As soon as we enter St Peter Port, Guernsey’s diminutive capital, we’re spellbound. A simple walk along the High Street offers tempting glimpses – in between equally tempting shops and cafes – down steep little venelles (alleyways) towards the sea.
Our guide, Gill, regales us with tales of former residents including Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Misérables and other famous works here. He described the Channel Islands as “fragments of France which fell into the sea and were gathered up by England”.
Indeed, it’s closer to France than to England, with a local Guernsey patois that has its roots in French, though it remains a self-governing Crown Dependency loyal
