Bon Voyage, Dad!

This post is dedicated to my dad who just went back to Florida yesterday after having had one of the best experiences of his life. My dad has never had the chance to travel to Europe before, so for him the entire journey from beginning to end has been one giant treasure. On our second day here Gyles and I took him to the Jersey War Tunnels like I wanted to do. At the tunnels he got to see what life was like in Jersey for the islanders under occupation. The following days he experienced what playing golf is like without a golf cart...lots of walking! All of you golfers are so spoiled in America! I know that he did want to spend a lot of time at the golf course though and luckily Chris and Gyles really showed him a fabulous time out there. The views from the courses are something I know he will be excited to tell his friends about, and like he said  to me before...Tiger Woods can't ever say he golfed in Jersey. I would also like to especially thank Chris for accommodating my dad while he was visiting, without you his journey wouldn't have been possible.

While in Jersey my dad also got even more accustomed to drinking the most delicious wines. I think he drank more wine here than he's ever drank at home in a time span of 10 days. He was on his holiday though, so we always encouraged it! Besides the wine, he ate some of the most freshest, coldest seafood there is to eat. From scallops wrapped in bacon to the juicy, rich lobster he was treated to on his last night. Actually, his first meal was seafood and his last meal was too. That's just how you do it when you're traveling to an island that specializes in quality seafood. On the Tuesday before he was due to go home we took a ferry 14 miles south to St. Malo, France. What a wonderful and exciting time we had there. Although the weather wasn't exactly in our favor we still managed to have a brilliant time. Once we arrived at the harbour in St. Malo, Gyles, my dad and I were picked up by Gyles' aunt, June and her husband, David. They drove us through the countryside 35 minutes to the town of Dinan. It was so beautiful there and completely different from Jersey. We ate galettes, which are wheat crepes filled with any kind of savory food you wish to fill it with. I had a galette with egg, cheese, mushrooms and onions. So good! Then we walked up a very steep, cobbled street to the town. Along the way up the hill we passed tiny shops, houses and creperies. Once we got to the top, about a 10 minute walk, we shopped around and enjoyed the small amount of time we had there. Because we were on a time budget with the day pass to France and we had to be driven back to the harbour before our boat was due to leave. France was so much fun; I just wish we had more time there to drink loads of wine and eat cheese. Next time!

 On his last day here, Wednesday, Gyles and I took him sightseeing around the island. We took him to Gorey Castle first where we really got a good stair climbing workout in. Then we drove to another part of the island to St. Brelade's Bay and had lunch at the Wayside Cafe. Then we sped off to another one of my favorite places to go to--Corbiere Lighthouse. We didn't have time to walk down to the lighthouse, but we did have a minute to take in the views and eat some real Jersey dairy twirly ice cream! This time though I didn't let the seagulls take my frozen treat off my cone! After we finished eating and taking pictures Gyles drove us to the best beach in Jersey--Plemont Beach. Last year when I went to Plemont the tide was up so I didn't have a chance to go down and peek into the caves. This time though we got to roam the sandy beach and dip our feet into the freezing water. We even found some caves that we didn't dare walk too deep into. Inside the caves it was dark, mysterious and quiet. I loved it. I think it reminded my dad of his younger years in Puerto Rico.

At the end of our full day of sightseeing and climbing stairs we ate a decadent dinner at the Pontac House. Lobster, Jersey royal potatoes, chips, beans, great wine and great conversation. It was the perfect end to my dad's journey in Jersey. It's weird now that he's not here though; I was just getting used to him being a part of the plans. I can't wait for the rest of my family to come and share the same experiences that my dad and I were able to share together. I'm happy to know that my dad has arrived back in Fort Myers just fine. Although I know he will be tired!

I've got to run now...plenty to do! Good luck to Gyles today who's playing in a golf competition in Hampshire, England. I love you and miss you!

I love you mom, Laur, Bandit and all of my readers.

xx

Lindsay