Friday 31 July 2015

We moved berth early this morning, before most folk were up and about. I had slept badly, as we were right next to the road and a rather annoying pedestrian crossing. High water was early morning, and the weather was good, so several yachts departed promptly, and we secured a much better berth further away from the road. 

With high pressure in charge it looked like it would be a scorching day, so I picked a walk on the wooded southern cliffs that might provide some shade as well as beaches. 

We caught a bus to Old Mill, and followed a charming stone path that was half a stream, steeply downhill to Moulin Huet Bay, beloved of and famously painted by Renoir. 

The tea-room overlooking the bay, all subdued pastels and shell mobiles, was impossible to pass by without taking coffee on their sunny lawn overlooking the jagged rocks amid colourful rhododendrons. 

It was 1230 and low water was about 1300, so rather than climbing back up the cliff to reach the next sandy bay, Petit Bot, we made the rather rash decision to scramble over the rocks instead. This proved much more energetic than anticipated. 

Several times we had to retrace our steps after reaching the summit of one crest, as the descent was a sheer drop. After about twenty minutes we were seemingly not much nearer, and though the glimpses of blue sea between the rocks were very attractive, the ascents and descents were slippery and rough on the hands. 

Jonny had already gone barefoot and stripped to his pants, so he waded round the last headland. It was practically waist deep, but Adrian and I decided to do the same, and dry out later. Sam and David continued with the rock scramble. We passed a cormorant, just feet away – it hardly seemed troubled by our presence. 

Assembling dripping on the sandy beach, we wolfed our pasties and did our best to dry out. The steps ascending back to the cliff path were not that appealing, but there really was no option now. 

Sam and I counted them as we climbed: 313. But the views from the top were stunning. 

We followed the cliff path round the headland – spotting Alderney and even the high land of Cap de la Hague off to the North East – and then met up with David, Jonny and Adrian for tea and ice-cream at Fermain beach café. 

Around 6pm, armed with a Marks & Spencer picnic, we joined the queue of people waiting to gain entrance to Castle Cornet for a free picnic with music – apparently a summer Friday night staple. We were perhaps the thousandth to arrive, and there was very little floor space left. 

We had to climb right up to the top lawn for a scrap of grass for our picnic – but the views of the town and the castle walls were fabulous. There were a selection of local bands – nothing special, but the location made it a great evening’s entertainment, and we saw another great sunset.