And I’m not referring to the state in which I was born…

I’m talking about the Channel Island. In the English Channel, closer to the coast of France than England, is a grouping of charming little islands that you should visit. I’ve only been to one–Jersey–but I hope to go back today and explore them all (especially Guernsey, the setting of this beautiful book).

I took a day trip to this island while in one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s a quick, easy (though not cheap–I believe tickets were around 80 euro) ferry ride from the Saint-Malo docks to Jersey. Bring your passports, currency to exchange (you’re leaving France and entering the UK), your camera–and that’s really all you’ll need.

We had no plans. We stepped off the ferry and into the tourist office, where the very friendly lady (I remember it was so jarring to hear English, after spending so long in France) sent us to this castle, just a short bus ride away. After an English breakfast (which includes baked beans) we were off.

The castle in the morning mist

At the castle, we learned about the history of this cool little island, including how my state got its name. And took in some pretty amazing views.

We then took in the other things the island had to offer. We went on a history tour, where they told us all about the Occupation (the Channel Islands were the only part of Britain to be occupied by the Germans during World War II). We experienced a tremendous amount of fog…

Cool fog

And saw statues of cows, which I somehow do not have pictures of.

There’s tons more to do there–I want to go back and spend a whole week, and explore the other islands–but if you find yourself in Saint-Malo and are craving an unusual day trip, I highly suggest Jersey. There’s just something so magical about an island with so much history, don’t you agree?

Photos taken by me, April 2007