Karla's "A Taste of Bermuda"

The happy couple celebrating in their roomy abode!

Gifted by my handsome Sweetheart with an amazing anniversary trip for our 32^nd, I was able to cross off an item rather highly positioned on my ‘bucket list’.  Who could have guessed that when we postponed our trip to Bermuda a few years ago that we could now visit this incredible island many times over?  Thank you NCL and Lyle, I am most privileged and grateful!

  

Lyle with Dockyard lights

After years of imagining, Bermuda did not disappoint.  It has a unique feel unlike any island we’ve been on, and we have visited one or two!  Bermuda is a curious blend of formal British culture, ‘hang loose’ Caribbean friendliness and Bible Belt South ethics and morals.  How can you beat that?  Combine this with 21 square miles of beautifully manicured tropical flora, brightly painted homes with limestone white roofs and pristine pink sand beaches sporting clear blue waters and you have a fairly accurate picture of this renowned Atlantic island paradise.

 

Priorities first, I signed up for the trip to Horseshoe Bay Beach.  Rated one of the top 10 beaches in the world, I marvel as to why it is not number one.  Dry, the sand is powder soft white and where the waves rush ashore and back again there are continually changing swirled designs in various shades of pink.  The beach is a combination of clear dark blue water, lighter blue sky and large decorative limestone rock; a natural habitat for the white long tail seabird which nest within the natural holes and crevices.  This was the scene from my own ‘private’ place on the beach.

This was 'mine' for 45 min or so :)

Lyle and I also dined at a restaurant overlooking the harbor in the picturesque seaside town of Hamilton.  It is located in the center of the island and appears to be the main business hub of Bermuda.  However, due to strict codes enforced by the government it seemed more like a tourist town.  Very few buildings have received permission to be over 3 stories high (highest at 6 stories), there are planted flowers all over the town and literally a ‘rubbish bin’ every 50 yards or closer.  Bermuda is clean, and they take pride in this fact.

Statue of St George who at his request,
had his heart brought back to Bermuda to be buried 

St Catherine's Fo

Next, we saw St George, located at the eastern end of the island and is a UNESCO World heritage site.  Founded in 1612, it is one of Britain’s oldest colonies celebrating 400 yrs of fascinating history.  Permanently settled 5 years after Jamestown, VA, it is the oldest continually inhabited English speaking town in the New World.  The two settlements have a close relationship in history.  The Sea Venture, one of a fleet of nine ships carrying settlers and supplies to Jamestown, was blown into Bermuda and wrecked on the reefs.  The ships 150 passengers survived and came ashore for 10 months at the place where St Catherine's Fort now lies, surviving on fish, turtles, birds and Spanish hogs.  During this time, they built 2 new ships, the Patience and Deliverance out of the Sea Venture’s rigging and the Bermuda cedar.  These ships then set sail for Virginia, arriving in May of 1610 in time to save Jamestown’s starving colonists.  This is a life size replica of the Deliverance.

The Deliverance

 

St Peter’s Church is the oldest Protestant church in continuous use in the New World.  Originally built in1612, it houses a baptismal font from 1450 brought over by settlers from England.  The church has most recently been honored by the title of ‘Their Majesties Chappell’ by Queen Elizabeth during her Diamond Jubilee year.    

Upper left balcony was added in the early 1700's for slaves

St Peter's Church, St George

Here you can see how the rainwater is collected
 from the roofs

The Seventh-day Adventist’s have a large church overlooking the St. George cemetery.  The way in which the Bermudian’s bury their dead is rather interesting.  The cemetery is located on prime real estate overlooking the ocean.  However, it is never in need of enlarging due to the fact that they have mass grave sites.  Initially, a hole 8-10 ft deep is dug, then they bury their dead one on top of another with a few inches of lime dust thrown in between (the grave is covered between burials).  When the grave is ‘full’ it is left for the appropriate length of time (years), then dug back up and these remains are now buried again, requiring a much smaller area.  It was not elaborated on how this was accomplished…mass grave site?  The former grave is then ready for use again.  I suppose when you have many people living on one small island, you must get creative!

Talk about a view on Resurrection Day!

Town Hall where all business is still conducted today

The town drunkard and gossip

Dunked several times while screaming
 her innocence...very true to life!

A fun display of yester-year that the town of St George does almost every day is a dunking ceremony.  The former town dignitaries who worked in Town Hall made the decision as to whether or not one should be dunked according to the accusations made against them. You were dunked with the purpose of humiliation for crimes as petty as drinking to much or simply gossiping.

Bermuda is also place you can hike in beautiful nature reserves, explore underground caves and grottoes, visit aquariums and museums and participate in every water sport from para sailing to kayaking, from scuba diving to a sunset catamaran tour.  Now that we've tasted a piece of Bermuda, I am wishing for more than just a taste…but that’s the beauty of life, no matter how much you are blessed to experience, there will always be more to look forward to!

The fancy Ferry we took between our boat
 in Dockyard and the town of  St. George

More Interesting facts:

There are more than 100 churches within Bermuda’s 21 square miles!

The government requires all building to have a roof of limestone and have collecting tanks below ground for the rainwater that falls onto the roof.  The limestone purifies the water for drinking. 

The national bird of Bermuda is the long-winged Cahow, which spends most of its life in the open ocean, returning only to the island to breed.

Bermuda actually lies on the fringe of the Sargasso Sea…yep, there is such a place!  This sea is named after the Sargassum algae; a yellow, floating self sustaining seaweed that shelters 145 species of invertebrate and 125 species of fish.  This seaweed is where the Cahow collects its food and rests.

I learned something new about Lyle after 32 years of marriage!  In spite of the need for coercion in order for him to partake of Asian food, he is actually very adept at eating with chopsticks!  Who knew?  Not me!!