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Guide to Bike and Walk Guernsey, Channel Islands

June 24, 2024 by Louie Alma Photography No Comments

Guide to Bike and Walk Guernsey, Channel Islands

In the middle of the English Channel, Guernsey is smaller than its neighbour Jersey, and you can easily cycle around the entire coast in a day. Even better, hire an e-bike and it makes an easy adventure for cyclists of all levels. The Northern part of the island is completely flat with its wide bays home to vast sandy beaches. The only obstacle is the wind, but like most things in Guernsey, it’s fairly benign.

The South, however, is all rugged cliffs with steep descents into small bays and wooded coves. Of course going down means a tough following climb upwards, often to stunning viewpoints. Peppered around the coast are small kiosks and tea rooms providing welcome refreshment. You can do the whole island in a day but better to take it leisurely and split it into two.

And, in order to keep everything sustainable, I avoid flying and opt for slowish travel. That means taking the train to Poole and boarding the Condor Ferry which arrives in St Peter Port in around three hours.

Day 1: St Peter Port and the South

I start my coastal adventure by heading south from St. Peter Port towards the cliffs of Jerbourg Point. There are no cycle paths and the only option is to take the main road. However traffic is light and drivers tend to tuck in behind until there’s a safe opportunity for overtaking.

After I pass the Doyle monument, I’m soon at the headland overlooking Jerbourg Point. Jagged cliffs drop down to the sea and the rocks end in a series of stacks. From here, I take narrow lanes westwards, helpfully labelled Ruettes Tranquilles, which take me through attractive wooded glades.

I park my bike and walk down to Moulin Huet Bay, a favourite spot of the French painter Renoir. The bay’s clear waters and dramatic rock formations inspired many of his works. There follows a succession of tiny rocky beaches, including Saints Bay and Petit Bot with its tower.

All require further ups and downs but I’m soon at Torteval, on the South Western Tip. The headland is honeycombed with German fortifications from WW2 including the imposing Pleinmont Observation Tower. As I turn the corner, the landscape becomes gentler opening out to long wide bays.

Fort Grey, on Rocquaine Bay, an 18^th century fort, now houses a shipwreck museum, detailing disasters on the surrounding seas. As I cycle north I stop by at Lihou Island, a nature reserve only accessible by causeway at low tide. Here I turn inland, cycling due east through Castel back to St Peter Port. This is agricultural heaven, blessed by traditional farmhouses, and fields dotted with grazing Guernsey cows.

Day 2: St Peter Port and the North

Next day I head north, along the sea front of St Peter Port, to the working harbour at St Sampson. The coast leads me to little Fort Doyle perched on a rocky headland. Further on, at the northernmost tip, another fortification, Fort Le Marcand is slightly more substantial. It overlooks the long stretch of beach, known as Pembroke Bay, with its WW2 German fortified seawall.

The track turns into a footpath so I turn inland crossing the Royal Guernsey Golf Course before arriving at Le Grande Havre. The wide beach is guarded by the loopholed Rousse Tower, one of a series of 15 built at the end of the 18^th century, to repel the French. I battle the prevailing wind as I cross Cobo Bay before turning inland at Vazon Bay. It’s then a cross country ride back to St Peter Port.

Day 3: Walk Fermain Bay and Jerbourg

I fancy getting of my bike and exploring on foot – one of most popular walks on Guernsey runs from St Peter Port to Fermain Bay. It’s a gentle wooded path, lined with spring flowers, with flights of steps, taking me up and down. Soon Fermain Bay comes into view, an attractive spot with a loopholed tower and boats moored in the bay.

It’s only taken me an hour so I decide to press on to Jerbourg Point. There are good views of the Pea Stacks and German fortifications on the headland. I follow the path along the clifftop to Petit Port and take hundreds of steps down to the bay. Climbing up again, I’m soon at Moulin Huet Bay and then turn back inland.

From here, it’s mainly road walking back to Sausmarez Manor, above Fermain Bay and onwards to St Peter Port. The last stretch turns off on a grassy path following the curtain wall of Fort George before descending to the South Esplanade and the capital. This is my last day on Guernsey and I’ll miss the gentle rhythm of exploring the island by bike and on foot.

Factfile

GO: Condor Ferries sails daily to Guernsey from Poole in 3 hours for £56 each way for foot passengers. They also offer a 3 night B&B package at the Peninsula Hotel for £525.60 in September or £345.40 in October, based on single occupancy including return ferry fare.

Go Guernsey Land & Sea supplies e-bikes.

STAY:

La Fregate is an exclusive boutique hotel in St Peter Port with an excellent restaurant.
The Peninsula Hotel sits on Le Grande Havre Bay, on the other side of the island, and has great sea views.

EAT:

Puffin & Oyster is close to the Peninsula Hotel and offers grills and seafood.
Balthazar is in St Peter Port and is good for fish.
The Brasserie in the Old Government House Hotel has fine dining.

INFO: Visit Guernsey has tourist information.

Cicerone’s Walking on Guernsey is an excellent guide.

The post Guide to Bike and Walk Guernsey, Channel Islands appeared first on The Travel Magazine.

Reading time: 5 min

News and Tips

Beziers, Narbonne and Perpignan deliver a perfect coast-and-city break by rail

June 24, 2024 by Louie Alma Photography No Comments

Beziers, Narbonne and Perpignan deliver a perfect coast-and-city break by rail

Tucked behind the coastal strip curving gently towards the Pyrenees, France’s heritage cities of Beziers, Narbonne and Perpignan along the western Mediterranean shore share a history dating back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

Changes in coastline mean that Beziers, Narbonne and Perpignan are today set back from the sea, but together they offer culture and coast, restaurants and retail in one easy-to-navigate trip. The perfect destination to celebrate a significant birthday with my best friend, years after we studied French together at school.

Fly into international airports such as Nimes, Beziers or Toulouse and pick up a hire car, or do as we did and be eco-responsible with unlimited travel for just €10 a day with an Occitanie Rail Pass.

Beziers

We fell instantly in love with Béziers in the department of Hérault, capital of the Languedoc vineyards and the only area of France unaffected by the Phylloxera aphid that ravaged vineyards in the mid-19^th century. The town grew rich on wine and today boasts a wealth of ornate Belle Epoque town houses as well as an atmospheric old town with a hilltop cathedral and the remains of a Roman arena.

Canal du Midi, Beziers, France

Stroll beneath the trees of the Allées Paul Riquet that cuts an elegant swathe between those ornate mansions. Lined with cafes and flower stalls, it pays homage to Béziers’ most famous son, tax collector turned hydraulics engineer Pierre Paul Riquet, engineer of the Canal du Midi.

We followed the fully accessible walking trail to Fonseranes where the UNESCO-listed canal drops 13.6 metres in just 300 metres via a staircase of nine locks, seven still in use.

We also enjoyed the Painted Wall Trail, easy to navigate on the free annotated map from the Tourist Office, relaxing en route at some of the city’s many wine bars and bistrots, as well as stocking up on French fashion in the retail quarter.

Nearby Agde – just 12 minutes away by train – was founded by the Greeks in the 5^th century BC near the mouth of the river Hérault. Wind through the narrow streets of behind the black basalt cathedral; feast on fresh fish at a riverside restaurant; and explore the extraordinary Château Laurens, recently reopened after major restoration.

Chateau Laurens, Agde

House envy is guaranteed at this stunning Art Nouveau property where every room is a sensory treat of brightly painted walls, stained glass windows and bespoke furniture.

For a complete contrast, hop on a Cap’Bus at Agde station for Cap d’Agde, one of several seaside resorts created here in the mid-20^th century. Family-friendly and affordable, this buzzing small resort offers all the fun of the seaside without the price tag and glitz of the Riviera.

Don’t miss the fabulous Musée de l’Ephèbe, France’s only museum of underwater archaeology packed with ancient Greek artefacts, nor the chance to watch the afternoon catch unloaded and auctioned at La Grau d’Agde fishing port.

Narbonne

There’s more ancient history in neighbouring Narbonne in the Aude department, just 13 minutes by train from Béziers. Established in 118 BC, Narbo Martius was the first Roman settlement in Gaul and the second most important Mediterranean port. This golden age is brilliantly showcased at Narbo Via, an outstanding museum designed by Foster + Partners on the plan of a Roman villa. Expect vibrant wall paintings, intricate mosaics, and stone carvings that bring Roman life and culture zinging vividly to life.

Bishops’ Palace, Narbonne

We loved the relaxed atmosphere of Narbonne. The café tables beneath the plane trees beside the Canal de la Robine; the towering but unfinished cathedral; and the vast Bishop’s Palace, now home to the Town Hall and museum collections. Out front, a section of the ancient Via Domitia still bears the wheel marks of Roman carts.

Beside the canal, elegant 19^th century mansions are testament to the profits generated by the wine trade. Hire an electric boat or sit back and enjoy a guided cruise beneath the Pont des Marchands, Narbonne’s answer to the Ponte Vecchio and the only residential bridge in France.

The nearby covered market, built of glass and cast iron, proved the perfect spot for lunch, the communal tables of its tapas and wine bars crammed with diners. Around us, stalls were laden with rainbow displays of fruit and vegetables, glistening fresh fish, and a wide range of deli items and desserts. A dip in the Med? Head for the soft sands and safe waters of Narbonne-Plage on the Côte du Midi.

Perpignan

Whilst Béziers and Narbonne are firmly Occitan in culture, Perpignan – closest to the Pyrenees – is distinctly Catalan, a legacy of the days when Catalonia extended north of the mountain range. Capital of the 13^th century Kingdom of Majorca and now chief town in the Pyrenees-Orientale department, the town only came under French rule in 1659 under Louis XIV, but the Gothic red brick palace remains.

First, however, we headed to Collioure on the Côte Vermeille, 20 minutes by train beyond Perpignan and a 70-minute journey from Narbonne. The beachside Royal Palace was the favourite summer residence of those Majorcan kings, and Collioure still attracts holidaymakers with its pretty bays, Royal Castle and much-photographed Clock Tower.

Old town, Perpignan

We browsed the boutiques along the winding streets and lunched on succulent salads beside the Med, but also enjoyed a castle tour and a ride on Le Petit Train up into the vineyards for a seagull’s eye view of Collioure.

And so to Perpignan. Pick up a map at the Hôtel de la Loge in the historic centre, once a trading centre for medieval merchants and now the Tourist Office.Then just wander.

Hotel Pams, Perpignan

We loved the Hyacinthe Rigaud Museum, a Fine Art collection named after the local lad who became court painter to Louis XIV. And the extraordinary Hôtel Pams, originally a factory manufacturing cigarette papers, but subsequently turned into a lavish Art Nouveau town house. Check out the concert programme too at the red brick Gothic palace of the Kings of Majorca for a real flavour of Catalan culture.

Some final retail therapy – Catalan striped linens and high fashion espadrilles – and it was time to raise a last glass of chilled local rosé. Occitanie’s coastal towns had more than delivered for our zero-birthday celebration. Here’s to next time!

FACTFILE

Getting there:

We flew to Beziers and picked up the Occitanie rail network with a Pass costing €10 per day for unlimited travel over 2-6 days. Tourist and travel information from www.voyage-occitanie.com

Useful websites:

You might also like:

What is there to see and do in Nantes
Take a ferry from Dover to Calais and visit 5 pretty French towns

The post Beziers, Narbonne and Perpignan deliver a perfect coast-and-city break by rail appeared first on The Travel Magazine.

Reading time: 5 min

News and Tips

Hotel Review: LOTTE City Hotel Tashkent Palace, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

June 24, 2024 by Louie Alma Photography No Comments

Hotel Review: LOTTE City Hotel Tashkent Palace, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

With a striking façade of imposing pillars, tiled walls and arches, and graceful balconies, LOTTE City Hotel immediately displays its importance as a landmark in the city of Tashkent. Its grandeur harks to its Soviet-era origins as the Tashkent Palace Hotel in the 1950s: you can imagine visiting delegations of party officials mixing with the local intelligentsia in the refined atmosphere at the very heart of the city’s cultural district.

Since those days, the hotel has been refurbished and modernised to confirm it as a place where guests can expect all the conveniences and embellishments of an international brand’s four-star. Whatever its luxuries, however, it is LOTTE’s position within a stone’s throw of the opera house, state museums, and Independence Square which makes it one of the best options for exploring Tashkent.

Who for

LOTTE is large and diverse enough to cater to all kinds of visitors. You will certainly find your share of businessmen and diplomats occupying opulent suites, but with touches such as a children’s buffet and a good swimming pool, this is a place that can provide for everyone, including families. The common feature of all the guests staying here is that they appreciate being within walking distance of almost all the notable attractions of the city.

Accommodation

The 232 rooms of the LOTTE Tashkent come in various configurations and sizes, from deluxe single rooms through doubles, superior, and executive rooms, to three different types of suites. They all have views over the gardens and pool of the hotel courtyard, or over the stunning opera house and elegant avenue with its large shady trees and clipped topiary.

All accommodation at LOTTE is impeccably well-maintained and luxurious. You’ll find that a deep sleep is assured on the ‘He:on’ bedding system; the premium mattress, duvet and linen brand made exclusively for LOTTE hotels. You will also feel pampered by the high-end facilities in the ensuite bathroom, complete with comfortable touches such as slippers and robes. If an evening of easy relaxation is your thing, then make use of the 32-inch HD TV.

Food and drink

For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the hotel’s refined yet relaxed dining venue is Bella Notte Restaurant. It’s a place to enjoy the extensive breakfast buffet, to be energised by an Italian lunch, or to indulge in an evening meal celebrating the fusion of gastronomic cultures of Tashkent. You can eat in an elegant atmosphere of marble, striking indoor plants and chandeliers, or you can opt to sit on the terrace of the courtyard.

Our recommendation for an evening meal is to head to the spacious and modern 6th Floor Grill and Bar: an alfresco experience giving diners the unforgettable experience of nighttime views over the city. For a pre- or post-dinner drink, check out the hotel’s classy piano bar, where you will frequently find Uzbekistan’s best jazz musicians performing. With the opera and ballet theatre just opposite the hotel, the piano bar is a popular venue with Tashkent cultural elite, many of whom pop by before or after a show.

Facilities

After a day of exploring Tashkent, you will appreciate a dip in LOTTE’s large outdoor pool, surrounded by peaceful courtyard gardens. There’s also a fitness and health club on the ground floor, complete with sauna, beauty and massage treatments, comfortable changing rooms and good showers.

For those who need business facilities, the hotel has three conference and corporate rooms that each accommodate up to 25 people.

How much?

A standard double room starts at £130 per night, including breakfast.

CHECK AVAILABILITY

What’s nearby?

LOTTE could not be better located for exploring Tashkent. It is only 500m from the Mustakillik Maydoni Metro Station, but you’ll find plenty to do without even having to venture as far as that. Right opposite the hotel is the stunning Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, rising behind its elegant plaza and fountain. The other notable neighbouring attraction is the impressive State Museum of the History of Uzbekistan, a treasure trove formerly known as the Lenin Museum, which houses over 250,000 exhibits.

I also recommend strolling along Sailgokh Street (known popularly as Broadway) for its rich collection of cafes and local artists selling their paintings on the streets. For monuments, fountains and a blend of all the intertwined facets to create Uzbekistan’s history, head to Independence Square, then to Amir Temur Square and the adjacent State Museum of Timurid History.

Verdict

For elegance and grandeur, its range of accommodation options, and its convenient location for visiting the cultural and historic sites of Tashkent, LOTTE City Hotel Tashkent Palace is an ideal choice for travellers who want to stay in luxurious surroundings in the heart of Uzbekistan’s capital.

Save up to £800 per week on villa holidays

June 24, 2024 by Louie Alma Photography No Comments

Save up to £800 per week on villa holidays

Save up to £800 per week on late deals!

It’s not too late to catch a bargain

Whether you’re in the mood for beach activities in the Balearics or immersing yourself in local culture in Cyprus, your villa and private pool will be ready upon your return.

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