Tuesday, 24^th October, 2017

Land, land!!

Yes, we had finally made it to something solid, good old terra firma, in the shape of Bermuda. All very exciting as this is our first time in the Caribbean (though some might dispute that Bermuda IS in the Caribbean). We glided into our berth in Hamilton with a glorious sunrise – and yes, there are photos, of course. Well, it makes a change from sunsets!

The sun was shining and we set off down the gangplank into the capital, armed with a map and some background information. We walked about Hamilton and made our way to the bus terminal for a bus to the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the town of St. George. Bermuda is shaped a bit like a large prawn, made up of a number of islands connected by bridges and St. George is in the top eastern end. The islands are divided up into parishes with very British names such as Southampton, Pembroke, Warwick and Devonshire. It is very well-maintained but not cheap! St. George was an absolute delight and we really did feel as though we were stepping back in time. There is a nice pedestrianised area first going down to King’s Square with the town hall complete with a town crier.

You are never far from the sea and there is a fabulous light coming off the water. The roofs on the buildings are a bit different with a sort of stone affair, which is best described by the photos below. Many of the houses date back to the 17^th Century and are lovingly looked after with lots of information about their origins.

We wandered about the town a bit and then waited for our bus to our next destination. Still time for a few more snaps….

We climbed on board the bus and made our way to the Crystal Caves of Bermuda only to discover that most of it was under water due to the high tides, which was a shame in some respects, though at the prices they were asking for admission was also something of a relief (they make the Tower of London seem cheap!). However, a part of the Fantasy Cave was open and we accompanied our guide through the attractive gardens to the entrance.

The inside is very atmospheric with lots of stalactites and stalagmites and even a small lake and a boat that was very reminiscent of the Phantom of the Opera.

We caught the bus back to Hamilton and Val made her way back on board the ship, while I walked around the town, taking in the sights and eventually finding a café to take advantage of the internet and to catch up a bit on the USA blog!

We then steamed out of the port in the evening, passing some impressive and no doubt expensive homes.

Ok, that’s that. Rather more photos this time, which I hope you have enjoyed. Next stop, Port Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Centre.