Guernsey holidays: Rula Lenska finds the Channel Islands a world away
It was my first trip to Guernsey. With my daughter Lara and her husband, we were booked for two nights at the beautiful Old Government House Hotel (known locally as The OGH) in the heart of the island's capital, St Peter Port, up the hill from the main shopping street and a few minutes' walk from the quayside.
It wasn't my first trip to the Channel Islands as I'd been to Jersey once before when I was appearing in a touring production of An Inspector Calls.
Getting to Guernsey via a short flight on a small plane was a pleasure in itself. There was no hassle, no queuing, no waiting ages for your luggage all very smooth and relaxed.
Step back in time: The pretty harbour in Guernsey's capital St Peter Port
The airport may be new but once you get out on the island itself you feel as if you've gone back in time. It's all very peaceful and calm. I was particularly impressed by the flowers everywhere, which were absolutely stunning.
They cascade from the old stone walls and are a riot of wonderful colour. After checking in, we enjoyed a tour of the island with an excellent professional guide.
We went to the Little Chapel at Les Vauxbelets, which, we were told, is the smallest functioning chapel in Europe, if not the world. It was built as a miniature version of the famous grotto and basilica at Lourdes in France.
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It'sbeautifully decorated with seashells, pebbles and colour! ful piec es of broken china. We also saw some of the old German wartime bunkers and then went up on to the cliff tops to enjoy the views.
But most of the time was spent at the hotel around the pool and using the fantastic spa. We were very impressed with the quality of the food on the island.
Our hotel had the Governor's fine dining restaurant, which is decorated with pictures and memorabilia of the island's former governors. They serve a seasonal menu that features classic French dishes and makes excellent use of the island's fresh catches from the surrounding seas.
Good lourdes: The Little Chapel at Les Vauxbelets was built at the beginning of the 20th Century
On our second night we went to the impressive Riva bistro, which also serves seafood. Inside it resembles the smart interior of a luxury yacht, and if you get an upstairs table you have a front-row view of the harbour of St Peter Port.
I fell for Guernsey's easy charm, and quickly decided that it's somewhere I'd like to go back to for a longer break. The island has a different sort of atmosphere it's not English and it's not French.
The accents of the locals are often hard to place. There seemed to be many Eastern Europeans working in the tourism industry, but that's always nice for me because I recognise them almost instantaneously and speak to them in Polish.
When I was a child we spoke Polish at home I hated it then but I'm grateful now. I would love to see more of Poland.
I was born in England (as Countess Roza-Marie Leopoldyna Lubienska) but Poland was an ever-present part of my life when I was growing up.
My father was Major Count Ludwik Maria Lubienski, who was the chief of the Polish military mission in Gibraltar during the Second World War. My mother was the former Countess Elzbieta Tyszkiewicz.
We have land and! estates in Poland that were confiscated by the communists. I didn't go to Poland until 1989 when the old regime fell as my father thought it would be too dangerous for us to return while the Iron Curtain remained in place.
I don't actually go on very many holidays. I am just about to take my first proper holiday for four years. The plan is to go to Croatia but the final destination depends upon the girlfriend I'm travelling with who isgood at finding last-minute bargains.
As an actor, holidays are always a problem. You're reluctant to go away for more than two days in case you miss a job but two days is normally never enough to switch off. But two days in Guernsey was a real break.
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It was just a 40-minute flight away yet you felt as if you were somewhere different. Another attraction of the island is that there isn't a massive amount to see, so you can wander by the sea without feeling you ought to be doing lots of other things.
I've discovered over the years that there are lots of places on our doorstep where you can have great holidays, such as Wales, Ireland and Scotland, which are always a joy.
For anyone thinking of catching a long-haul flight and spending lots of money on an exotic holiday, it might be worth visiting some of the gems that are much nearer home.
Travel Facts
Aurigny Air Services (01481 822886, www.aur igny.com) flies to Guernsey several times a day from Gatwick, with one-way prices from 39.50pp.
Aurigny also has flights from Bristol, East Midlands, Stansted and Manchester. Classic rooms at the five-star Old Government House Hotel and Spa (01481 724921, www.theoghhotel.com) start at 133pp including full English breakfast.
For more information on Guernsey, see www.visitguernsey.com, or call Guernsey Information Centre on 01481 723552.
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