Celebrating a Great Queen

A beautifully still and clear today so I would make the most of it and go up Victoria Tower.

But first headed to Candie Museum to pick up the very impressive key,

 it free, you just have to sign the key out and you get half an hour..

The tower was built in 1848 to commemorate Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's visit in 1846, which was the first time a reigning monarch had visited the island.

The Tower is situated high up in St Peter Port and actually has no other purpose at all, just provided a fantastic view point and a forms a important part of the Towns dramatic sky line.

a suitably impressive door for an impressive key!!

the interior of the Tower simple but beautiful, a small tight spiral staircase

heading up to two floors each with vaulted chambers.

Then up one last wooden staircase and bam

you are out to one of the best views in the island.

Looking east to Herm and Sark over the harbour and castle

then north to St Sampson and the Vale with Alderney on the horizon

alittle further and you can see the north west coast, over the arsenal which is now the Fire Station

and south to my part of town, the copper spire is St Josephs, and Pugin who designed the Houses of Parliament was involved in its design.

and lastly back round to the sea and Elizabeth College,

 did you know P.G.Wodehouse of Jeeves and Wooster fame went to school there?

Rumour has it that Victor Hugo carved his name and that of his mistress into the parapets, but no one has ever found it.  But realistically the Towers is made of Guernsey Granite (Cobo pink) which is famed for its hardness, so he couldn't have just have scraped it in like you could with limestone, would have needed a chisel and a good few days, so its very unlikely.

And while I was up there decided to do a quick selfie!!!!

Beautiful sky as I was leaving

Then back to hand in the key, and by the time I got home it was blue skies, and a beautiful, beautiful day.