Bermuda
Silver Spirit departed Ft Lauderdale at 6 pm, April 19. We were at sea the following two days. The weather remained warm. Michael and I each began reading a book and
we spent time sunning ourselves by the pool.
After two relaxing days, we arrived at St Georges, Bermuda at 8 am April
22.
The original settlement on Bermuda was at St. Georges. In 1609, the Sea Venture, flagship of an English fleet carrying supplies to the new colony at Jamestown, Virginia wrecked in a storm on Bermuda’s treacherous reefs. The sailors stayed most of a year while they built two new ships from material cannibalized from the wreck and from local Bermuda cedar. They sailed on to Virginia to relieve the starving Jamestown settlers, leaving two crew members at what later became St. Georges in order to stake an English claim to the islands. The Virginia Company sent settlers and a royal governor to Bermuda in 1612 officially founding St Georges.
This picturesque 400-year-old town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Very old buildings and narrow winding streets retain the flavor of the colonial period.. The harbor is so tiny that thousands of cruise ship passengers never overrun the town. Silver Spirit, a 550 passenger ship, is about as large a ship as can make its way through the narrow passage at the mouth of the harbor.
Silver Spirit docked less than a ten-minute walk to the historic center of St Georges. Michael and I purchased all-day transit passes at the post office as soon as we were allowed off the ship.. We were on a pink public bus to Hamilton, the current capitol of Bermuda, before 9 am. The 20-mile trip took an hour and was very scenic though the bus had a very poor suspension. Michael said that he felt motion sick on the bus even though he had just crossed almost five hundred miles of the Atlantic with no ill effects.
Bermuda consists of more than a hundred islands. The eight main islands are connected by bridges and ferries. The whole is about twenty two miles in length and a mile across. Individual islands are not much more than a quarter to a half mile across or a mile or two long. Our view from the bus frequently showed ocean to one side and bays to the other. We saw lots of green, blooming flowers and pale yellow sandy beaches. Bermuda has very pretty views of pastel cottages perched on bluffs near rolling breakers or lush golf courses.
The original settlement on Bermuda was at St. Georges. In 1609, the Sea Venture, flagship of an English fleet carrying supplies to the new colony at Jamestown, Virginia wrecked in a storm on Bermuda’s treacherous reefs. The sailors stayed most of a year while they built two new ships from material cannibalized from the wreck and from local Bermuda cedar. They sailed on to Virginia to relieve the starving Jamestown settlers, leaving two crew members at what later became St. Georges in order to stake an English claim to the islands. The Virginia Company sent settlers and a royal governor to Bermuda in 1612 officially founding St Georges.
This picturesque 400-year-old town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Very old buildings and narrow winding streets retain the flavor of the colonial period.. The harbor is so tiny that thousands of cruise ship passengers never overrun the town. Silver Spirit, a 550 passenger ship, is about as large a ship as can make its way through the narrow passage at the mouth of the harbor.
Silver Spirit docked less than a ten-minute walk to the historic center of St Georges. Michael and I purchased all-day transit passes at the post office as soon as we were allowed off the ship.. We were on a pink public bus to Hamilton, the current capitol of Bermuda, before 9 am. The 20-mile trip took an hour and was very scenic though the bus had a very poor suspension. Michael said that he felt motion sick on the bus even though he had just crossed almost five hundred miles of the Atlantic with no ill effects.
Bermuda consists of more than a hundred islands. The eight main islands are connected by bridges and ferries. The whole is about twenty two miles in length and a mile across. Individual islands are not much more than a quarter to a half mile across or a mile or two long. Our view from the bus frequently showed ocean to one side and bays to the other. We saw lots of green, blooming flowers and pale yellow sandy beaches. Bermuda has very pretty views of pastel cottages perched on bluffs near rolling breakers or lush golf courses.
In Hamilton, a small actual city, we walked from the bus depot
to the ferry terminal with a stop at the local library to use their free
Internet. In all of our travels, Michael
always urges us to stop where there is free Internet. We avoid paying fifty cents per minute for Internet on SilverSea
ships by "living off the land," as Michael calls it. E-mail checked, we continued to
the ferry pier and boarded a small ferry departing for Docklands, the former
Royal Navy Dockyard now a cruise port and tourist attraction.
The ferry trip to Docklands lasted twenty minutes. We spent another hour or so exploring the former
fort, naval supply yard, museum and surrounding warehouses now converted to
restaurants, craft shops and art studios.
The pier at Docklands is the only one on Bermuda large enough to handle
big cruise ships. As a result, the whole area is tourist land. Fortunately, the Bermudans have seen fit not
to allow a Diamonds International or a Senior Frogs to set up shop there so the area retains a local
flavor.
Back in Hamilton, we stopped for lunch at a quayside restaurant/bar. I had a tasty fish chowder flavored with hot peppers and rum, Michael had some fresh fish cakes and we shared a plate of spiced chicken wings. Yum. We hiked up the hill to the fort and admired the view and the plantings before taking another bus on a different route back to St. Georges.
The bus ride from Hamilton to St Georges was one of the highlights of our Bermuda experience. We met a fascinating old codger who entertained us with the (supposed) story of his life as a policeman on Bermuda.
Silver Spirit stayed overnight at St Georges so Michael and I were able to take some hikes around the area. We climbed to the highest point and saw the naval look out station built atop Fort George. The latest in late nineteenth century cannon were on display and the views were wonderful. We hiked a recently abandoned golf course and explored St Georges back streets and public spaces.
Wednesday, the 23rd, we were fortunate to be in St Georges for the annual Peppercorn Ceremony, held on St George’s Day. Every year the local Masons ceremonially present the Lord Mayor and Lord Governor with one peppercorn as rent for the former state house. The government rented the building to the Masons when the capitol moved from St Georges to Hamilton in 1815. Each year the renewal of the rent is celebrated with a colorful ceremony involving the Bermuda Regiment, Regimental Band, the Masons in their aprons and the government officials in antique dress. The mayor of St Georges gave such long speech that the weather went from sunny to rain and cleared again before he finished. He must be up for reelection.
Bermuda was an interesting new place for both Michael and me.
Back in Hamilton, we stopped for lunch at a quayside restaurant/bar. I had a tasty fish chowder flavored with hot peppers and rum, Michael had some fresh fish cakes and we shared a plate of spiced chicken wings. Yum. We hiked up the hill to the fort and admired the view and the plantings before taking another bus on a different route back to St. Georges.
The bus ride from Hamilton to St Georges was one of the highlights of our Bermuda experience. We met a fascinating old codger who entertained us with the (supposed) story of his life as a policeman on Bermuda.
Silver Spirit stayed overnight at St Georges so Michael and I were able to take some hikes around the area. We climbed to the highest point and saw the naval look out station built atop Fort George. The latest in late nineteenth century cannon were on display and the views were wonderful. We hiked a recently abandoned golf course and explored St Georges back streets and public spaces.
Wednesday, the 23rd, we were fortunate to be in St Georges for the annual Peppercorn Ceremony, held on St George’s Day. Every year the local Masons ceremonially present the Lord Mayor and Lord Governor with one peppercorn as rent for the former state house. The government rented the building to the Masons when the capitol moved from St Georges to Hamilton in 1815. Each year the renewal of the rent is celebrated with a colorful ceremony involving the Bermuda Regiment, Regimental Band, the Masons in their aprons and the government officials in antique dress. The mayor of St Georges gave such long speech that the weather went from sunny to rain and cleared again before he finished. He must be up for reelection.
Bermuda was an interesting new place for both Michael and me.
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| The Harbor at Hamilton |
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| Fortress at Royal Naval Dockyards |
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| Free Wi-Fi Spot at the Hamilton Library |
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| Fort Hamilton, Now a Park |
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| The Oldest Anglican Church in the New World - St Georges |
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| Beach at Tobacco Bay, Near St Georges |
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| A Back Yard - St Georges |
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| Narrow Streets - St Georges |
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| The Silver Spirit Crew Find a Wi-Fi Hotspot Near the Ship |
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| Policeman Directing Traffic before Peppercorn Ceremony |
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| Regimental Band Relaxing before March to Town Hall Square and the Peppercorn Ceremony |
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