Bermuda

Story and Photos by Mary Medland

Thirty or so years ago, it was the exotic island of pink sand and beautiful beaches, a destination especially popular for honeymooning. These days one hears considerably less about Bermuda, which is a pity: the beaches are still pristine, golf courses abound, shopping remains wonderful and banking executives still head to the office clad in shirt, necktie and short pants. There’s a main island studded with pastel pink and yellow residences that overlook the aquamarine Atlantic and colonial buildings for visitors to explore.

Juan de Bermudez discovered these uninhabited islands in 1503, but neither he nor the Spanish explorers who were to follow him saw fit to claim the islands for their king and queen. The Brits, however, arrived shortly thereafter: In 1609, the Sea Venture, an English ship traveling to assist the beleaguered Jamestown, VA colonists crashed offshore. The English had a distinctly different take on the place than their Spanish counterparts. While rebuilding the Sea Venture, George Somers claimed Bermuda—or Somers Isle as it was called then--for England and a charter was subsequently granted a few years later

Today the fish hook-shaped island’s most prominent cities are the first capital, St. George, and the current capital, Hamilton.

For those craving history, head east for St. George—the easiest way to get around is via the public buses. Here, on tiny Ordnance Island, is a replica of the Sea Venture (the wrecked boat’s reincarnation was to deliver John Rolfe to Virginia where he eventually married Pocahontas)—an impossibly small craft to cross the Atlantic, while a stone’s throw away is a statue of Admiral Sir George Somers himself.

Cross back to the main island and you’ll find King’s Square, the town’s center (it’s also home to the visitor’s center), replete with stocks, whipping post and town crier.

St. George—named after the patron saint of England—is a wealth of side streets to wander and discover. Visitors to Somers’ Gardens should come prepared to be henpecked. Sit on a bench in this small, but enormously lush and perfectly groomed Eden, and it will most likely be merely a matter of minutes before a local hen—and her adorably fluffy offspring—amble over in hopes of a handout. When said family is rewarded with breadcrumbs, word gets out: Other native birds soon follow.

From Somers’ Gardens, visitors can wander northward to the unfinished church. After beginning construction in the 1870s, the church ran into financial problems and work fell off. The church’s fate was sealed when a storm inflicted further damage and the project was ultimately junked. Today all that remains are the gray stonewalls and the windows that were to await stained glass that was never to arrive. Virtually devoid of tourists, this cool oasis—and Bermuda can rival the worst of any Baltimore summer when it comes to humidity—beckons to picnickers.

After a mid-day meal, it’s an easy walk, and a downhill one at that, to St. George’s main drag, Duke of York Street. St. Peter’s Church, parts of which date back well over three centuries, boasts a baptismal font 500 plus years old, a pulpit from the early 17th century and an altar carved by the island’s first governor, Richard Moore. Guides are available to ask questions, and if one is especially polite you’ll stand a good chance of being invited back to peek inside the vestry’s safe: Elizabeth II visited when she was younger and much admired, and her signature is stowed here, as is the chalice of Charles I, which dates back to 1625.

Other spots of historic appeal include the Featherbed Alley Printery, State House, Tucker House and Carriage Museums, as well as Barber’s Alley, the last named after Hayne Rainey, a slave who escaped from South Carolina and pursued a career in Bermuda as a barber. Post-Civil War, Rainey returned to the United States to become the first African-American in the House of Representatives.

For those who’ve had enough of history, Bermuda is an semi-tropical paradise. While it offers many public beaches, far and away the most beautiful is Horseshoe Bay beach. Public transport drops one off at the main road: it’s another 10-minute hike down to the beach itself.

Due to its popularity, Horseshoe Bay tends to be more crowded than other beaches, but it is hardly in the same bodies-per-square-foot class as, say, Ocean City in July. For those who get nervous when unable to view just what might be lurking around down below, Bermuda’s waters, especially at this beach, are crystal clear, the sand is perfectly smooth and buoyancy is guaranteed by the water’s high salt content.

Much like the East Coast of the United States, the waters around the island are filled with the wrecks of numerous—if not hundreds—of shipwrecks. First there was the Sea Venture, but even as late as the 1940s, ships were being lost in this neck of the woods. The largest of the wrecks is that of the Cristobal Colon, which met its demise in 1936. The luxury liner had no passengers, but was carrying a crew of more than 100—all of whom managed to make their way to land. As the ship had crashed onto North Rock, Bermudians had a fine time, in spite of the fact that they were breaking the law, picking it over for everything from furniture to artifacts.

For those considering exploring the wrecks, ask at the hotel or visitor’s center: There are numerous licensed divers who will gladly lead you on a tour of the most popular sites. Anyone gutsy enough to try diving will be able to take lessons and rent all necessary equipment.

If scuba diving is not your style, there are a myriad of opportunities to try one’s hand at snorkeling—although be forewarned, snorkeling here is not as impressive as one might expect. Still, if you’re lucky, expect to come across squirrelfish or the bright Spanish hogfish and perhaps, even a moray eel. Bermuda offers many opportunities for golfing and tennis, as well as bicycling (or peddle biking in local parlance). The timid may want to pick up a bicycle excursion—the guides will make sure that you stay on the correct side of the road and navigate street crossings safely. Be aware of the natives and their scooters: Even on the Bermuda Rail Trail, anyone who wanders to the wrong side of the road stands a good chance of being mowed down by the unanticipated moped.

If St. George is relatively subdued, Hamilton is a veritable beehive of activity and noise—those ubiquitous scooters kick up quite a racket. It’s not uncommon to see a business suit-clad woman park her moped, pull off her helmet, grab a brief case and head for the office or any number of government buildings downtown, including City Hall, Sessions House and the Cabinet Building.

Bermuda is known as a smart shop for those seeking imported European goods, particularly watches, perfume and hand-painted china. Here in Hamilton is Trimingham’s main store—the island’s first department store, a venture that made the Trimingham family respectively wealthy. Other favorite shops include the Irish Linen Shop—everything from pillowslips to tablecloths, at significantly lower prices than in the states—and for those craving a Cuban stogie, there’s Tienda de Tabaco.

Although not in Hamilton, but rather at the far west end of the island—it’s easiest to take the ferry--the Royal Naval Dockyard Retail Center combines history and commerce. After the American Revolution denied the British the use of U.S. ports and forts, the dockyard became the British Empire’s premier naval stronghold and supply point between Halifax and the West Indies. The massive wharves and fortifications, largely built with slave labor, still stand, although they have mostly been adapted to modern uses. Here you can see the workshops of local craftspeople, tour a museum devoted to the history of the British Navy in these parts, witness a dolphin show or simply stroll up past grazing sheep to the old Commissioner’s House, perched on a cliff overlooking the harbor, sit on the verandah and gaze out to sea. Stroll back downhill and sample the more than two dozen shopping venues, under the historic clock tower.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

For 22-square-miles of land and a permanent population of 60,000 (many descendants of slaves), Bermuda is chock full of other attractions including:

St. David’s Lighthouse, guiding ships since 1879

Somerset Bridge, the world’s smallest drawbridge

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, 185 steps and a great view of the island

Spittal Pond Wildlife Sanctuary

Verdmont Museum, furnished mansion from the 1700s

Devil’s Hole, featuring sharks, loggerhead turtles and Moray eels

Crystal Caves, stalactites and stalagmites

Old Devonshire Church, today still lit by candles

Scaur Hill Fort and Park, dating to 1860 and offering a super view of the Royal Naval Dockyard

Bermuda Perfumery, scents concocted from local flora

Aquarium Museum and Zoo, local fauna, as well as species from as far as Madagascar and Australia

Fort St. Catherine and Museum, underground chambers and military exhibits and a great place to picnic, and

Carter House, island’s oldest home.