30 ~- North Shore News — Sunday, March 26, 2000

Preservi

rat

No cars allowed son British Channel island

Katherine Gibson
Contributing Writer

IF you’re looking for a
car-free island paradise,
Sark is the answer.

ft seemed like a dream as
T eveled through the intoxi-
cating scent rising from the
sea surrounding Sark, a tiny
island about 20 miles off the
coast of France. 1 was on a
five-day tour of this two-
square-mile paradise which,
along with Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney and Herm, make
up the British Channel
Islands. Each has its own
special appeal but it was Sark
that fascinated and intrigued
me.

Not a single car is te be
seen throughout this charm-
ing patchwork of country
cottages set amidst fields of
bluebells and purple heather.
As they are banned on Sark,

eveling is the dominant
transportation choice (the
other is walking). The island
is an inspiration to the grow-
ing number of enthusiasts
elsewhere who are making
cycling a iifesivle.

Sark presents a relaxed
pace of life with an old-fash-
ioned sense of community
free from contemporary
stresses. Visitors envy the
rare blend of simplicity and
sophistication and enjoy its
special quirks. An unforget-
table experience is the “toast-
er,” a one-of-a-kind contrap-
ton with narrew wooden
seats in short rows resem-
biing, well, an English toast
rack.

Arrivals to the ferry ixar-
bour (there is no airport) are
sandwiched into this unique
rig and that is hauled up the
steep 300-foot harbour hill
by one of the few tractors
allowed on the island. Atop

LA Selgneurie, the 17th century manor home of
Michael Beaumont, the hereditary Seigneur of Sark.

OS 2000 LUXURY ESCAPE

Athens, Santorini, Rhodes, Crete
FALL IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN

‘Omegs Tours
Internationa ,

the hill is the Sark plateau
where everyone is let off to
hoof it, cyele or catch a
barouche (horse-drawn car-
riage).

Sundays are 4 day of rest
as Ulearned after cycling to
the far end of the island
looking in vain for a sper of
iunch. Even the pubs were
closed. In high season only
one boat is allowed from
Guernsey, and visitors must
make their own way up the
steep harbour hill as the
toaster takes its Sunday break
along with barouches and
farm tractors.

Sark is actually two islands
(big and little Sark) connect-
ed by a 150-yard causeway
said to have been built by
prisoners during the German
occupation ef WW IT. There
are a myriad of country paths
begging to be explored by
bicycle and a good pair of
walking shoes. I found a new
adventure cach day. The
jagged coastline is a pirate’s
treasure of underwater caves
and hidden coves. Sark is also
a naturalist’s jov as butterflies
and birds benefit from farms
that use low levels of pesti-
cides.

And there is historic La
Seigneurie, the 17th-century
manor home of Michael
Reaument, the hereditary
Seryneur (or Lord) of Sark,
and is wife Diana. Along
with six officers, he runs the
island as he chooses trving to
maintain a balance between
the pressure to modernize
and need to preserve Sark’s

See Slower page HW

ROSEWAY TRAVEL LTD.
#106 - 100 Park Royal South
West Vancouver, BC

T: (604) 926.4344

F: (604) 926.8008
aaomi@rosewaytravel.com
www.rosewaytravel.com

'

photos Katherine Gibe.

LA Grande Gréve: The jagged coastline is a pirate’s treasure of underwater

caves and hidden coves.

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