Glued to the Channel IslandsThe Channel Islands consists of two bailiwicks, Guernsey and Jersey; they form part of a collective group of states known as the British Islands. The Channel Islands are crown dependencies or properties of the United Kingdom’s Crown in Right. There is much confusion about the status of the Channel Islands and the European Union but visitors are clear on one thing: the Channel Islands are pretty yet quirky gems of a vacation destination. The Hauteville House in Guernsey is most likely where the whole shabby chic idea evolved from. The historical house was home of literary genius Victor Hugo. Hugo wrote his masterpiece, Les Miserables, during his stay in Hauteville. In between he managed to scribble more literary masterpieces, sketches, and create eccentric yet opulent furnishings for the house. The Zoological Park of Jersey is the product of yet another writer, Gerald Durrell. The zoo was a landmark creation; Durrell, a naturalist, wanted to create a zoo that was faithful to the original habitats of the animals. The animals of the Zoological Park enjoy more freedom than animals in other zoos. The Channel Islands are the picture perfect seaside getaway you imagined it to be; pastels, muted hues and all.
