Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt



Thursday 4th of January

07.59 Morning dawns at Mayfair Hotel (http://www.modernhotels.com) here in Saint Helier, the main town on Jersey. We have heard news of strong winds, high waves and high tides. No news about the flights though. Today we'll fly on to another island.

09.10 We have eaten our breakfast and it is now time to end the stay here in Jersey. It is certainly a nice island, but due to the weather and the season, we had no time to see much.

09.39 The wind and the rain embraced us once more on the walk through the city centre up to the bus station Liberation Station. For two pounds per person, we are now being transported by bus to the airport which is located on the island's western side.

10.09 The windshield wipers move back and forth across the windshield. The side windows on the bus are foggy. Our bus does not go the nearest way to the Jersey Airport. It is a local bus service that revolves around the various roads on the southwestern part of the island.

10.26 There are few people at the airport. The plans to get the boarding cards printed in paper form failed. All the check-in machines are turned off. We've just got the electronic boarding cards. We wonder if they are enough after all.

10.46 It went well with the electronic boarding cards. My trusty old backpack had to go as special luggage. The important thing is that it will arrive. Now it will be an early eleven coffee at the small café Rapide.

A two-storey bus will take us from Saint Helier to Jersey Airport.

Peter is soon departing from Jersey Airport.

A coffee stop at Rapide café.

Not many passengers on this flight.

11.15 I wonder if I've ever gone so fast past a security control. Once on the gate side, we became a part of a little investigation. We were asked about our destination and whereabouts. We first thought that it was a confused fellow passenger who wanted to ask us something.

11.44 Only five gentlemen wait to board the aircraft that will take us to the tiny island of Guernsey. This is probably the quietest airport I have ever been at. We fly with the company Blue Islands but the plane used is from Flybe.

11.53 Forty per cent of the total number of passengers on board has been asked to move to the emergency exit. There must always be some there. In total, two moved. The atmosphere on board is good and jokes about coffins have been made. This may be our shortest flight ever.

12.07 Our flight with Blue Islands ATR 42-500 has lifted from the Jersey airport. It is, even though the storm calmed, hard winds today. We are pleased that it is a short flight.

12.11 We have temporarily flown over Sark, one of the Channel Islands we will not visit on this trip.

12.20 It only took thirteen minutes to fly from Jersey to Guernsey. That was the time between take off and touchdown. It is a new record for us. The short flight from Zanzibar to Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania is now defeated.

GUERNSEY

12.40 After having done some shopping in a kiosk at Guernsey Airport and then paid a pound each, we´re now in a yellow green bus on the way to the next location.

12.51 We are at the Town Terminus, the place where the buses usually start and finish their journeys. We are in the centre of Saint Peter Port, the capital here in Guernsey. Now we wander along the seafront until we reach our next home.

13.30 Our home on Guernsey is Saint Georges Guesthouse (https://www.stgeorges-guernsey.com). Once again our paths crossed with the old dragon slayer. We have been checked in by a nice older lady and stay in room 20, which are in a separate part of the house. Are we in the annexe?

This bus trip stopped at Town Terminus.

We have arrived to Saint Peter Port.

Saint George´s Guesthouse.

Peter is trying to open the door to room 20.

14.15 We have moved into our small room. The beds are inviting, but a date with them will have to wait. We'll walk towards the town centre to see what it has to offer.

14.39 Outside our accommodation and on the other side of Saint Georges Esplanade is a walkway along the sea. There we stand now and are looking at a sea without water. It is ebb.

15.02 There are plans to not copy yesterday's aimless wandering and the hopeless search of lunch. That is why we soon shall try to eat somewhere.

15.16 Right now we are taking a closer look at a plaque over the 14 Guernsey persons that followed the Titanic down into the depths in 1912. We have found it close to the city's port.

15.34 We looked at the ebb during our walk. We have now made it to the central parts. We just ordered something to eat at Bella's Café & Pizzeria.

16.37 We are satisfied and time has come to see Saint Peter Port get wrapped in the twilight. We look at a donkey with her foal. They are not alive, just a statue on the Market Square.

17.02 It has become dark. It is not possible to see so much more of our current hometown. It is equally good to start heading home again.

The sea is shy this afternoon.

It´s difficult to use a boat without water.

Remembering some Guernsey citizens who died on Titanic.

Bella´s Café & Pizzeria, Saint Peter Port.

17.48 On the way home we stopped to shop in a store. They had an offer, buy two beers and get one for free. First, I misunderstood it all, I thought that one was free. It was the third that was free. Well, it all worked out. It does nothing to get a beer extra. Now, we're back in our nice room.

19.33 The evening is creeping up on us. We can't say that we are hungry. We visited a cottage a week ago. It was then that we visited the restaurant Le Chalet (the cottage) in French Rouen. It feels like it was longer ago.

20.42 The plan with dinner is to take us back to China again.

20.58 We are about to have dinner at the nearby restaurant China Red (http://www.chinaredguernsey.com). It is considered as one of Guernsey's best restaurants. We placed our orders and were asked if we wanted plates and if we wanted to be served at the table. I wonder what it means. Christer got a clue, have I misunderstood something?

21.54 Christer's idea was correct. We were simply served where we sat. What they served was quick, smooth and flavoursome. It was not that big portions but it was good. On the way out from the restaurant, we met the two other passengers (father and son) who moved on during the flight on the way here. We spoke a bit before we walked home. The son wondered why we were here in Guernsey, is there anything to see here?

23.40 We have consumed beers in our room. We have also seen and been amused by an episode of the Irish comedy series "Mrs Brown's boys" (https://youtu.be/yhCnhCU4QR4). Sweden has also reached the final in the junior world championship in ice hockey.

The Christmas decorations have survived into the new year.

Guernsey has its own currency.

Behind the candle.

Peter is dining at China Red.


Friday 5th of January

08.20 Here in Guernsey and at Saint Georges Guesthouse, we have had a good sleep, a shower and just relaxed for a while. It is just what is needed sometimes. It will be Canada that will have the honour to play against Sweden in the final of the junior world championships in ice hockey. It has become a tradition to follow that event on our New Year journeys just as we follow the Wimbledon tennis in the summer.

08.51 The scent, aroma of toasted bread reaches our rooms. Is this true or just an illusion in my nose?

09.35 Breakfast, including toast, was served in a homely room where there was also the opportunity to see morning TV in the comfy sofas. The venue is wall-to-wall with our room.

10.17 There are a lot of plans for this day. One is to ride the local bus around the whole island. The questions is now, will we travel, how will we travel, when will we go and what do we do if we do not go? There is also a small and unique chapel on the island which we would like to see. However, the bus traffic past there is a bit irregular.

10.49 We chose not to go with the bus, in any case not now and not from here at the stay. Right now the sunshine glitters in the water. I'm sitting on a stone bench, where it says "Megan Lane sponsored this bench in memory of her daddy and the crew of Chelais J". On the page it says "Martyn Edward Lane, 11th Nov 1978 - 1st Oct 2003. On the way here to port area, we have seen that the sea once again received back their water. Where yesterday it was just mud and stone, it is now huge waves.

11.00 We stood in the peace and quiet in a street corner and pondered on the next move. Suddenly two police officers passed us, a "regular" and a traffic police officer. We greeted the two policemen. Now we shall do a city tour on foot here in Saint Peter Port.

The combined TV-room/breakfast room.

Christer is welcoming the return of the sea.

We are walking towards the centre in beautiful weather.

North Beach Roundabout, Saint Peter Port.

Peter is writing down some observations at Saint Julian´s Pier.

11.20 We have been walking along the Saint Julian Avenue and then took right. There are plenty of green benches here in the park area of Candie Gardens. We are considering what more there is to do in the city and on the island. It is, then it comes to the weather, the best day in a while. The sun shines and the temperature is comfortable.

11.41 We are now in the Monument Garden. I sit on the back part of a German artillery piece, a 13.5 cm Field howitzer. It is a howitzer that was left on the island after the Second World War. To the left of me is a tower of stone. It looks to be taken from a gigantic chess game. The tower is called Victoria Tower. It was built with the occasion of Queen Victoria's visit to the island in 1846.

12.30 From the tower on the height, we went down the slopes towards the city centre. We passed by Elizabeth College and came down to the bus station, the Town Terminus. Here there will be coffee and sandwiches at the Terminus Cafe.

12.58 Shall we or shall we not? Will it be a trip by bus around the island? At the moment it seems less likely. It takes, after all, 1½ hours.

13.40 Christer came to a decision. We are to go. We must, of course, fill the day with something other than grinding on the sidewalks in the centre. Now the bus rolls out in the traffic. There is not much space for the legs here on board. You have to sit diagonally across two seats.

14.04 The bus has come to a stop. The driver is talking with a colleague in another bus. It seems to be that the route is OK. He also checks through the communication radio. Now we start again. Some parts of the road network have been closed after the storm some days ago.

Saint Peter Port has a beautiful position by the sea.

A nice town to walk around in.

We are listening to the birds in Candie Gardens.

Victoria Tower.

This is the place in the world with the shortest distance between a church and a pub.

14.22 The landscape along Guernsey's northern coast is a little windswept. The grass is pale brown, dry and sometimes long/high.

14.41 Damage, debris, problems with the coastal road just made the driver chose a path further inland. A few houses along with the west coast also look to have been damaged in the storm. It rains and hails right now when the bus stands still outside the hotel, The Imperial. Some Spanish tourists have just stepped on board. They rushed through the hail storm to get into the bus.

14.58 The tour around this little island is coming to an end. Right now, we leave the bus stop at the airport.

15.35 After the completion of the bus trip, it is now time for a long-awaited coffee stop at Costa Coffee. The bus trip was nice but would have been even better with comfortable seats.

16.22 The weather has become crankier and sadder. Therefore, we have gone home to take it easy for a few hours.

18.20 It squirts, trickles and drips out there. In short, it's raining. We don't see the point in that.

19.53 Now we begin to make ourselves ready to go out and eat dinner. Where and what it will be remains to be seen. The extent to which we will have to clear us from the rain also remains to be seen.

Town Church, Saint Peter Port.

We´ll travel one lap around the island with this bus.

The bus services on Guernsey.

Christer is having a coffee break at Costa Coffee.

Indian dinner at King Balti restaurant.

20.30 Well, the restaurant we intended to visit, Urban Kitchen, is unfortunately not open. The open times we've seen earlier today does not seem to be followed at all. We may simply have look forward towards new goals.

20.55 It could have gone smoother to find us a suitable restaurant. However, we are not without options. We just have to decide. It is in itself not our strong side through the years. Several kilometres have been walked in the eternal hunts for restaurant options.

21.15 Welcome to King Balti is what it says where I sit. We will have Indian this evening at King Balti Guernsey (http://www.kingbaltiguernsey.co.uk).

22.22 It was really good at great prices. One of the waiters said thank you, thank you, thank you, more than umpteen times. Courtesy is nice but this went too far.

23.11 Will this be our last evening beer for this time? We drink a Liberation E. P. A each at this late hour. Later we will go to sleep.


Saturday 6th of January

06.49 Canada won the junior world championships in ice hockey. They defeated Sweden, 3-1. The young Swedish players showed no significant maturity afterwards when some of them threw away their silver medals and will be punished for it. The tournament has been played in the United States.

07.30 It is with mixed emotions that I write this. I am satisfied and happy after yet another tasty breakfast here at Saint Georges Guesthouse. I am less happy or rather frustrated about the fact that it is raining once again. We will walk to the bus station and is just pouring down out there.

07.55 The rain activity seems to have decreased. This is what we see as a signal to increase our activity. If we are lucky, we can get to the bus dry.

08.22 The walk was not entirely free from rain but it could have been worse. Arriving at the bus station we had to wait to enter the bus. The driver wanted to get things in order before he opened the door. Easy for him that was inside.

08.52 It was a quiet bus journey without any problems. Now the baggage is being prepared for the next flight. After that we will check in.

09.14 Things go really smooth on the Channel Islands airports. Here, as in Jersey, there are no queues and there is no hassle. One of the signs here says baby change. Is it possible to change babies there? Leave one and get another? The tranquillity might be because it is low season, not so many tourists on the go.

10.06 Today's airline is Aurigny Air Services of Guernsey's own airline. We will fly from here to London Gatwick with one of their EMB 195 aircraft.

10.54 Gatwick Airport is getting closer and closer. It is a popular airport we are on the way to. The planes are queuing up and we will be five minutes late. Wait, the new bids, we will land in time anyway.

UNITED KINGDOM

11.27 We are on our third London airport. We have on previous trips visited Stansted and Heathrow. Christer has, however, been here on his own in 1997 and then it went not so good. He would fly home from his England trip but had missed a special rule about checking in more than two hours before departure and the flight home was from Heathrow instead. Our luggage is now retrieved from the belt. It is time to find the last hotel on this trip. It is right next to the airport. We end as we began, we stay at/in an airport. Just as we did at Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris.

12.10 We did some walking, passed the car park Orange and went down a floor before we made another walk and reached the hotel, the Hilton Gatwick Airport. Here we stay in room 2161. We would be able to enjoy it here but there are other plans for the day. The Hilton sounds expensive, and it isn't that cheap (around US$60 per person) but it is actually more affordable to stay here than to travel to and from the airport to any other accommodation.

12.24 Even the bravest warrior needs food and drink to be able to act. We are mostly hungry so there will be coffee and sandwich at Costa Coffee adjacent to the hotel.

12.59 After purchasing roundtrip tickets to London, we are now on our way by train to the north from Gatwick airport which is located halfway between London and Brighton on the south coast.

Peaceful and quiet at Guernsey Airport.

A new day, a new airline.

Our room at Hilton Gatwick Airport.

Peter is having a light meal at Costa Coffee.

13.34 After a change in the busy station Clapham Junction in south London, we are now on the rails again. This time the trip goes to the northwest.

13.52 The train will now continue without us. Here in Brentford in west London we shall see if the curse can be broken. On three occasions, with football and one with ice hockey, we have during our travels never seen the home team win.

14.26 In the speakers Mick Jagger sing, "You start me up". A bee dances down along the long edge. It is the club's mascot. We are sitting at our seats in Griffin Park, home of Brentford Football Club. We are waiting for a match in the third round of the FA cup, Brentford FC against Notts County. Brentford play in The Championship, the second highest league in England. Notts County are in League 2, the fourth-highest series. There are cheaper tickets when it is cup matches compared with league. Such matches have been seen before. We saw the Queens Park Rangers v Luton Town when we were in London in 2007. Time sure flies.

15.23 We are around halfway into the first half. There are only a few sporadic chances so far.

15.52 Not much happened at the first half came to an end. Quickly some in our part of the stands disappeared. I will be liquid in or out or maybe both. So far, the curse is not broken.

15.59 We decided to stretch our legs and we looked at all of the activities that take place between the half's at an English football match.

It´s time to change trains at Clapham Junction.

A fan in his homemade Brentford shirt.

Outside Griffin Park.

We have found our seats.

16.04 It has begun again, to play ball. The stadium we're sitting at, Griffin Park, can swallow 12 300 spectators and it is, as many of the older football stadiums in England entirely built into the surrounding city landscape. You almost have to see it from the top to discover it. The arena is also unique in that there is a pub in every corner of the stadium.

16.22 Now, it was close for Brentford. Will we finally get a home win perhaps? Best man on the pitch is a Dutch player with the Swedish-sounding name Josefzoon.

16.24 The game turned quickly and Notts County scored with a goal by Jon Stead. We are no support for the home team.

16.38 First Brentford's goalkeeper saved and then they themselves are close to score.

16.57 The curse wasn't broken. There was a new loss. What's the point that the home team is playing two divisions higher than their opponents? They still lose when we're watching the game. It is time to return to the railway station. It has become really cold now when the darkness has fallen.

17.12 On Brentford's mainline railway station, the atmosphere at the top. We stand together with the Notts County supporters who will go with the same train as we are going with before they leave London for the continuation of the journey to Nottingham. The bleak Brentford fans are on the other side of the rails and to essentially go in the other direction. Here are also policemen to keep order.

17.27 It is crowded on board.

17.44 Now it is really crowded on board. The train has also been filled with Southampton supporters who come from a different match against Fulham. I hope we will get off on the next station. One of the other passengers is standing by the doors. He has the mood of a thundercloud. He is generally mean towards everyone else and likes to stand in the way of people.

The FA cup game between Brentford and Notts County has started.

Coffee and pancakes during the break.

The second half, still 0-0.

At platform 1, ready to head back.

Peter at Joe´s Coffee, Gatwick Airport.

18.40 We are once again back at Gatwick Airport. Here we have bought coffee and snacks from Nadia at Joe's Coffee.

19.51 After a lot of laziness at the cafe we made our purchase of evening snack and breakfast. Now we will continue to relax in our lovely rooms.

20.33 Now we have to find a restaurant that can serve us dinner. We think in the first hand to find something here at the hotel. Otherwise, we have an airport nearby.

21.10 We are worth this. It will be dinner at Wetherspoon The Beehive. The choice of the restaurant feels right. First, a bee at Griffin Park and now a beehive. The restaurants at the Hilton were discarded due to lack of seats and/or prices and selection.

22.05 Our dinners consisted of tasty burgers, crunchy strips and fresh vegetables. We choose to drink a pint of ale. These delicacies cost around 15 pound. We can't complain about it. We are in our room again.

23.20 The TV shows the highlights from today's FA cup matches. So far we have not seen "our" match. We think that we will see it soon.

Peter is having dinner at the airport pub/restaurant Wetherspoon.


Sunday 7th of January

05.55 We would be able to sleep and stay for a long time here in our room at the Hilton. But, that it is not possible. A trip home, job, well ordinary life is waiting at home.

06.17 Bye room 2161. I'm going home to my own flat in Bjästa.

06.49 So far everything has gone fine this early morning. We are waiting for information regarding which gate is ours. It is nice to escape the stress to get to an airport early in the morning. To stay at an airport has its definite advantages.

07.26 We got rid of our coins while we waited for the information. We are now, when we have received notice, at the gate 10.

07.39 Norwegian's Boeing 737-800 aircraft is fully booked. The passengers are looking for their seats before the trip to Stockholm Arlanda airport.

Early morning at Gatwick Airport. Both Christer and Evert Taube is in a blur.

08.37 There was a queue out to the runway at Gatwick Airport. We are about to depart. Soon, my watch will be set to Swedish time again.

CHANGING TIME ZONE

10.54 It is quiet and still here at the top of the clouds. The plane with us on board is continuing its journey towards the cold north.

11.07 We are approaching Stockholm and Arlanda airport. It will, despite all the work and the grey everyday life that is waiting, be nice to come home again.

11.52 We have landed and reached the gate. Unfortunately, there are currently no staff that can bring the steps which we will use to leave the plane. It is not the first time we are having this problem in this airport. However, it has never happened at any other airport and we have visited a number of them.

SWEDEN

12.24 Someone had forgotten to inform the ground staff that we were inbound. Everything went well eventually and we also got our luggage.

13.05 The restaurant Alfredos which we have so often visited has to manage without us today. Instead, we have sat us down at the Sky Grill. Here it is a little short of space but you get the food quickly.

13.37 After lunch we are now back at the Christmas trees all according to tradition. Not much is planned for the next hour. It is the most anticipation now.

Back by the Christmas trees. It´s where our New Year trips usually end.

14.31 It is again time to wait for the train to northern latitudes. Last year, it was a long wait.

15.31 The train arrived in time and according to plan. Now we will see if we reach our home area before Cora.

16.30 The journey continues without problems, or some great positive surprises.

18.05 The travelling duo has been split up into two separate units. We will once again act on our own, but within a month there will be a new adventure. Cora, which I mentioned an hour ago, is an incoming storm, a storm that may reach our home area. This trip was rainier and windier than we hoped for but it definitely had its delights. You can't be too picky when it comes to European travel in the winter time.

Christer is getting ready for the final train trip back home.


VIDEOS


You can see 52 photos from January 4 in this photoalbum.
You can see 56 photos from January 5 in this photoalbum.
You can see 42 photos from January 6 in this photoalbum.
You can see 8 photos from January 7 in this photoalbum.


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