A VISIT TO THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND OF BERMUDA

Greetings!

Today I invite you to join me for a visit to the beautiful island of Bermuda. Our cruise ship, NCL’s Breakaway, tied up in the Royal Naval Dockyards on the western tip of Bermuda where we would remain for 3 days. Brad and I took full advantage of those 3 days to explore as much of this island paradise as possible.

We decided to take a half day shore excursion by minibus on our first day ashore to get a basic overview of the island.  The following day we took a ferry to the City of Hamilton, and on the third day we hired a taxi to give us a personal tour of our favorite spots. Leaving the dockyard by minibus on the first day, we almost immediately came upon this beautiful beach where I would have been content to spend the rest of the day, but all I could do was snap a quick photo as our minibus passed it by.

Our first stop was an iconic Bermuda landmark: the Gibbs’ Hill Lighthouse.

Built in 1846 after a rash of shipwrecks along Bermuda’s coastline, it claims to be the 2nd oldest cast iron lighthouse in the world. For a small fee you can climb the 185 stairs to the top where you are rewarded with a panoramic view of the island.

Perched on a hilltop that is 362 feet above sea level, the lighthouse provides beautiful views of the island from every vantagepoint.

We could see the iconic pink Fairmont Southampton resort which features one of Bermuda’s many golf courses. In fact, I saw several people leaving our ship carrying their golf clubs and noticed that the ship offered golfing shore excursions as well.

Our next stop was the famous Horseshoe Bay which, as Bermuda’s most popular beach, was jam packed with sun bathers and snorkelers.

Continuing on toward the capital city of Hamilton, we came to this statue of Bermuda’s most famous citizen, Johnny Barnes. 91-year-old Johnny Barnes has been welcoming visitors to Hamilton for decades by blowing kisses, waving and saying “I love you” to passing traffic. He’s become such an iconic fixture in Bermuda, loved by one and all, that the city immortalized him with this statue. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to see the real Johnny Barnes in action.

We made a brief stop here in the capital city of Hamilton where each of the buildings is painted a different pastel color. There are no restrictions that limit property owners to the choice of colors they may paint their homes and businesses, making Bermuda a very colorful and cheerful place. In fact, everywhere we went, the island was clean, free of graffiti and litter and appeared affluent and prosperous. Picturesque Front Street, lined with busy shops seemed vibrant and thriving, and we were told that the island has little poverty and low unemployment.

Bermuda is famous for its Gosling Bros. spirits, so while in Hamilton we couldn’t resist a visit to the Gosling Bros. establishment and purchased some of their famous libations to bring home with us. Of course, I said there was no graffiti and there it is on the sea wall.

Later on when we returned to the ship, we asked the bartender in The Haven to make us the iconic Bermuda cocktail, a Dark & Stormy.

But wait a minute, I’m not finished showing you around Hamilton! This is the lovely City Hall & Arts Center.

And it was here in Hamilton that I got my first glimpse of a gentleman wearing traditional Bermuda shorts. While men in shorts, knee high socks and pastel shirts were not as prevalent as I expected, they were around. however, trying to unobtrusively snap a photo of one proved to be challenging.

There are a lot of churches in Bermuda, all just as colorful as the homes and businesses on the island. Because of a finite amount of land, many families in Bermuda have family burial plots where they are interred one on top of the other, 6 or 7 deep.

Continuing on, we passed the famous Swizzle Inn, Bermuda’s oldest and most famous pub. Established in 1932 in a 17th century roadhouse, the “Swizzle” as locals call it, is home to Bermuda’s national drink, the Rum Swizzle. This potent rum and fruit juice cocktail is legendary for making the locals “loco” and the tourists “tipsy”!

Our next stop was at the east end of the island in the town of St. George, shown at the very top of the map below. This historic town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. First inhabited in 1612 by survivors of a shipwreck, St. George has the distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited town of English origin in the New World. It was also Bermuda’s capital for more than 200 years.

Arriving in town at the lunch hour, we strolled over to the White Horse Pub and Restaurant.

Here we enjoyed a bowl of the famous Bermuda Fish Chowder, spiked with a bit of Sherry Pepper Sauce, a popular condiment in Bermuda. We also enjoyed some traditional British Fish & Chips.

We then stopped into a cigar shop called Churchill’s where we purchased some Bermudian cigars for a friend’s upcoming birthday. They also sell Cuban cigars, but we passed on those, fearing they might get nabbed in customs.

While there, I just had to snap a photo of this gentleman’s hair, which was one giant dreadlock.

Here are some of the sights we enjoyed as we strolled through this colorful waterfront town.

Originally built on this site in 1612, Saint Peter’s Church is the oldest Anglican Church outside of the British Isles.

As we journied back to the opposite end of the island to reboard our ship, we passed by Bermuda’s Crystal Caves. Guided tours take folks 120 feet below the surface into a wonderland of crystal stalactites and stalagmites. We did not have time for a visit.

We also drove by Bermuda’s Botanical Gardens where 36 acres are covered with formal gardens and cacti gardens, as well as a collection of exotic orchids. Homer’s Cafe, named after a famous painter from Bermuda, Winslow Homer, is located in the Masterworks Art Gallery at the Botanical Garden. Here they serve a traditional Bermuda Afternoon Tea which I heard was worth a visit.

In closing, I bring you a short interview with Bermuda’s living legend, Johnny Barnes. He will melt your heart.