Sunday, May 28th - Hamilton, Bermuda

loads of new photos posted too   

Surrounded by reefs, 564 miles east, southeast of Cape Hatteras, Bermuda feels very different from the islands of the Bahamas that we have been calling home for the last three months.  The first thing I noticed was the immaculate appearance of the city of St. Georges.  The small hills are dotted with colonial style homes of various colors, all topped with blindingly white roofs.  The weather has been spectacular since we arrived Thursday morning, with temperatures in the mid-seventies and no hint of humidity in the air.  The brilliant blue of the water against the verdant green hillsides and the pinks, whites and shades of coral from the buildings, reflect the colorful mood of this lively and prosperous settlement. 
 
The archipelago (actually hundreds of small islands covering a 21 square mile area) was formed by a volcanic eruption 100 million years ago but has only been settled for the last four hundred years.  In 1609, a fleet of nine ships departed England en route to Jamestown, Virginia with supplies for the starving colony.  They were struck by a hurricane and quickly lost sight of one another.  The admiral's ship, the "Sea Venture" developed a serious leak.  The crew of sailors and colonists spent days bailing but had given up hope when Sir George spotted land.  Revitalized by the hope of survival, the crew managed to keep the ocean out of the boat long enough for them to run aground on one of the reefs a few miles off Bermuda.  They all made landfall and proceeded to establish a home, at least a temporary one, on the island.  Their goal was to continue on to Jamestown, and they quickly began building two ships to carry them across the rest of the Atlantic.  One of the colonists liked Bermuda so much that he decided to stay here instead, and the permanent settlement of the island began.  He was quickly joined by a whole boatful of colonists destined for Bermuda in 1612.
 
That is about as far as I have gotten in my Bermuda history book, and I don't want to bore you with a sub-standard history lesson, regardless.  I can say that Bermuda is the most beautiful and prosperous island we have been to so far.  The streets and buildings are immaculate.  It has a very international flavor with many companies taking advantage of the tax free status afforded businesses here.  Locals are a mix of British, Blacks and Indians.  I haven't figured out how the Indian influence became so strong, but I'm sure it has something to do with India sharing Bermuda's status as part of the Great British Empire.  The Blacks are descended from former slaves, as you would imagine.  Bermuda is still a protectorate of Great Britain, but they have their own currency and are now independent in all but military and foreign affairs.
 
We hung out in St. Georges for a couple of days, enjoying the immaculate cobblestone streets lined with gift stores, souvenir shops and clothing stores.  There were a fair number of restaurants, but I think we found the best one called The Tavern by the Sea.  It was right on the water and had great pizza.  The five of us dined there for  $100.  With Bermuda's reputation for expensive restaurants, we felt that was quite a bargain!  Before heading into town for dinner on our first night, we saw "Phoenix" raising her anchor so we made a detour to wave goodbye. 
 
We enjoyed another lazy day on Friday, walking up the hill to the Unfinished Church to enjoy the spectacular views of the harbor and plush hillsides.
 
Saturday morning we got permission from the harbormaster, Bermuda Radio, to exit St. Georges Harbor and head to Hamilton, the capital city.  Our friends on Red Sky put in a good word for us with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and we have a reservation to keep the boat there for a week or so while we are gone. 
 
Hamilton is a big city; at least the biggest city we have been to in quite some time.  Like St. Georges, it is stunning in its beauty, cleanliness and prosperity.  We enjoyed an afternoon of strolling down Front Street, ending up at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute where we learned more about the island's geological and maritime heritage.  It felt great to walk the streets of a city again, and I couldn't help but think that this was very similar to how our time in Europe will feel: a little culture and education to go with the beaches, sunshine and beauty.  The islands have been great, but it is time to move on.  We are ready!
 
Happy Memorial Day everyone!
 
XOXO
Christy, Joe, Cassie and Juliana
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Many thanks to our friend Craig Homenko for his assistance in setting up the website.
We also would like to thank our buddy Scott Brunner who has been kind enough to host the website on his server.
 

 
   

 
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