N 49.44823°, W 02.53293°
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:49.44823%2C-02.53293
In that way that sometimes happens when you overnight off formal sites, I had an odd experience at last night's camp. I was woken at 4.10am by someone in the churchyard brandishing a dim yellow torch. They seemed to be looking for something near a grave but weren't the slightest bit interested in me. After a few minutes they seemingly decided there was no more 4.10am-torch-brandishing to be done and strode off purposefully down the lane. People do weird things.
The crossing from Portsmouth seemed to take an age. It was extended by an hour to eight because of strong headwinds and unfavourable tides. The journey wasn't helped because the ship was quite small and one constantly-screeching child of about four was allowed to run amok for the full duration seemingly without even the slightest hint of parental control. Every English parent should be forced to read the book 'French Children Don't Throw Food' before they are allowed to spit their progeny into the world.
Arriving on Guernsey was less than laid back. In only a couple of hours of daylight I had to suss: where tomorrow's sailing to Alderney departs, somewhere safe to leave the Delica for a couple of days, and somewhere quiet to kip.
None of this proved easy but I think I've got it sussed. In recce of a place to kip I spent a little while at Fort George Military Cemetery, an immaculately maintained place housing mainly, it seems, Germans killed in WWII (pic). The German occupation is undoubtedly a huge factor here, all the reading I've done is dominated by references to it.
At the coordinates shown now, right next to Belvedere Light. The views out across St Peter Port towards Herm and Sark are splendid.
Initial impressions of Guernsey generally are that it's pretty densely populated and though there are some very exclusive dwellings and wealth is readily apparent, there's also an almost perpetual noise of distant boy racers thrashing car engines and far too many emergency services' sirens responding to incidents for my immediate liking.
At least I'm well hidden and surrounded by low-flying bats. I can also hear grasshoppers/cicadas from my snuckle-hole.
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