Bermuda: Day Two, Sunday, June 13

The timezone is one hour later than at home so we got to sleep a little later.

I decided I "needed" flip-flops so I was going to go to the little store here, the Ample Hamper.  Then Tom decided he needed a hat so he went, too.  No flip-flops but they had a hat which he got for $10, originally $11.  WooHoo.  A $1 savings on this trip!

Note: Throughout this, there will be reference to St George and St George’s.  St George’s is the town where we stayed in the parish of St George.  Just a bit confusing!

Above, Tom on cellphone outside the clubhouse

We walked into the old town area of St. George.  Lots of history but most everything was closed for Sunday. The picture is the entrance to the old town area of St George. 

St George was the first permanent settlement on the islands of Bermuda, and was the its first capital.

St. George's was first settled in 1612, three years after the first English settlers in Bermuda (who had been on their way to Jamestown, Virginia) landed on St. George's Island after the deliberate driving of their ship, the Sea Venture, onto a reef. They were led by Admiral Sir George Somers and Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Gates.

The two pictures above are at Somers Wharf.

The survivors built two new ships, and most then continued their voyage to Jamestown.  Above is a replica of one of those ships, the Deliverance.   Being a Sunday, the Deliverance was closed, of course.

Ordnance Island lies in St. George's Harbor, to the south of King's Square, and is reached by a small bridge. It holds the replica of the Deliverance  and a life-size bronze statue of their commander, Sir George Somers.

Above picture looking from Ordinance Island to the main town.

We stopped by the town hall and took pictures of the local crown jewels!

We did find an open gift shop and found hats, tshirts and, YEA! Flip-flops.  Finally. The saleswoman gave us lots of good hints about beaches and stuff.  The people here are very friendly and helpful.  Our friends called from the airport so we decided to head back "home".

We got up the hill and they had just arrived.  We chatted for a bit, then food discussions.  We decided on a restaurant we had seen earlier on our walk but took naps first.

After everyone woke up, we headed back down the hill to the White Horse restaurant (pictured above).  It was very nice, right on the water.  Lots of people were feeding French fries to the fish.  I had an Island "Rumba" and a nice chicken curry.

Back up the hill, discussions of what to do the rest of the time although nothing was decided. 

Then bedtime, exhausted!

Bermuda: Day One Saturday, June 12

Exhausted, I got up at 4 am.  When I first get up, I can't open my eyes for a while.  Tom had set out glue traps "just in case" and I accidentally set my Kindle on it.  That glue is sure strong. My Kindle, with it's 10 new books for this trip and later, can't go.

Tom kindly let me put all my books on his Kindle so I brought that instead.
No more incidents, thank goodness!

We got to the airport in time for our 6:20 flight.  While at our Atlanta layover we heard from our son who might be able to get some time off work to join us.  WooHoo!

The second plane wasn't too crowded, so we were able to spread out.  That's always nice to have the extra space.

The plane had taken off and was gaining altitude.  I was just settling in and happened to glance out the window when the plane tilted way over to my side. The wing which had been horizontal dipped down, pointing at the houses below us.  Most everyone screamed or gasped. Much later the pilot told us that there had been a heavy plane ahead of us we had been in his jet stream.  Even Tom, who has flown rickety planes in scary places had only seen a dip like that once or twice.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, thank goodness!  Tom took some pictures out the plane window.

We got a taxi to the place where we're going to stay, the St. George's Club. After checking in, unpacking, taking a few pictures, we headed off on foot - no rental cars here - to the nearest town, St George.  We're on a hill so there were lots of stairs to go down.  No interesting restaurants were open so we got four bags of groceries, including hot buffet stuff, and hauled those up the stairs.
We did have a nice hot meal, cheaper than the restaurant here, and stuff for later so the hike was worthwhile.

Dinner, a short nap, then we went out exploring. 

Above, from our little downstairs deck

Looking from our bedroom to the huge bathroom

Hot tub overlooking the water!

Bedroom.  Tom is looking out on the upstairs deck.  We never used that.  There was no shade so it was just too hot and sunny.

That safe was just too high up.  We never used it

Kitchen

Living/dining area

I spent a LOT of time in the right hand chair (better shade!)

A bit of tv, a smidgen of rum punch (not as good as Barbados' Mount Gay but good enough) then bedtime.

What luck!

May, 2010...

In November 2008, while Tom was recuperating from surgery, he answered the phone and there was an RCI offer too good to be refused. He signed up up for a seven-day cruise and a one-week land trip. This is the second of those trips (the land trip) and I hope our son will get to go with us!

I plan to do a journal like I did for Alaska, my Cruisin' with Susan and our RCI Western Caribbean Cruise but I probably will upload it all after the fact so I don't waste much time online posting a day-by day.

This is where we'll be:
St. George's Club

Your trip to Bermuda would not be complete without a visit to St. George's, with it's winding lanes, pink sand beaches, unique architecture and unspoiled beauty. The St. George's Club, located atop Rose Hill overlooking the town is Bermuda's premier Vacation Ownership Resort and Cottage Colony

Seventy-one cottages nestled amidst 18 acres of lush tropical landscape. The Club offers the outdoor swimming pools (one heated) and three tennis courts. The resort's private beach and beach club are a short distance away. The beach club is open seasonally and offers a restaurant, bar, beach chairs and water sports equipment rental. St. George's Club also offers on-site moped rentals and a convenience store.

After a busy day of sightseeing, relax at Griffin’s Bistro and Bar at The St. George’s Club, open for lunch and dinner, plus Sunday's special Brunch which is served until 6:00pm and rated one of the best in Bermuda!

Website Address: http://www.stgeorgesclub.com

Perched amid the blue-green waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda is unlike any other island destination you may be familiar with.

Lush, tropical surroundings, splendid and unusual pink-hued beaches, and a selection of cultural attractions and sporting options are all excellent reasons for visiting these islands. Furthermore, Bermuda has a distinct air of British propriety and a unique European flavor. Visitors will cherish memories of the islands' pastel-toned homes, ubiquitous flower gardens, charming winding streets, and gracious, friendly people.

Bermuda consists of 150 tiny islands located about 570 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Collectively, these islands encompass only 21 square miles of land. Bermuda was discovered by the Spanish in the 16th century, and became an English colony during the 17th century. Today, afternoon tea and conservative British values rule. Both Bermudans and tourists zip around on mopeds, as cars are not available for rent on this island. Public bus and ferry services are readily available. Bermuda's vacation facilities and activities include restaurants, tennis courts, and golf courses as well as marinas and beaches.

 

Thanks for reading!