Day 11 - Rousse Tower to St Sampson

Beer drunk: 0 pints, Wine: 2 glasses
Distance walked: 15 1/2 km, Time taken: 4 hours

Today was a gentle amble around the bays and headlands on the northern coast.  This is a lot less hilly so the bays ranged from merely pretty to workmanlike harbours so no envy inducing photos I'm afraid.  Once again I've managed to begin my walk below sea level.  Perhaps I really can walk on water?

On the plus side on this walk I got to see more cows.   I'm sure of it this time.

I also got to see a billy goat which, for reasons which obviously made sense to him, was standing on a platform in the middle of a field.

Nothing much to report on the walk itself.  It was a harmless ramble.  Most of the other people I encountered were locals walking their dogs.  I did see two dogs out for a walk on their own which was a first. This is a very doggy place but these were the first free range animals I'd seen.  I did finally work out why the tips of my ears are sore.  They're sunburnt.  I've been lathering sunscreen on my face and neck but never bothered with my ears.  I'm a slow learner apparently.

As this end of the island doesn't get as many tourists finding a lunch spot proved to be a problem. I came to the first place, a cafe, at midday but I wasn't very hungry and there was nothing on the menu that was particularly appealing so I kept going.  The second place, a restaurant, which I came to at 1pm, was shut.  The next, a kiosk, I got to at 1:30pm.  Their sign promised bacon rolls but they only had fruit scones and a few tired sandwiches left so I passed on this too.  Guernsey folk do not understand scones.  They are all the size of wagon wheels and stuffed full of raisins which is just so wrong.  I got to another kiosk at 2pm which didn't even pretend to have bacon rolls but again just offered tired sandwiches and fruit scones.  I kept walking on to St Sampson harbour, which is further than I planned to walk, just to find somewhere where I could get to sit and eat something other than a fruit scone.

I ended up a the Boulangerie Victor Hugh.  It is a small chain in the Channel Islands.  Apparently he spent "almost a month" here on Guernsey and they've been milking that visit for all its worth ever since. I had what was labelled a croque monsieur.  It had bechamel on the outside and solitary piece of ham inside and, for reasons that were not obvious, half an olive on top.  It was pre-made.  The girl behind the counter asked me if I wanted it heated up.  When I said yes, she sighed and gave it a brief whizz in the microwave! It was edible (just) and  I was hungry so I ate it.

After this I caught the bus back to town and had a second, much better, lunch at Cafe Delices.  Here I had a freshly made galette stuffed with mushrooms, spinach and cheese.  I also had the worst coffee of my trip to date.  My hotels have all realised their limitations and just served filter coffee. However, the cafe had delusions of grandeur. They had a proper espresso machine but not a proper barista.

I had dinner in the hotel bistro again.  It is a Saturday and there is some big open air music festival on this evening so I thought my chances at the restaurants in town were slim to none.  As it was I only got a table here at the hotel bistro because I was a resident and was tucked away in the darkest, most out of the way corner.

The daily specials were the same as on the first day I was here. In fact, they've been the same every day I've been here. A fairly liberal interpretation of the word "daily" seems common here. I started with a tomato and basil soup, which would have been good if it hadn't been lethally hot.  For main I had a smoked salmon salad.  I'm easing my way back into eating fishy things. It came with an elegant glass bottle of Mary Rose dressing (mayonnaise mixed with ketchup).  As I was certain it came out of jar rather than be home/house-made with raw egg I happily poured it on my salad greens.  I'd be surprised if commercial mayonnaise had any form of egg in it.  For dessert I had a perfectly acceptable creme brulee, which I would have liked more if I hadn't had the pistachio one to compare it to.