I am not sure what your thoughts are of Bermuda but mine were well off base. Bermuda is not even in the tropics. As you now know [don't forget that there will be a Final Exam of all lessons given over the past 3 1/2 months next week] it is in the Horse latitudes, around 30 degrees north. The tropics [in this case Cancer], do not start until a bit further south of us at 23.4 degrees. There are many many places in the world that SHOULD be as beautiful as Bermuda, but are not. It appears that although many people fault the British for just about everything wrong in the world, they do have a great sense of order and know the meaning of the words upkeep, maintenance and good government. [People in Bermuda have a UK passport.]
Unfortunately we had a short day here and it was made bit shorter by the fact that we anchored in the harbour and were transported to Hamilton, the capital, by a 600 passenger ferry! That took a while to load and unload. The process takes a bit longer because of the age and infirmary of our fellow passengers. [This is a true statement and not meant in jest.] To us, young is age 50 and thereabouts!
The day was as you would expect in Bermuda, blue sky, azure seas and every house and building in sight a bright clean sparkling pale pink or yellow. All roofs are brilliant white. The odd contrarian may paint their abode some delicious light lime or popsicle orange, it is amazing. The passengers on this oversized tender were affixed to the buildings passing us as we took the 25 minute ride to the dock in the smack dead centre Hamilton. It is was if the Chamber of Commerce had told everybody to give their buildings a coat of paint by today, or else!
During our two hour tour of this 20 square mile island that has about 60,000 population, we never saw anything less than top quality homes and buildings the whole time. To say they were well maintained would be an understatement.
Our mission today was to find the beach front home of my Great Uncle William Leveratt Robins, who passed away in Bermuda in 1955. After a few brief sessions with well spoken taxi drivers, [all black] we were on our way to Bermuda Beach Road looking for a cottage with the name of 'Bendcliffe'. We arrived at our map reference [thank you Craig],
and found the site occupied by The Coco Beach Resort. A very nice and upscale resort with access to a lovely beach. It happened to be my Great Uncle's daughter's beach as it turned out.
As I was enquiring at the desk about access to the beach, I mentioned that my uncle lived here in a cottage called Bendcliffe some 50 years ago. Suddenly a tall handsome youngish man called Richard, who was the apparent manager, stepped out of his office and said "Bendcliffe is still here, we have it as a cottage as part of the resort"
Shazoom!! He was kind enough to walk us out and show us the building. He said it was a sturdy building and has survived hurricanes and many storms.
It was a bit of an emotional moment for me at least, as we went and looked at and I actually had to lean against and rub with my hands, this cottage that I had only seen in photos and heard about from my parents.
I hardly remember Uncle Bill, but my parents stayed there and it was sort of a bit of an ancestoral moment there on this beautiful beach so far from anywhere. So sad that I did not know more about those relatives 50 years ago. But, at that time I was too busy with my life getting married, raising children involved in the military and working on my career. Sad.
I was so glad that Gail and Jim were as enthusiastic as I was about experiencing my Bermuda connection today.
After a rather circutious route back to Hamilton, I found out that there are two St. Paul's Churches in Bermuda. Unfortunately I did not find out about the second until we explored the first looking for Uncle Bills Grave at the Black Anglican St. Pauls. Uncle Bill is buried near to his cottage, too far to go and visit again today. Next time possibly!
Uncle Bill's daughter Mabel, married a Frith. My gosh, it seems that the Friths were a very influential family in Bermuda. There are streets and buildings named after them all over the place. A lost part of the family history, sorry to say.
Next we were in Hamilton and a bit hungry, there we were treated to a wonderful lunch in Bermuda's oldest pub by Gail and Jim. We had a delightfull conversation with a British couple who have children and grandchildren in Sussex, England, Bermuda, and California. Talk about trying to keep the family together!
Next back on ms Amsterdam for a Champagne Sail-Away under an absolutely wonderful Bermudian sky as the band played Anchors Away. [Rule Britannia would have been more appropriate but the passengers are about 85% American.] We are bound for New York and the USA!
The world is a strange and wonderful place. As we sail to New York, and later as the ship carries on south to Fort Lauderdale, it will pass over some interesting parts of the Atlantic Seaboard. For there, in the early months of WW ll, German submarines sank hundreds of freighters that were just off the coast of the USA. America was not in the war for the first 27 months of the war. The nazi U-boats would cruise the coast with no threat, and sunk many ships that were silhouetted by the lights of coastal cities. There was some pressure for the cities to turn off their lights, as a black-out or even a brown-out, but because they were 'neutral' this was not done, Thousands of sailors died. It was not until the USA was bombed at Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and declared war on Japan, and Germany by default inasmuch as Germany was an Ally of Japan did the US navy pursue and sink German U-boats. [This is accurate to the best of my recollection without access to reference material.]
The day was all the more memorable to me when miraculously my BlackBerry phone suddenly came to life in the early hours as we came into cell phone range for the first time since Barb brought it back from the repair shop in Vancouver, at Istanbul almost a month ago. I received all 314 e-mails again, during breakfast! However the thrill of talking to Jeanette, Craig and Wally today made it all worth while. Moe was also able to talk to son Rob today for the first time in 3 1/2 months as was Barb. This may not seem like a big thing but Moe and Rob talk every Sunday at home. Little treasures.
Two more sleeps!
It was neat to be here, Peg and Gord, good vibes!
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