Nature

We are still having lots of winter wind and rain storms.  Last week, a really bad storm hung around for two days and nights. It rained constantly.  The wind was extremely strong; it rattled and shook our windows and it seemed the glass would burst out.  Several roads and lanes were closed due to downed trees and branches.
  In between storms we've been blessed with a few more hours of sun and blue skies.  When the tide is really low, and the sun shines on the ocean, the water color seems to change and looks a bright turquoise.  The picture doesn't capture the color as well as I'd hoped, but it is beautiful.

In the distance you can see the small island of Herm.  We're told it's 3 miles away from Guernsey, about a 20 minute boat ride.  It's 1 and 1/2 miles long, by 1/2 mile wide. In summer people like to sail there to walk the trails and enjoy the sandy beaches.   We will likely take a day trip there some time.

 On a P-day we visited one of the historical sites on the island.  Below is Clarence Battery, a defense fort that was built in the early 18th century.  It is on a high knob of land that juts out into the ocean and provides a multi directional view.

From the high point of Battery hill, we could look down on the "swimming pools" built in ancient days.  We are seeing low tide here - the pools hold water after the tide has gone out.  At high tide the water comes clear up to the rock wall at the roads' edge.  In the distance we can see Castle Cornet. It opens for tours the end of March, so we'll learn about it later.

Below the battery is the Guernsey Aquarium set among tunnels, quarried out of solid rock by the
German occupying forces during World War II to store ammunition and vehicles. The main tunnel was dug out by locals in 1864 to create a short cut to the cliff paths and a nice sandy beach.

                                                  nice sandy beach on the other side