Jersey Walk Day 5

I got up and made cheese, onion and tomato rolls for lunch and drank a Frijj chocolate milk shake for breakfast. Steve and Iva were re-joining me for walking today and we caught the 9.35am bus into town as usual. We decided to make our way around the base of Fort Regent, through town and I bought a sun hat from Millett’s, because although the day had started blissfully clouded over as it had the day before, it looked as if it was breaking up again. It was quite windy today as well though which was wonderfully refreshing!!!

I wasn’t looking forward to today’s walk at all – an expected trudge around rather bleak andboring beaches with rocks out to sea. We weren’t to be disappointed and got pretty much what we expected!! We joined the main coastal road initially and then started walking along the beach when we got to the sea water swimming pool. This actually looked quite a nice amenity. It felt more seasidey around this first stretch of beach (Greve d’Azette), than it had around St. Aubins Bay on the other side of St. Helier. It made a pleasant enough change. We eventually made it to the first small ‘headland’ of Green Island, distinguishable because the rock nearest to the beach was covered in grass, unlike the rest of the numerous rocks and reefs out to sea – certainly hazardous shipping around this side of the island I would think!!

Steve and Iva by the Liberation statue in St Helier before setting out for the day.

Walkway across the beach at Greve d'Azette to get to the natural swimming pool at high tide.

Looking back at the natural pool.

Looking back at St Helier and in the distance Noirmon Point at the far side of St Aubins Bay.

Steve and Iva still striding out!

The rather less than inspiring Green Island!!

We stopped at the café here – Steve and Iva having a take away cup of tea which was apparently pretty disgusting. I made do with my two tomato, onion and cheese rolls and the pop that I’d bought in town. Those eaten, we trudged ever onwards along the beach. past La Hocq Point and Iva told us a Czech fable to keep us occupied and distract us from the monotonous scenery and growing tiredness!!! To our left, by now, were back gardens of houses on the beach front and to the right, the ever present sea, rocks and reefs.

We eventually made it to Platte Rocque Point – the first point of any real interest since the swimming pool near St.Helier!!! This little place consisted of a Martello tower and a harbour wall. We joined the road for a short while after this and stopped for a drink in a pub that we came across.

Just sand and pebbles and rocks out to see.. rather monotonous today!

The odd point of interest along the way though!

Platte Rocque Point.

And the harbour wall here.

Not an exceptional pub and my nuts and can of Labatts put me to sleep – Even more than I had been before stopping here!!! I could quite happily have collapsed and given up for the day at this point!! Unfortunately, I couldn’t and so we set off again along the road and then joined the huge and flat expanse of sand to the south of Gorey. It was as much water as sand, and we trudged and splashed our way in a direct line towards the harbour as the tide rushed in from our right. As we approached Gorey, it was revealed to be a lovely little, picturesque harbour, with the impressive Mont Orgueil Castle sitting majestically above it. Unfortunately it was covered with a lot of scaffolding at the moment!

Gorey and the impressive Mont Orgueil Castle above it.

The harbour wall at Gorey at last!!!

We climbed the step at the end of the harbour wall, just as the tide was beginning to lap around its seaward side. There were planty of busses back to St.Helier from here, and so we didn’t have to wait long! After quickly looking at an artist’s exhibition in a back alley, we boarded the next bus and set off for St. Helier. Unfortunately we had a ¾ hour wait for the next bus back to Rozel and so, for want of anything better to do, we went into a sports bar for a drink. The staff were especially rude.

We got back and I was soo tired that I went to bed for a snooze for a couple of hours on and off, and then we got the 7.25pm ish bus down to Rozel harbour for another pub tea at the fabulous Rozel Bay Hotel – this time in the bar. I had grilled crevettes with noodle salad and ginger dressing to start and then the king prawn korma I’d had before. Lovely as usual. We played cards between eating and caught the bus back up to the campsite at 10.25pm.