Heaven on herm

Two perfect phrases for my visit to Herm Island (the tiniest, brightest gem of our island crown):

"good things come in small packages" and "good things come to those who wait"

I have a Channel Island Girl confession: Herm was the island I knew the very least.  Until last week, I had only ever visited twice - once for a school outing when I was 6 and again for my 18th Birthday when I lived as a student in Guernsey.  Suffice to say, my memory didn't serve me well!  So when Jonathan Watson (Herm's Director of Hospitality) invited me to rediscover this heavenly little rock, I jumped at the chance...to say I was "excited" is an understatement!

Setting off from Alderney always feels like an adventure, even though we were only "hopping" to Guernsey!  We were delighted to be travelling on the new Aurigny Dornier 228 - for a mere 6 minutes in the air - and although the windows are smaller than the Trislanders', we were still able to catch a glimpse of the islands in the early morning mist...

The aeroplane feels like a touch of luxury after years of bombing about in the squashed little baked-bean-tin Trislanders (don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge fan of G-JOEY and his pals) and the leather seats, two pilots, fast journey and extra leg room were all major plusses for a nervous flyer like me.

The only way to get to Herm commercially is via ferry from Guernsey and managed to get flights and boat times to coincide perfectly (in the height of the summer season, ferries can be as frequent as 8 return journeys each day).

We hadn't been promised summer weather - but we chanced our arm and failed to pack a brolly, coat or mac-in-a-sack...we were tempting fate but knew Herm would pull through for us...and she did!

My travel companion for the weekend was the lovely Mr Channel Island Girl (aka the Man with One Eye).  We've taken Sark Shipping many times but Mr CIG had never done the Herm Travel Trident.  

We headed straight to the top for the best views and were appeased by the calm seas on our swift journey!

The 20 minute crossing was largely taken up by admiring P&O's flagship, Britannia, their biggest cruise liner and a welcome visitor to Guernsey waters on a regular basis.  

The Man with One Eye then tried to tell me that the island next to Herm was Brecqhou (errr...no honey, it's certainly not Brecqhou...it's beautiful Jethou, a private island that was originally joined to Herm before a storm in 709 AD severed the link!!)

We arrived on a low tide and took the Rosaire Steps from the Trident along the dusty (but very well maintained) path to the stunning White House Hotel - our home for the night!  

First impressions speak volumes: every footpath, rock-bench(!), litter bin and viewpoint was beautifully well-kept without being showy. 

Herm's vibe felt so charming and honest - we'd only taken 3 steps and we were in love.

The 4 star White House Hotel is Herm's only hotel (self-catering or camping accommodation options are available) and has some of the best views of Guernsey from the front lawn.  

The hotel oozes colonial charm and offers every guest a unique and personal experience...from your very own "special table" at breakfast/lunch/dinner to the courteous and attentive staff who go the extra mile to make your stay utterly memorable.

The delightful turquoise & white signposts are at every important point around the island and hugely helpful for first-timers!  Little seahorses and shells are the island's emblems and are replicated on the lovely gifts and clothing in the island's two extensive shops.  

Although we had been blessed with warm weather - I HAD to have a Herm Island branded Lazy Jacks sweater (which I still haven't been able to part with for nearly a week...and is now requiring a most-necessary visit to the washing machine).

One of the additional bonuses on this particular trip was that it coincided with Herm's "Great Scottish Ale Festival" - a 4-day (and night!) event with live music and hundreds of ales, ciders and champagnes...

This annual festival is held at The Mermaid pub, Herm's hottest spot for great banter, friendly faces and some seriously good hospitality.

We grabbed our "beer bingo card" for £10, which came with a commemorative Herm Ale Festival half pint glass, and scanned the Festival menu for something to quench our thirst...as it was lunchtime we decided to use our Ale Tokens on some Island Hopping ale (how apt) and some of the amazing Guernsey-made Rocquette Ciders (Merry Berry was my favourite!)

Oh dear - it seemed the sun had come out and was blazing!  In the lovely warm summer weather it was only right to try another one or two... Hic!

Don't worry - my plate of WHALE (cod) and chips was enough to feed a small army and soaked up the cider-y residues pretty quickly (yes, I ate it ALL and yes, it was BLOODY DELICIOUS)!  The photo doesn't do it justice - our delightful lunch had given us the energy to start our walk around the island!

The population of Herm is around 60 with many of the islanders working for the tourist trade.  As we took the hill up towards St Tugual's Chapel on the way to Belvoir Bay, we passed a happy islander driving a quad bike trailer - the one piece of traffic on Herm!  The residents' houses are "chocolate box cottages" with beautiful gardens...we couldn't help but be nosey!

There are lots of "stone seats" about - sit down on a pebble and enjoy the view (that's what you say you're doing, when you're just trying to catch your breath, up a hill, after two ciders and a massive plate of fish & chips!).

And at the top, the tiny, perfect, quirky, quaint St Tugual's Chapel - I am SO coming back for Christmas one year to experience carols in this charming little sanctum.

Ooh hurrah - another place to sit...this time the rather grand tree carved into a throne for me to rest upon!  It's (a relatively new) tradition to have your photo taken in the stumpy-seat - so I couldn't miss out!  

Belvoir Bay is a secret curve of perfect golden sand (think Arch Bay in Alderney or Petit Bot in Guernsey) and is perfect for families with little ones.  Depending on where you sit, you can catch glimpses of Jersey and Sark, too!

We continued walking for (according to the sign) 9 minutes, until we reached one of my very favourite beaches in the Channel Islands...Shell Beach!  A seemingly endless stretch of sand with turquoise waters, ideal for kayaking, swimming, sunbathing, daydreaming and eating ice cream!  

The Man with One Eye had to drag me away from this little piece of perfection...next time I'm spending the whole day here... 

I firmly believe it should be made law that you HAVE to have a Herm Vanilla Ice Cream every day!

And once we'd seen the beautiful bays that are so popular with so many visitors...we took the sandy pathway along the northern coast until it turned into grassy headland and mountainous (for the Channel Islands) curves.  

We explored the Obelisk, met some very friendly visitors with their canine friends running around in dog-walking heaven, and I found myself absent-mindedly humming the theme tune to Jurassic Park; such a lovely green space that gave this petite paradise another winning aspect (Mr CIG reckoned it would make the perfect golf course!).

Time was pressing on and it was time to get ready for dinner (because we couldn't have possibly eaten enough already)!  We had been invited by Jonathan and his team to their 2 AA Rosette award-winning Conservatory Restaurant for our evening meal.

In the residents' lounge, we sipped on Guernsey's famous Blue Bottle Gin and tonics whilst we perused the menu and the extensive wine list.  The lounge is welcoming and exceptionally unique.  Each seating area boasts a beautiful view, elegant seating, unique decor and an intimate-yet-chic space in which to relax.

After being directed to our "special" table, we started with a glass of Pinot Grigiot with our two starters: Crayfish & Avocado Mousse and  Hen's Egg in a beautiful Rosti Nest!

Followed by a deep, dark Shiraz with an amazingly rare filet steak & a confit of duck!  The meat and vegetables were of such a high quality and the flavours were simply spectacular.  This exciting young chef knows what he's doing and he knows his audience - the presentation was impeccable and matched the ambience perfectly...that's why he has 2 AA Rosettes!!

Finally, we sneaked in some dessert... Black Forest Deconstructed Cheesecake (with chocolate soil!) and a beautifully creamy White Chocolate Mousse (hiding underneath a candied orange and rhubarb sorbet).

Wow.  

With the Ale Festival in full swing at the pub next door, we made our exit from the bustling restaurant and headed to The Mermaid. 

To finish our evening, a quick nightcap of Veuve Cliquot vintage rose champagne from the Festival menu whilst we enjoyed the Ska band at The Mermaid!

Hmmm...bed time!  :)

The White House Hotel prides itself on a quiet and peaceful environment away from all the stresses and strains of modern life.  One particular omission is the television.  All rooms have Wifi access, but no TV...which was actually really GREAT!  Strange to start with, as we're so used to having the TV on before bed, or when we're getting ready to head out.  But instead we had this gorgeous vintage radio above our bed tuned to three stations (we chose BBC Radio Guernsey) and a direct contact to the main hotel reception!  It was so quirky and absolutely gorgeous.  

We ended up listening to Friday night radio and enjoyed it so much that we have decided to ditch the telly in our own bedroom at home!!  

Apparently, after an excellent night's sleep, we were ready to eat some more - and enjoyed a delicious breakfast back at our "special table" - and boy is it breakfast with a view!!  We ate croissants and fresh fruit, local yogurts and even managed to squeak in a "full Herm"!  Naughty!

We had just 2 hours before our return boat back to Guernsey - so a whistle-stop tour of the South Cliffs and anything we might have missed!

Mr CIG (a keen gamer) really loved this t-shirt in the gift shop!

This Alderney-girl didn't "miss the point"! Couldn't see AY though!

Lots of space for pondering life and watching the world go by!

The spectacular gulls sculpture overlooking Herm Harbour.

The amazing (and rather tropical looking) White House Hotel

What a folly! Arriving and leaving through a little piece of history!

Yachts safely moored at Herm Harbour - the perfect anchorage!

How much do I love Herm island? THIS MUCH!

Oh no! The Trident is coming to take us away... :(

And before we knew it...24 hours had disappeared.  

We were sad to go...and obviously stupid...as 150 passengers piled off at Rosaire Steps excited to experience our special island, just 15 of us reluctantly shuffled on board to go back to Guernsey!

Over dinner, Jonathan told me that one of the hotel's recent guests said: 
"`Herm is perfection...nothing to do and not enough time to do it in"!

How wonderful!

Although the island is teeny-tiny, there was so much to see and explore!  Space to roam and cartwheel and skip, lots of friendly faces (everyone we passed said "hello", which isn't that unusual for the Channel Islands, but it seemed more concentrated on little Herm) and gentle dusty roads to amble along.

We'll be back Herm...I need at least 5 days next time: 1 on Belvoir Bay, 1 on Shell Beach, 1 for eating in all the different restaurants, 1 for walking the island and 1 for DOING NOTHING! 

Thank you to: Herm Island, Jonathan Watson, The Staff at The Mermaid, The Staff at The White House Hotel and Herm Travel Trident.