First day in Jersey

Around nine o'clock this morning the Gunilla and its crew arrived at the Canal-island known as Jersey, after having sailed from A Coruña, over the Biscaya and then into the English Canal. Of course I myself missed the entire docking process as I was passed out in my bed until 12:00. To give a quick introduction to this island, I will begin by explaining its history. So let’s start at a point in time around 7 000 years ago, when what would later become Jersey had just turned into an island due to rising sea levels. A while later, approximately 4 000 B.C communities began to settle on the island. These people have left behind traces of themselves like La Hougue Bie. Then during a long period not too much noteworthy really happened until the ninth century when the island was plundered by Vikings, who also gave the island its name. Jersey then becomes part of Normandy, and remains so until the year 1204 when it swore its allegiance to King John of England. Since this isn’t meant to be a complete rendition of Jersey’s history, I will now skip forward to the years 1940-1945 when Jersey was occupied by the Germans. On the island you will find many reminders of this short period in time, and it is an event that still haunts the community. The occupation came to an end on the ninth of May 1945, when Jersey was freed from the Germans. This day is called Liberation Day, and it is an event still celebrated annually.

Now that you are fed up with the history of Jersey, I will switch it up and talk about my own experience in Jersey. After having eaten lunch on the boat, Me and a few friends gathered a large group of people and went ashore. We then made our way the entirety of about 200 long metres before people decided they were in desperate need of ice cream. While I waited for half an hour while the others were enjoying their ice cream, I had time to get a first impression of the city. And I’ve got to say that everything was very promising, apart from the price of a single scoop of ice cream that is. The only thing that promised was that I would end the day either with a starving belly or a starving bank account.

Like the all too large group of annoying tourists we were, we then marched toward the centre of the city, blocking a multitude of cars and twice as many locals in the process. Luckily we then split up into smaller groups and went our separate ways. Me and a few others went from window to window looking at watches we could only dream of owning, before we found a beautiful and cozy market that we entered. Inside, there were a bunch of small stores that sold fruit, delicacies and lots more. An enormous Lego car caught my eye, but unfortunately the price tag almost gave me a jumpscare. We then decided to walk up a hill that would give us a view of the city. On our way there we got to see the wonderful city. Everything was so in theme and there were no out of place buildings. That together with the British culture subtly showing itself made the entire atmosphere very pleasant. What I found interesting was that almost all streets had French names, which points back to Jersey’s history and is a cool detail. When we arrived at the top of the hill, we spotted a long beach that we quickly made our next destination.

After having been to the beach, we spent the rest of the day wandering around the city before we went back to the ship to eat dinner and relax for the rest of the evening. It had been a really nice day in this awesome city, and I am sure that if I ever become unnecessarily rich and get a sudden urge to avoid paying taxes, it will surely be on my list of possible places to settle. My other key takeaway from this day is that Jersey is a great place to take a short vacation. Due to the small size of the Island and the city you only really need a couple days or so. I would suggest spending your first day in St Helier enjoying the city, and then rent bikes for your second day and bike around the island. The countryside and the coast are both beautiful and have that classic British aesthetic. Then if you have a third day you could take the bus somewhere, like the old war tunnels which are now a museum. Finally, in my opinion you have to be prepared to spend some money, especially if you want to experience the city. You will not regret it, and in the end I believe it will be all worth it for a short but amazing trip to Jersey!

Gustaf