Retreating on Herm Island

We just spent 4 peaceful nights and 3 wonderful days on the magical Island of Herm retreating and taking a break from the rest of the world.

Herm is located only 20 minutes by ferry from the main town of St Peter Port in Guernsey but you truly feel like you are getting away from it all.  Cars and bicycles are banned so you can walk freely, although you do need to be aware of the quad bikes and tractors which are used for staff and luggage transportation, although limited at this time of year!

There is nothing open at this time of year, even the legendary Mermaid pub is closed for refurbishments so you could be excused for thinking we may get a little bored but this could not have been further from the truth and actually we ended up running out of time to do all we had intended and we cannot wait to get back again next month!

I have been feeling a little overloaded with information with the all consuming nature of social media and 24/7 culture ins which we now live so we disconnected and left Facebook and emails at home.  The amazing thing was, and quite funny too, that the world kept on turning and life kept on going and i felt happier and less stressed than I have done in a long time.

That first evening we walked down towards the common when dusk was setting, the moon was already out, and we stood there all on our own and all we could hear was the sound of the sea and the birds calling and it was utterly blissful and one of those moments when you feel truly alive and in the moment.

We wrapped up and did a whole lot of walking, around the Island, along the beaches, through the middle, through the campsite, out on the cliffs, back on the beaches, over the sand dunes and through the common. Ewan and I went for a swim in the sea each morning while Elijah did "dig dig" as he filled his dumper truck with sand.

We collected treasure, a beautiful selection of pebbles, shells, sea glass and pine cones. Ewan sought out driftwood and he and Elijah turned it into art, as they made driftwood castles along many of the beaches of Herm and decorated them with their other findings, washed up onto shore with the recent storms.

It was a tonic for the soul. We rarely saw anyone other than ourselves so that we could just be ourselves and there was something very refreshing about this degree of solitude.  I felt grounded and connected and in love with my family and with life itself, it was a fitting sending for Valentine's day with all that love permeating the air.

There is a lot to be said for taking the time to retreat from the world. If you are feeling tired and restless and in need of a break then I can highly recommend slowing down, switching off and finding your way to the beautiful Island of Herm, especially out of season when no one else is there!

Now back to another level of reality...!

x