second World War].
The person on my identity card was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp gas chambers, for trying to help runaways from the underground hospital's labour force.
There is little more that I can say about the tunnels - other than if you go to Jersey, go and see them for yourselves and you'll see exactly what I mean.
The other place that had an impact on me was the Durrell wildlife conservation trust - also known as Jersey Zoo. (http://www.durrellwildlife.org)
I personally found the Tamarin wood the funniest part of the trip, as the Tamarins scamper around an open woodland, giving their usual vocal calls, and occasionally, posing for photographs! The rest of the tour was well worth it, with the Lemurs making both Mum and myself laugh with their antics - which are totally natural, before people start bristling about that!
Other places that Mum & I visited included Jersey Potteries (http://www.jerseypottery.com) This left me cold, as there was little that actually caught my eye, and the few pieces that did, were horrifically over priced (in my opinion anyway!). The much vaunted museum left a lot to be desired as well, as there were very few pieces in the display, and very little information about them, and several I'd seen for sale on e-bay!
But, one place I did enjoy going to, was the Living Legend (http://www.jerseyslivinglegend.co.je/) It's great for kids, and to be honest, there are times when I'm little more than an overgrown kid myself! The presentation was slick, and gave an interesting insight into the island's history.
The comment that stuck in my mind was "England is Jersey's oldest possession" as the island was part of the Duchy of Normandy - and became part of the UK when William, Duke of Normandy invaded England in 1066 (yes - he was William the Conqueror).
Aside from doing the tourist bit, Mum & I did go into the main town on Jersey (ok - the ONLY town in Jersey!) St Helier. We had a walk around the shops - and noticed that some of the larger chain stores (who shall remain nameless) were trying to charge the full 17.5% VAT on their goods.
What makes me mention this? Simple. The Channel Islands have no VAT on their goods. But, we did find that if you went to the smaller shops (i.e. the one-off shops) the prices were quite a bit lower, even if certain stores had delusions of grandeur. Having said that though, I did manage to find a rather unusual aftershave. It's called Monsieur Balman, and is lemon based - a real favourite of mine.
Ok - there were a couple of aftershaves / perfumes that I liked, but the price difference wasn't worth me considering buying them. As for me wearing aftershave, I'm of the opinion that a fragrance is a fragrance - and, if I like the smell, and it suits my skin acidity, then I'll wear it.
However, there are perfumes by Dior (Dune being the main one) that I cannot wear, simply because they smell awful on me. I tried Dune when it first came out, and the guy I was shopping with [yes - a man who liked shopping - great rarity!] said that I smelt like I'd been urinated on by a camel (or words to that effect!) Needless to say, that comment caused me to change my mind rather rapidly about the perfume - but I will admit I'd been in two minds about it anyway.
Other shops were interesting, but some were a complete waste of time in my opinion. But, having said that, I was glad that I took my book with me. In the evenings, after dinner at the hotel, there was nothing I liked better than to curl up on the bed with my book. I took the Tom Holt omnibus - For Two Nights Only - which contains Overtime and Grailblazers. Put it this way, I had tears of laughter running down my cheeks - especially in this passage from Grailblazers:
"Running away" Boamund said, "is just not done."
"I've done it," Toenail interrupted, "lots of times. It's quite easy once you get the hang of it."
"But it's not right," Boamund protested. "Sir Lancelot never ran away from people."
"Maybe not." Galahaut retorted, as they skittered over a patch of turbulence. "Maybe the fact that everyone was shit-scared of him had something to do with it. I don't think that lot are terribly frightened of us, do you?"
He waved an arm behind them...
(For the rest, you'll have to read Grailblazers I'm afraid!)
Hmm - suppose I'd better leave my perch, and see who's had the nerve to ring the door bell.
Back when I get free.
Having said that, there was a similar delay on the way to Jersey - only this was due to crew sickness (the captain called in sick at the last minute, so a substitute had to be called in) - something which we didn't find out until we were on the aircraft!
Now onto the holiday itself. I make no apologies for the amount of external web links that will be in this blog entry - they can give you far more information about the places that I went to than I can (ok - their versions of it). The opinions in this blog, are mine, and mine alone - and I make no apology for them whatsoever.
Once we'd landed at Jersey airport, Mum and I went to collect the hire car. OK- that wasn't a problem. The car itself was though. It was a Fiat Panda (See http://www.fiat.co.uk for a picture of the hideous interior!!! I'll give you a clue - it was the yellow - with a pale blue exterior!)
I will say one thing - if it was my car, I would have taken it straight back to the garage where I bought it from, as there were several things that sounded seriously wrong with it: - the gearbox clunked when you changed gear manually (it was an eastronic box), it whined like there was a servo winding itself up, when the offside front door was opened, and it also sounded like there was a wheel bearing going in the offside rear.
Once we'd found the hotel (The West View hotel: - good food, good beer, and quiet - but I would recommend having transport of your own to stay there, as it's a little bit remote - see http://www.jersey.com for more details!)
After we'd gotten lost because of the lousy directions that we'd been given by the hire company, we got settled, and then headed off for a tour of the island.
Our first stop was Jersey Pearl. (http://www.worldpearl.com ) Don't get me wrong - I'm not one of these women who loads herself up with jewellery. Far from it. I tend to go for a couple of classical pieces, and make them count.
But, as I was wandering 'round, I will admit, I fell for a lovely pair silver drops with dark pearls on them. They weren't wildly expensive, and I will admit, I kept walking back to them and I knew that was it - I was going to buy them.
The following day, Mum and I went to the Eric Young Orchid Foundation. It's open throughout the year Wednesday through to Saturday. (http://www.ericyoungorchidfoundation.co.uk/) Unfortunately, the site doesn't show the display houses, but as soon as I get the scanner on the computer working, I'll post the photographs that I took there.
There were orchids that smelt of Vanilla - yes, orchids do have scent! The vanilla pod comes from the vanilla orchid! We then went for a drive round the island.
To be honest, it's hard to remember which day we did what, but some things really do stick out in my mind - the trip to Jersey Lavender (http://www.jerseylavender.co.uk) being one of them.
Simply because on the previous trip to Jersey, I bought some Lavender & Rosemary cologne and that was it. I was hooked. Needless to say, I've stocked up, and made damned sure that I can get it via the web site!!
One of the other places that sticks in my mind is the La Mare Vineyards & Distillery. (http://www.lamarevineyards.com) For the simple reason, that on the two occasions I've tried their wines, I've found them little better than paint stripper.
OK, they may be award winning wines, but as far as I'm concerned, you can keep them. The apple brandy wasn't much better - again, it reminded me of something that you could use to take the paint off the floor!
However, the one place that I really wanted to visit was the German Underground Hospital. It's now known as the Jersey War Tunnels (http://www.jerseywartunnels.com/) and I will admit, the first time I went, I was with my late father.
Mum refused to go on both occasions, as the one and only time she went, it gave her the creeps to such an extent, she's refused to go back ever since. So, I left Mum with the car keys, and off I went.
The first time I went, I will admit to feeling slightly daunted. But for some reason, this time, I felt really uncomfortable. Ok - I know that there will be some people who twitter on about me picking up psychic vibrations - it was nothing as far out as that. It was the mere fact that the last time I was there, I was with my late father, who did a wonderful job of explaining the things that I didn't understand, as I hadn't studied history at school.
As part of the entrance fee, I was given a reproduction of a Jersey Identity Card or Identitaetskarte, which related to a person in the gallery - along with a brief summary of their life, and what happened to them during the German occupation of the Channel Islands. [The only part of the UK that the German Third Reich actually managed to invade during the Second World War].
The person on my identity card was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp gas chambers, for trying to help runaways from the underground hospital's labour force.
There is little more that I can say about the tunnels - other than if you go to Jersey, go and see them for yourselves and you'll see exactly what I mean.
The other place that had an impact on me was the Durrell wildlife conservation trust - also known as Jersey Zoo. (http://www.durrellwildlife.org)
I personally found the Tamarin wood the funniest part of the trip, as the Tamarins scamper around an open woodland, giving their usual vocal calls, and occasionally, posing for photographs! The rest of the tour was well worth it, with the Lemurs making both Mum and myself laugh with their antics - which are totally natural, before people start bristling about that!
Other places that Mum & I visited included Jersey Potteries (http://www.jerseypottery.com) This left me cold, as there was little that actually caught my eye, and the few pieces that did, were horrifically over priced (in my opinion anyway!). The much vaunted museum left a lot to be desired as well, as there were very few pieces in the display, and very little information about them, and several I'd seen for sale on e-bay!
But, one place I did enjoy going to, was the Living Legend (http://www.jerseyslivinglegend.co.je/) It's great for kids, and to be honest, there are times when I'm little more than an overgrown kid myself! The presentation was slick, and gave an interesting insight into the island's history.
The comment that stuck in my mind was "England is Jersey's oldest possession" as the island was part of the Duchy of Normandy - and became part of the UK when William, Duke of Normandy invaded England in 1066 (yes - he was William the Conqueror).
Aside from doing the tourist bit, Mum & I did go into the main town on Jersey (ok - the ONLY town in Jersey!) St Helier. We had a walk around the shops - and noticed that some of the larger chain stores (who shall remain nameless) were trying to charge the full 17.5% VAT on their goods.
What makes me mention this? Simple. The Channel Islands have no VAT on their goods. But, we did find that if you went to the smaller shops (i.e. the one-off shops) the prices were quite a bit lower, even if certain stores had delusions of grandeur. Having said that though, I did manage to find a rather unusual aftershave. It's called Monsieur Balman, and is lemon based - a real favourite of mine.
Ok - there were a couple of aftershaves / perfumes that I liked, but the price difference wasn't worth me considering buying them. As for me wearing aftershave, I'm of the opinion that a fragrance is a fragrance - and, if I like the smell, and it suits my skin acidity, then I'll wear it.
However, there are perfumes by Dior (Dune being the main one) that I cannot wear, simply because they smell awful on me. I tried Dune when it first came out, and the guy I was shopping with [yes - a man who liked shopping - great rarity!] said that I smelt like I'd been urinated on by a camel (or words to that effect!) Needless to say, that comment caused me to change my mind rather rapidly about the perfume - but I will admit I'd been in two minds about it anyway.
Other shops were interesting, but some were a complete waste of time in my opinion. But, having said that, I was glad that I took my book with me. In the evenings, after dinner at the hotel, there was nothing I liked better than to curl up on the bed with my book. I took the Tom Holt omnibus - For Two Nights Only - which contains Overtime and Grailblazers. Put it this way, I had tears of laughter running down my cheeks - especially in this passage from Grailblazers:
"Running away" Boamund said, "is just not done."
"I've done it," Toenail interrupted, "lots of times. It's quite easy once you get the hang of it."
"But it's not right," Boamund protested. "Sir Lancelot never ran away from people."
"Maybe not." Galahaut retorted, as they skittered over a patch of turbulence. "Maybe the fact that everyone was shit-scared of him had something to do with it. I don't think that lot are terribly frightened of us, do you?"
He waved an arm behind them...
(For the rest, you'll have to read Grailblazers I'm afraid!)
Hmm - suppose I'd better leave my perch, and see who's had the nerve to ring the door bell.
Back when I get free.
Karen.
Do spiders scream when they see a big fat hairy human in the bath?
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