Bermuda: Day 3
I ran into this funny guy today in Hamilton. He told me his name is Samuel Clemens. Apparently, he wrote a few books.
Bermuda Day 3: Take me down to parliament city
This morning, my friend and I hopped on the blue trolley to Waterlot. Only a 5-minute ride from the hotel, Waterlot is a local steakhouse, but more importantly, it's where the boat dock and ferry is located. We took the 9 a.m. ferry 20 minutes to Hamilton -- the capital of Bermuda and the center of Parliament – where we had a look around City Hall and the art gallery it houses.
After lunch at the local diner, we walked across the street to the Anglican Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity for a quick look inside the 100-year-old church. The sanctuary and organ were enormous, so Id' have to agree that the "most holy" moniker was certainly appropriate.
Also located in Hamilton is one of the main distilleries for Bacardi, Inc. The well-known liquor is used to make the famous little rum cakes sold all over the island.
Next, we hopped the ferry back to Southampton and walked over to Horseshoe Bay, locally known as the "mother of all Bermuda beaches." It proved to be a gorgeous stretch of sand and surf with numerous individual coves for those who prefer a more ... private experience. Needless to say, we left all the lovebirds to their own devices and booked it back to the hotel to rest.
After a long day of exploration and a whole lot of sun, we enjoyed dinner at Bacci, a lovely local Italian place down the road. I indulged in the spaghetti de mare, chock full of tasty lobster, shrimp, clams and mussels. Best part of the day. Shellfish make this girl very happy.
Tomorrow: Gibbs Hill Lighthouse & Gala Dinner
Say what? Amphibian acoustics.
Native to Bermuda is the whistling tree frog. The little creatures come out at night to regale us with a piercing chorus that sounds an awful lot like a home alarm – surprising for a creature no bigger than your thumbnail.
Say what? Shipwrecks on deck.
Bermuda is surrounded by at least 53 shipwrecks, a few of which are only half-submerged. Snorkelers, rejoice!
Bermuda Day 2: Aren't you, barracuda?
A friend is representing her company at a conference here and I've been able to tag along to various events and take advantage of some delicious island food. Yesterday, I attended their guest speaker luncheon after I heard Alison Levine would be telling her story. Levine was the captain of the U.S. women's climbing team during a recent trek up Mount Everest. Fascinating story. Her message: Sometimes you have to go backward to move forward. Also, ask the right questions.
On to the good stuff: Erika and I decided to spend the day snorkeling the coral reefs that pepper the ocean just in front of the private beach cove owned by the hotel. During our exploration, we had the pleasure of meeting the national fish of Bermuda: the parrotfish. He's a striking beauty, with blue and yellow neon stripes and distinct teeth he uses to munch on the submerged coral. We followed him so Erika could get some underwater shots of he and his compadres, as well as a bevy of other gorgeous sea life -- including a pair of barracudas.
Afterward, we enjoyed a couple of Cuba Libres on the beach, a night dip in the hotel pool (and down the kiddie slide), and a late-night chat on the balcony. A day well spent.
Tomorrow: Hamilton, aka: Capital City
Say what? Cover up!
Bermuda is particularly conservative, and there's a local rule that forbids uncovered swimsuits 25 feet from the beach. I didn't test this.
Sunset swizzle
Day 1: Sampling the national drink of Bermuda on the shore at sunset.
Island tunes
The Bermuda School of music tearin' it up on the steel drums.
Bermuda Day 1: Anything but dark and stormy
Today, my friend and I arrived in Southhampton, Bermuda after a short, hour-and-a-half flight from New York City. After a bumpy ride to our hotel, we checked in and went straight to the cove -- a private beach owned by the Fairmont.
The view is absolutely breathtaking, with turquoise water in three shades, each one darker than the last as you look into the horizon. Huge outcroppings of coral jut out from the sea at least three or four stories into the air -- each surrounded by snorkelers.
The sun was blazing yesterday, as it's expected to be the rest of the week, and as soon as we arrived at the beach, we saw a woman faint. Countless Britons walk the island in colored Bermuda shorts and knee socks paired with a sport coat and tie in the scorching heat. I suppose tradition trumps heat exhaustion.
Thankfully, one can easily get their hands on a cold cocktail just about anywhere. The "national drinks" of Bermuda are the Dark & Stormy and the neon-pink Swizzle drink, both of which consist of way too much rum. And since the Island is part of the UK, there's always afternoon tea, if you fancy that sort of thing.
After a dinner of fish cakes and calamari at Wickets, an English cafe at the hotel, we checked out The Cellar, a hot spot on the island for a couple hours of dancing to DJ Choice, a surprisingly entertaining music-maker who is apparently well known around Southhampton. More tomorrow.