Country Lanes and Cliffs

Channel Islands (Guernsey) Day 4 – Route 4 + Route 5 + Route 6 45 Km (Fri 10 August 2018)

Weather: 14⁰C min – 20⁰C max, mostly cloudy, windy

Route PhotosSt Peter PortLinksOSM MapTrip MapsStravaInteractiveInteractive

“I’m lazy. But it’s the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle because they didn’t like walking or carrying things” ~ Lech Walesa

For my second day of riding in Guernsey I strung together the following three loops taken from the Standard Guernsey Loops to create a 45 Km route exploring the regions of St Saviour, Pleinmont Headland, and St Andrews: R4 (Reservoir Roundabout), R5 (Country Lanes and Cliffs), and R6 (Central Circular).

This was a day of contrasting views, from panoramic vistas of the west coast beaches to open fields and the tree-lined St Saviour’s reservoir. The route twists and turns through charming country lanes and winds between old Guernsey buildings with arched doorways and small windows.

It was a day for appreciating rural beauty, riding on country lanes flanked by hedges, fields, and trees, with occasional sea views. Much to my delight there were more of those lovely caramel coloured Guernsey cows, munching grass to produce the rich cream I have been enjoying on Ann’s yummy porridge each morning. Both Jerseys and Guernseys are renowned for milk with a high butter-fat content, which explains why the cream and butter here is such an unusually dark yellow.

Everywhere I have ridden on Guernsey Island I have been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the sealed roads – excellent conditions for riding. The lanes are very narrow, though, so when there is an oncoming vehicle one of us (usually me) has to back down and allow the other to pass. Traffic is practically non-existent once you get out of Saint Peter Port, where it is surprisingly heavy. There is no shoulder on any of the roads but it is perfectly safe because motorists here have unlimited patience, never honking their horns or yelling abuse at cyclists (unlike in Sydney).

Towns are few and far between, so when I eventually came to a seaside kiosk I seized the opportunity to stop for coffee and scones. It was a chance to shelter from the cold wind too, and soak up a bit of sun which made a brief appearance.

Tomorrow I catch the ferry to Portsmouth, then a train back to London. However, I don’t have to be at the ferry terminal until about 3:30 pm so, weather permitting, I will ride around the south east corner, the only part of the island I have not yet covered.