These islands in the English Channel are geographically closer to France, though they are in fact British Crown Dependancies and the language spoken is English.  They are not part of the United Kingdom, though the Queen is the head of state and her title is “Duke of Normandy”.  Of the four islands; Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, I have only been to Alderney for a family friend’s birthday.  It’s a pleasant island, with beaches, pubs and some lovely walks.

View Channel Islands in a larger map
When: summer 1991 for 4 days

Where: Alderney

Who: with my parents and siblings

How: we flew in a rather small plane from Southampton in England

Weather: changeable, windy, some sun but cloudy too. Not particularly hot

Food: french and English food, fresh fish

Sights:

Surprises:

Tips: the tide is huge (40 foot difference between high and low tide) so you might want to check the tides when planning a day at the beach