BERMUDA – THE LAST WEEK

I am quite pleased to report that today is gloomy, rainy and windy – I might have been tempted otherwise to continue my weekend’s activities!!!!!!!!! Never satisfied!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since my last blog, I have spent a very enjoyable evening taking in the Harbour night activities on Front Street, together with Alick and Helen, my ex-neighbours, which included a very energetic dance routine by the Gombey troupe while browsing some stalls. We then wandered down to the Fairmont Hotel Princess and had a very enjoyable dinner at their restaurant 1609 – a very popular place as it is on the water.

I had a very amusing incident over the weekend. The washing machine at my lodgings broke a part so my plans to wash most of the clothes, by machine, before moving on became a case of handwashing most of the light clothes.  As there was a wind and some sun, I hung items outside over chairs etc. The 2 poodles came to visit, and despite being informed that it was-not-the right-thing-to-do, Titus lifted his leg on a newly washed pair of shorts!!!!! Wishy-washy again!!! I have renamed him Piddle Poodle! We are still friends!!!!!

A statue in front of the City Hall which houses the art museum. Quite often people sit on the bench with them!

Saturday, I set off to explore the North Shore Road between the Aquarium and Bailey’s Bay as much of it can be walked on the old railway track and there are a couple of walkways over the cove inlets. There was quite a strong onshore breeze and the sea was relatively choppy but it was extremely pleasant with some stunning views. And needless to say I took lots of photos – so I think the blog this time will be more of a photojournal.

The railway track wound past Shelley Cove which is an ideal beach for families and I was fortunate enough to spot some heron and cattle egrets fishing in the bay. Just a bit further and I was looking at an idyllic setting for a house.

One of the houses that I passed sported 3 ‘beware’ signs which included the usual ‘beware of the dog’ plus ‘an attack cat and my favourite ‘ the occupant!!!!

 

Further along there was a small beach with a ‘no trespassing sign but quite a comfy deck chair. Though I did wonder about the plastic chair facing into the bushes – was that the naughty chair!!!

At the Bailey’s Bay end, there was an art class on the go – probably about 10 people. While the teacher was explaining, the one student had left all her paraphernalia on the beach a few 100 metres away.

 

One of my favourite views of the day.

 

I finished up in Tobacco Bay again and spent some time snorkeling. The water visibility was unfortunately a bit poor and it remains chilly, but I again spotted quite a few different species. All in all it was a very enjoyable day.

Sunday, I set off in the opposite direction and spent the morning walking from Warwick Long Bay to Horseshoe Bay which passes through some parks and behind and through some fabulous coves. I was very pleased to see the Bermuda Longtail which is  beautiful in flight but has dropped in numbers so not always seen. Of course, once I had spotted a few, I saw lots more. Wandering along was very beautiful and I was able to swim a bit, snorkel a bit and observe people a lot as it was a lovely day.

Some of the magic views of the beaches and coves, with the remnants of a wedding on the main beach – they had a lovely day for it.

For the afternoon, I joined Alick and Helen on a boat tour that was organized by the History Society (went on a tour 2 weeks ago with them. This was extremely interesting and was very popular with probably 150 participants. We motored through some of the lesser islands and heard about the various wartime activities, including a story of a visit by Winston Churchill on one of the amphibious aircraft as well as a U-boat that was captured off Senegal and stored secretly in Bermuda while the Allies used the Enigma machine and other information gained from it, to sink the German navy!

But possibly the most surprising bit, was learning a lot about the Anglo-Boer War as about 4,200 boers were interred on the islands in 4 camps for up to 3 years. We were taken to the various islands where they were interred including the one that houses the cemetery – 38 died in Bermuda. Seemingly the prisoners received the same rations and medical treatment as the soldiers. Seemingly at various times during the last quarter of a century, eminent South Africans, including FW, Thabo and Franklin Sonn (and now me!!!!) have visited the cemetery and paid their respects to ’ the first South African Freedom fighters (Thabo Mbeki’s statement!). Fascinating!

I like the photograph of the cemetery, not only as it shows the loneliness of the graves – marked by numbers, but with each boer’s name and date of death engraved on the obelisk, seen in the photo on the left, but it also shows how hilly the islands are.

 

In contrast to the solemnity of the afternoon, in the bay nearby and sheltered by a a number of islands, were a number of party boats, including the pink ‘restless native’ which must have had about 30 people on it – having a ball!!!

 

This boat didn’t look like it had been anywhere for ages, but according to the ‘washing line’ was still inhabited and well used!!!!

It was apparent yesterday, that summer is coming and that more and more locals and tourists are enjoying the water.

Sadly I leave on Tuesday 19^th on the evening flight but have the pleasure of some time with Ian, both in Cambridge and in the Lake District near Lake Windermere, so my adventures will continue for another week!!!!