Bermuda - Day 5

We went back to the Naval Dockyard this morning to shop. There is a glass blowing shop that I was really interested in seeing and since it was closed on Saturday when we were here, we decided to come back. The glass is amazing, but way too expensive to bring any home with us. We found some great deals on Bermuda jewelry and souvenirs in the Clocktower mall. Today was the only day that we’ve experienced rain, but thankfully it was only showers. After we left the Dockyard, we made our way to the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse – the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the world. We climbed our way to the top on the 185 spiral steps. At the top, we were able to walk out and look around. JB went out, but with the wind so strong, I was too chicken to step out of the door. It was an incredible view though!

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse

The view from the top - JB is holding onto the rail because it was really windy at the top!

The view of the ocean from the bus stop at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse

We made our way back to the city for lunch and more shopping. We had planned on eating at Chopsticks, a Chinese/Thai restaurant, but due to the New Year Holiday, it was still closed. We decided to eat at the only fast food restaurant on the island – KFC. The food took entirely too long to get and it was mediocre at best. After paying $17 for 4 chicken strips, fries and macaroni, we made another stop at the deli we ate at on Friday for JB a sandwich. We went to the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo on our way back from Hamilton. There weren’t a lot of animals and fish or at least not like we’re used to, but we had a good time seeing the ones that were there.

Flamingos

Harbor Seal

Galapagos Shark

Octopus

We rested for a little while before dinner, and then walked back up the street to Swizzle Inn to eat. This restaurant is a popular spot and filled with graffiti. Folks write on the walls, tables and ceiling and tape their business cards to the walls. We added our own graffiti to our table to commemorate our visit to Bermuda.
I talked with Nathan tonight and he told me he cried at school today because he missed us. Now I’m incredibly homesick to see my kids. We’ll be home tomorrow night and I’ll be sure to wake both of them up and hold and squeeze them tight.

Bermuda - Day 4

This morning was the morning for us to get in the water. We suited up in our wetsuits and snorkeling gear and hit the beach. I should have tried out snorkeling gear before getting into the ocean – I could breathe just fine, but I sure did have trouble with the fins! JB and I spent a very short time in the ocean – the water was cold! (even with our wetsuits). Interestingly enough, there was another gentleman who had been sunning on the beach who took right off into the water in just his swimming trunks, and swam around with comments of how wonderful the water felt. As JB and walked down the beach, Jonathan asked the man where he was from, the artic?? It was hilarious – the fellow was from Canada. We went back to the caves because I just had to swim in the cave. JB wouldn’t get in the water with me because he was certain the water would be just as cold as the ocean, but it really wasn’t. The water was cool on the top, but it was quite pleasant deeper down.

We spent some time at St. George’s today – the original capital city. We ate at a restaurant overlooking the bay. The food was good, but the service was quite relaxed. Gratuity is automatically added to the bill here, so they don’t necessarily have to provide exceptional service to get their tip. We walked around the city of St. Georges and saw some of the historic sites including:

• the old town hall
• ordinance island – where the British army stored gunpowder and cannons
• a replica of the ship Deliverance

• a replica of a pillory and stocks – used to punish criminals

• a dunking chair – which was used on 17^th century witch trials to dunk accused witches into the harbor
• St. Peters Church – the oldest Anglican church in the western hemisphere

• and the unfinished church. Construction on the unfinished church was started after the original St. Peters Church was destroyed by fire, however it was never finished because the people wanted to rebuild the church at the original site.

We wanted to go to Fort Catherine today too, but the minibuses were not running today and we weren’t up to walking 2 miles without certainty that the fort would be open on Sunday. We’ll try to get back there before we leave. We came back to the hotel and relaxed on the beach.

The view is breathtaking!

For dinner, we had the concierge make us reservations at an Italian restaurant in the Flatts. As we got on the bus, we told the bus driver where we needed off, but he was deep in conversation when we passed the restaurant and he forgot to stop. So, we ended up all the way back in the city. We were afraid we wouldn’t be able to find anywhere open to eat since it was Sunday, but the bus driver pointed us in the right direction and we ate dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant in Hamilton.

We stopped at a grocery store today for me to compare prices for things we use back at home. Here are some of the prices that I found:

• A half-gallon of milk $4.35
• A box of Captain Crunch cereal $5.15
• A loaf of bread $6
• A 12-pack of toilet paper $20
• A box of cake mix $4
• Hi-C juice boxes (10) $6.40
• Minute Maid Apple Juice boxes (10) $8.20
• A 2-liter Coke $4.15

I was also interested in how much rent would be on the island. On the bus this evening as we missed our bus stop, the bus driver was talking with an auditor from E&Y who just moved here to work – he’s paying $1500/month for rent. That is reasonable rent from what the bus driver said. Some folks pay $2000 - $5000/month for rent. The cost of living is really high here, but I guess it is worth it for some to live on such a beautiful island.

We are having a great time but sure do miss our kids. For everything we’ve done, we seem to talk about what the kids would think of it and we’ve checked out the kid’s menus at every restaurant we’ve eaten at. Thankfully, chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese are staples for children over here too, so Nathan and Reagan wouldn’t starve if they were with us.

On our way back in the resort tonight, as we greeted the doorman (custom is to greet everyone over here), he turned and asked JB if he was a minister. Jonathan responded, “Yes sir, I am. How did you know that?” The man said he saw a glow about Jonathan and that he had noticed the way JB spoke with the lady at the front desk as we left for dinner tonight. We talked for a few minutes and he wished God’s blessings on us. It was a delightful conversation.

Bermuda - Day 3 - New Year's Day

Happy New Year! This morning we walked around the caves at our resort. There is a swimming area in the caves that we hope to swim in tomorrow. On the way back to our room, I just had to get my feet wet, so we walked along the beach. The water is pretty chilly, so we will definitely need our wetsuits when we get in the ocean. Since a lot of things were closed today in celebration of the New Year, we decided to make our way to the far west end of the island – the Naval Dockyard. The buses and ferries were operating on holiday schedule, so we had to give ourselves extra time for transportation. Our plan was to make it to the dockyard in time for the 3:00 dolphin show at the Maritime Museum in the Keeps fort. We skipped on breakfast and were planning on catching lunch in between the bus ride to Hamilton and the ferry to the Naval Dockyard. However, everything in Hamilton was closed. The city was much different today than it was yesterday – almost a ghost town. We took the ferry across the harbor to the dockyard and ate lunch at the Frog and Onion. We made it to the Maritime Museum just in time for the dolphin show. We were able to walk around the fort and tour the Commissioners House within the fort. JB found a lot of interesting reading material in the museum regarding the history of the fort. Most of the shops at the dockyard were closed, but the pottery shop was open. I found a great deal on a pottery vase and as we were checking out, I mentioned that we were from NC, near Seagrove. The potter was very knowledgeable about Seagrove and although she hadn’t been there herself, one of her decorators had been. In Bermuda, the potters create molds for their pottery then pour liquid clay into the molds to make their pottery. I think the potters of Seagrove would call this cheating! We took a bus back to Hamilton so we were able to see a new part of the island that we hadn’t yet seen. We crossed the smallest drawbridge in the world. It’s only big enough to allow the passage of a sailboat. We saw the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, which we hope to climb another day. We had a great time seeing the island and the magnificent beaches. We’ll have to come back here during the summer, so we’ll be able to enjoy the many beaches of the island. We ate dinner at the Swizzle Inn, the oldest restaurant on the island and came back to call the kids. We are having a great time, but sure do miss our young’uns!

The caves at our resort

Me getting my feet wet!

The city of Hamilton from the ferry

The dolphin show at the Dockyard

The Commissioners House at the Naval Dockyard

Fort Keeps at the Naval Dockyard

A view from the top of the fort

Bermuda - Day 2 - New Year's Eve

Today we spent the day touring the city of Hamilton. This is the center for shopping and trade in Bermuda. We took the scenic bus tour on the way to Hamilton through the southern part of the islands – through Smith and Devonshire Parishes. On the way back, we took a different bus that went along the northern coast up through Flatts Village. The terrain is very hilly – JB misses his bike tremendously. If only it would have folded to fit in our suitcase! The roads are very narrow and everyone drives tiny cars (understandably!). The speed limit is 20 mph throughout the islands, but most people drive a little faster. But they do respect cyclists – a change from back home. The city of Hamilton is considered “in-town.” Either you’re heading into town or out of town. On the plane from Atlanta to Bermuda, we sat next to a Bermudian who gave us some pointers for our trip. When I asked her where she lived, she said, “in-town.” I didn’t understand until she explained that Hamilton is the in-town. There are lots of shops and restaurants in Hamilton and I found offices for 3 of the Big 4 Accounting firms – E&Y, Pricewaterhouse & Deloitte. So, if we ever decided to move here, I’m guessing I might be able to find work. There is no income or sales tax here – very interesting – I’m still trying to figure out how the government is supported. We visited a lot of the historic sights in Hamilton today including:

• City Hall
• Perot Post Office – established in 1821 and named after Bermuda’s first postmaster general, it is still operating.
• Bermuda Cathedral – the seat of the Anglican church in Bermuda

• St. Andrews Presbyterian Church – the oldest church in Hamilton. It is pink! Can you imagine Farmer Baptist Church being painted pink!

• Sessions House – home to Bermuda Assembly and the Supreme Court

• Cabinet House – home of the Bermuda Senate. The Bermuda Senate doesn’t have legislative power but acts as a debating forum.
• Fort Hamilton - built in the 1870s to protect the harbor and form a line of defense for the navy to the west

• and of course, the mall and shopping district. We found some very interesting jewelry and Christmas ornaments (to add to my collection).

We did a lot of walking, but had a blast seeing the sights and meeting the folks of Bermuda. Everyone is incredibly nice. The website that JB found which said not to wear blue jeans in Bermuda must have been written before the days of Levi Strauss, because jeans are common here during the day. We came back to our resort for dinner and to watch the fireworks across the bay at St. George’s. Happy New Year!

10th Anniversary Trip to Bermuda - Day 1

JB and I flew out this morning heading to Bermuda. We arrived this afternoon around 3:00 Bermuda time (1 hour difference from home). This was our first flight over the Atlantic and it was amazing landing on the island. JB videoed the landing – we could feel the descent, but weren’t able to see land until we were close enough to touch down. The water is absolutely beautiful – the bluest water I’ve ever seen.It was very different riding on the wrong side of the road with the driver on the passenger side of the car on our drive from the airport to the hotel. That is definitely going to take some getting used to! We are staying at Grotto Bay BeachResort in an ocean front room. We are so close to the ocean, JB could jump off the balcony to the ocean if he wanted too! It is pretty chilly here, colder than what I expected or maybe its just because it was so windy today. We walked along the beach and toured the resort before changing and heading to dinner. It is very expensive to eat here (like we expected), but at least we do know there is some food JB will eat.Unfortunately the island is far behind us in terms of technology and high speed internet, so we have to be in the main building to connect to the web. And since its so expensive to call internationally, we’re going to experience some iphone withdrawals!

Here is a picture of the ocean from the airplane

This is the bridge that connect the airport to the island where our resort is.

This is JB on our balcony overlooking the ocean

This is the beach at our resort

Bermuda, Here We Come...

To celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary, Jonathan and I decided to take a trip. We weren't able to have a big honeymoon, so what better time than now to take a nice trip. Where to? Well it started with Hawaii - but that's too far away, too long of a flight and too expensive. Bahamas, Carribean, Cancun - nope. None of those would do for JB. So, how about Niagra Falls? too cold in December. So, where to? Since we couldn't come to an agreement, I had settled for a cabin in the mountains when JB brought up Bermuda. "How about Bermuda?" he asked. I didn't know anything about Bermuda, except for the Bermuda Triangle, so I decided to do a little research. Nice place, not too far away, still a little expensive, but doable. So here we are, the night before our flight and I'm so excited! I'm going to miss the kids like crazy, but thankfully Nanny will be here to take care of them.

DC

I had an energy tax credit conference in Washington DC this past week, so we found it to be the perfect time to take the whole family to tour our nation's capitol, and no better time than around Veteran's Day. I spent 2 1/2 days in my conference, while JB took the kids and Nanny to tour the Air and Space Museum, the Natural History Museum, the National Aquarium (don't waste your money here), and the American History Museum (albeit only briefly since this one only interested JB). We stayed 3 nights at the Ritz Carlton due to the location of my conference. Have your ever stayed there? Talk about Ritz!! I've never been in a place that advertises a bath menu where the butler will draw your bath for you. Seriously--people actually need someone else to turn on their bathwater?!? After my conference ended, we moved over to the Holiday Inn - more suitable to my liking.
On Veteran's Day, we visited the National Archives, saw the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and visited all the Veteran Memorials. It was quite touching to see all the veterans that gather for remembrance. On Friday, we went back to the Natural History Museum (Nathan's favorite plus I was jealous that I didn't get to go earlier in the week!), toured the Capitol, went to the Supreme Court, went to Union Station and rode the metro back to our hotel. We spent Saturday morning at the National zoo - do you think we can go on a trip without finding a nearby zoo?? Then we started back on our drive home. It was an exhausting trip, but its always fun to spend time with the kids and make vacations educational.