Emma's notables from Guernsey:
- It's been a cold and wet day all day long on Guernsey but - in spite of getting soaked and cold-through - I've managed to bike to and visit both the German Underground Hospital and the German Occupation Museum.
- The underground hospital (pic) is just staggering in its size and complexity. It's difficult to imagine how such a thing could be constructed in the timescale at hand. Even with slave-labour, the engineering and construction feats of the 3rd Reich just beggar belief. It's an eerie and forbidding place but one that shouldn't be missed.
- The occupation museum has some superb exhibits and is obviously lovingly presented. It's a small-scale affair but the passion of the curators bleeds through very tellingly. It was amazing to learn how some of the individuals from the occupying force were really kind to the native islanders and even - in some instances - ended up marrying them!
- Gas masks for horses were also a major learning point. I was so impressed with the place that I sought out the curator and thanked him for his efforts. He was massively appreciative but more concerned that I'd be able to survive biking through the cold and rain on the way back to my B&B. His concerns were not entirely misplaced.
- Hoping to do the Guernsey parkrun tomorrow!
Steve's notables from France:
- It's been a really dull, rainy, grey, mizzly, miserable day.
- I found a few decent birding spots and went for a short run this morning (and got absolutely soaked) and that's been about as good as the day's got.
- Post run (and lunch) I visited what looked to be a promising peninsula for potential birding / overnighting opportunities called La Pointe d'Agon. The weather didn't help but it was a hard place to love. It was pretty lifeless all told, and also really heavily controlled in terms of parking / overnighting opportunities. The peninsula also clearly hosted some form of industrial scale mollusc farming, which didn't exactly add to the lack of appeal. Fair to say I unvisited the peninsula pretty sharpish.
- At the location shown now, a place we've used a few times before.
- Hoping for weather that's not redolent of November tomorrow.