Crown-ing Bermuda

Bob's brother Dave persuaded him that he should take a cruise to Bermuda. Bob had never been on a cruise ship before, and my experience was limited to crossing and re-crossing the Atlantic from NY to Europe on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 1950 when I was 12 years old. We are accustomed to cruising on our own sailboat which is about 48 feet (depending on whether you count the dinghy davits). Much smaller than even the smallest cruise ship. I found that it was cheaper to take a cruise ship than it was to fly and stay on land. We didn't stay as long as I would have liked, but we still had a good time. By this time I was using a digital camera

Embarkation: Our documents told us that embarkation could begin at 1 pm. Our daughter dropped us off at the McComas Street terminal about 1:20. After we gave our luggage (3 small suitcases) to large persons in reflective vests, we joined the longest check-in line for US citizens that were not Latitude members. I had retained a large fanny pack (aka bum bag) with 3 cameras (I ended up taking over 750 digital photos of Bermuda and the ship) and a bag with a computer and Bob had a small bag with his razor and medications.

The line moved fast enough that I did not become uncomfortable (I have osteoarthritis in my back and cannot stand for very long without a lot of pain). Since it *was* November, the temperature in the building was reasonable. The lady that checked us in said people were waiting for her at noon already. Even though we pre-registered and had passports, she still had to have Bob's driver's license to get our home address which was not in the system.

Note: in the summer this metal building will heat up and it may become unbearably hot. According to the lady that checked us in, she has sometimes just had to leave because she could not stand it.

She told us that we would need our photo ID to board, and that turned out not to be true and resulted in a lot of unnecessary shifting around. This was a theme - the ship people were always saying that we needed a photo ID to get off or on along with our NCL card, but no one ever looked at the photo ID, and why should they? since when they swiped the NCL card, our photos came up on the computer screen. It was explained to me later that the photo ID was in case the computer swiped card did not work. If I had known that it would have made things easier.

We did have to go through X-ray and Bob had to be wanded as he was wearing a large bronze belt buckle which set it off. We went through security every time we returned to the ship. But the personal X-ray doorway was turned off, and no one ever looked at the items that were passed through on the belt, so eventually we stopped putting things on the belt altogether.

We entered on deck 5 and were directed to the aft elevators to get to our cabin on deck 9. There was only one elevator in operation. When I asked about it, I was told that they were using the other elevator for luggage, but this was obviously not true as the elevator showed that it was on deck 9, and it was not on deck 9 when we got there. Indeed this elevator did not work (was continuously on deck 9 for two days) and when it did start to work, the other elevator went out. I found this to be unsatisfactory because not only did all the passengers with mobility problems have to use this elevator, but also the crew had to bring various carts with equipment all on this one elevator because Monday, the forward elevators were out of service due to rough seas.

We booked the lowest rate cabin, and were upgraded to a Superior Inside Stateroom which has two lower beds that can be converted into a queen-size bed, bathroom with shower, spacious closet with mirror, television for in-house movies and CNN, hair dryer, individual air-conditioning, direct-dial phone, music console, and personal safe (which we didn't use). Average size 154 sq. ft. On Riviera Deck (deck 9). We were upgraded from a Deluxe Inside Stateroom on deck 4 which was about the same amount of square feet. The cabin was right around the corner from the elevator. I found this to be a perfect location - close enough to the stern decks for quick access and also close to the elevator and stairs.

However, when we entered, we found an ashtray full of cigarette butts in the cabin, and it smelled of stale cigarette smoke. Very unappetizing. Bob suggested that I clean the ashtray myself, but this would have merely transferred the smelly stuff to the waste basket. He refused to let me call housekeeping, so I took the ashtray and contents outside and set it on the housekeeping cart which was outside in the corridor. There was no 'plan of the day' information, so we did not know that we could have gotten lunch.

I found the cabin quite acceptably large, with two good sized closets (a bit bigger than on our boat) but with very little drawer space (much less than on our boat - only 6 drawers altogether). There was more room to move around than on our boat which basically has room for only one of us to stand at a time. But I found the decor of the cabin ugly. The carpet was grey and was stained and spotted, and the bedspreads were tan (one of my least favorite colors) with green and brown and teal stripes.

The beds were reasonably comfortable. The foam mattresses tended to shift around on top of the springs. We did not try to make a queen out of them. I didn't see a room steward to ask about it, and we were afraid that one of us would have to climb out over the other one to go to the bathroom. The shower was quite nice, with a shower head that could be adjusted in height and removed to be hand held.

Shower head

This meant that when it was rough and I couldn't stand up reliably, I could sit on the toilet and stick my head into the shower and wash my hair. There was quite a bit of cupboard space in the bathroom.

Bob sitting by the TV

There was a safe (which we didn't use), direct dial phones (ridiculously expensive either to call out ($5.95/minute) or for people to call us - $7.95 a minute), piped-in music and satellite TV which had only CBS, ESPN, TNT, and some tapes (without commercials - hooray) of History Channel presentations like for instance one on the America's Cup.

Bob at the emergency drill

We read the information that was provided, but it did not tell us how to get the loudspeaker announcements in the cabin and it was a couple of days before we figured out how to do that. Although maybe they were turned off from above, because we didn't get any at debarkation either). Our luggage arrived about 3 and we unpacked.

Dock from the ship

We went out on deck to observe when the ship left the pier. We would have liked to go to the Top of the Crown or the Pasta Cafe to see the harbor passing by and be out of the quite strong wind, but there was a group playing live music in there and it was WAY too loud for us (although the music was quite nice if it had been about 10 dB less). The decks were wet and there was no place to sit that we could see what was going on on that deck (deck 11). I had mistakenly worn only a thermal vest instead of my winter coat and even the vest was too hot in the Top of the Crown, but it wasn't enough out on the deck. This deck also had the running track. After the first day, we never went up there again.

People in hot tubs

We went down to deck 10 and tried to get something to eat at the Cafe Italia, but although the buffet seemed to be ready, they said we couldn't eat until 4:30, so it would be 10 more minutes. After 10 minutes, we got a little bit to eat.

We ate here one more time during the cruise, but Bob doesn't like to eat outdoors. The hot tubs, beauty shop and fitness center were also on this deck, but we didn't use any of those things.

Dock area in 2004

Factories near the dock

Baltimore skyline in 2004

Industrial area Baltimore harbor

Maryland Transportation Authority Police

Coast Guard

Parking lot from the ship

Leaving the dock

Baltimore in our wake

Fort McHenry

A cold sunset

Skyline at sunset

I finally gave up because of the cold, and went down to our room. I had wanted to see us go under the Key Bridge and I really wanted to see us go under the Bay Bridge, but I couldn't stand out on the deck any longer. I think we saw the Bay Bridge on the bow camera (which was broadcast on the network to the TV in our room), and Bob said he saw us go through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel at about 2 am - also on the bow camera.

Flowers on the dinner table

Dining table reflected

We went to dinner and I took a photo of the flowers on the table and our reflection in the mirrors on the ceiling. When it came time for dessert, one of the ladies said she didn't want any dessert, so they gave her

Nothing - a dessert plate

I found that there was much more vibration from the engines than I expected (all over the ship-not just in the cabin). But, I was impressed to see them maneuver the ship with the thrusters which appeared to be both on the bow and stern. No tugs were used, going into or out of port although they stood by in case they were needed.

Tug that wasn't needed in Hamilton

Dave tells me that this ship has no stabilizers. The water got a bit rougher when we went out into the Atlantic - not surprising to me since I know up close and personal (so to speak) what the waves are like when there's as much wind as we were having. It just looked like there were some rollers, and maybe cross waves of 5-8 feet with tiny white caps every so often which I would not have said was rough. When I would take the GPS out on deck, it would show that we were doing 19+ knots so the rough weather did not slow us down.

I did not consider that it was rough as I define rough. Rough to me is green water over the bow. Bob has taken movies of the seas breaking over the carrier deck of the USS Essex (60 feet up) in the North Atlantic which broke the keel of the ship in 3 places and resulted in it going to the scrap yard. That's rough!!

I found the motion of the ship quite unpleasant. It also made me walk like a drunk - I was tacking from side to side if I didn't have something to hold onto. They shut down the forward elevators due to the weather, and in some cases we were not to open the doors to the deck because of wind. Someone broke off one of the grab rails in one of the elevators, but that was fixed eventually. Neither of us are prone to seasickness, although if I tried to read or write for any length of time, I would get a headache, so I spend a lot of time sleeping. But we did NOT miss any meals.

We ate all our breakfasts on the ship in the Yacht Club. I really liked the decor here - there were brilliant blue paintings of sailboats - very saturated color.

Yacht Club

The buffet was decorated with melons and other food carved into shapes and there were up-to-date labels which explained what the food was if you couldn't quite identify it. There were also sort of comic statues - a chef, a unicorn, a man at the wheel of a ship etc.

In addition to the rolls, pastries, toast, bagels, English muffins, pancakes, hot cereal, cold cereal, bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, fries, salmon, herring, two kinds of scrambled eggs, cold cuts, baked beans and yogurt, there were omelets and waffles done to order, various kinds of fruit including figs, cheese blintzes, and cream cheese rosettes on cucumber slices. And probably some other stuff that I've forgotten. We could chose from about 6 different juices, hot tea, ice water, coffee and decafe to drink.

I had originally signed up for two ships tours - one was a night glass bottomed boat trip which was supposed to be at 9 pm. I figured we could eat dinner and then go on the glass bottomed boat trip. But when I got my tickets, they'd changed the time to 5:45 pm, way too early to have finished dinner. The other tour was for a King's Wharf tour Friday morning when we were leaving at 11 am. I assumed there would be little else we could accomplish in that time. However, I got an email back from NCL saying that there was no room on this tour. Then when I got my tour tickets, I found I'd gotten it after all.

So I just canceled both trips. And as it turned out, we didn't follow the published port schedule anyhow- it was too rough to go in to St. George on Tuesday, so we went to Hamilton instead. And then instead of going to King's Wharf on Thursday, we went to St. George, We never got to Kings Wharf at all and we just left at noon from St. George.

NCL has Freestyle Cruising. This means that there are no dinner reservations for a set table at a set time. In 2004, you could also get a dining coupon to have a meal ashore. I was very unhappy to discover that I was limited to one dining coupon to dine ashore. I had assumed that I could have as many as I wanted. Not so. Originally I had intended to eat dinner Tuesday at the Carriage House in St. George, lunch Weds in Hamilton, dinner Weds at the Hog Penny, and lunch Thursday at the Frog and Onion at King's Wharf. The changed schedule made mincemeat of that idea.

This is what we did in Bermuda.

November 16, 2004

Ft St. Catherine from the ship

1552-2941059-St_Davids with surf_from_the_ship

Rough water

Commandant's house from harbor

The entrance to St. George harbour is very narrow and in a rough sea state is impassible for even small cruise ships. The ship (NCL Crown) that we visited St. George on in 2004 was unable to get in to the dock when we first arrived because of rough seas, so the ship docked in Hamilton.

Fast ferry from the ship

Front_street

Scooter and moped parking in Hamilton

Front Street

Crown in Hamilton - Dingy off the side

From the Visitor's Center we purchased two 3-day bus passes ($28 @) which are also good on the ferries. At the same time, we got a Bermuda Heritage Pass. I've seen some websites that say these passes are $35, but we were only charged $25 @. The Visitor's Center only takes cash (although they will take US $$). No plastic.

Ferry Terminal and Visitor's Center/ C of C - Hamilton

We walked around to the ferry terminal and took a ferry to Somerset Bridge

Ferry wake

House from the ferry 2004

Ferry logo

I talked to the ferry assistant, and he said he worked a 14 hour shift. He was lying on the bench at the front of the ferry eating a candy bar in spite of the fact that there is no eating on the ferry.

Bridge from the Ferry

Ferry dropping us of in Somerset

Somerset Bridge ferry landing building

Somerset Bridge is a tiny drawbridge only 22" wide and is one of Bermuda's sights.

Bob in 2004 looking at the bridge from the bank

Crossing the Railroad walking trail on the way from the ferry landing to Somerset Bridge

Chains across the Drawbridge and Locks on the gate

Looking off the bridge toward the ferry landing

Bridge house aka Sandy's Rectoryin 2004

Next to the Somerset Bridge is Sandy's Rectory which was built about 1740 by Chief Justice John Tucker. The historical record says:
"Tradition has it that artisans were brought from England. A fanlight above the folding doors between the two parlours is said to have been copied from the embroidered design of Miss Kitty Tucker's petticoat, the daughter of Chief Justice Tucker. The house was passed down to the eldest of the six sons, Henry (als "Somerset Henry"). He married Frances, sister of St George Tucker of Williamsburg, Virginia. Henry started The Somerset Bridge Club, an intellectual society and was a member of the Assembly. He was implicated in planning the gunpowder plot, where powder was removed from the Government magazine on 14 August 1775, for use by the American revolutionaries. Henry's father-in-law was Colonel Henry Tucker." ( Bermuda Historical Quarterly Vol XXV, No 1, 1968).

From the bridge to Ely's Harbor

and then we walked up the hill to the bus stop

Somerset Bridge Post Office

and caught a bus out to King's Wharf.

North shore from the bus

The Dockyard area was originally a Royal Naval Base. One of the outstanding buildings which every cruiser who docks at Kings Wharf sees is the Clocktower which was originally The Great Eastern Storehouse. The two 100 foot tall towers make a great landmark.

Clocktower mall 2004

The Great Eastern Storehouse, with 3 foot thick walls was built in 1856. The clock on the south tower was cast in England in 1857 by John Moore and Sons. What seems to be a single hand clock on the eastern side of the north tower is a rare "tide clock." In Royal Navy days, the hand was set daily to indicate the time of high tide. The towers are still easily identified from a distance, making them an excellent reference point for mariners although they can no longer identify the state of the tide. Opened in 1990, the Clocktower Mall is one of the Bermuda’s most innovative examples of preserving a historical structure while putting it to modern use.

Resolute on the Marine Railway in the Dockyard

I have shopped at the Clocktower Mall, but I didn't go there on this trip. We stopped at the Craft Market in the old Dockyard Cooperage which is the first place I would take someone to shop in Bermuda.

Cooperage in 2004

Most of the other shopping is of UK imports - kilts from Scotland, Irish sweaters and linens, Wedgewood china, and also watches, jewelry and perfume from Europe. I like to buy things that are not only good bargains, but also actually come from the place that I am visiting. Here you can watch while wood turner gives weekly demonstrations of his art, making bowls, candlesticks and trinket boxes on his lathe. A jeweler creates elegant adornments from wire and semiprecious stones. In another corner, a doll maker deftly fashions dolls and ornaments out of banana leaves. Elsewhere, someone paints floral patterns on china or sea glass, while someone else knits wool hats and shawls. I got an iris pin and an iris cross stitch for my mom, and a hair ornament for my daughter.

Iris pin

In addition I think it is cool to be in a place where in the 19th century, skilled barrel makers in the cooperage (a cooper is a barrel maker) were amongst the busiest of workers at Royal Naval Dockyard. In those days, most perishable goods were preserved in salt and packed in wooden barrels. Liquids were kept in kegs. Thus barrels and other containers were in high demand.

During the cruise-ship season, the Craft Market offers a two-hour session of free tastings. On Monday and Thursday from April to October, Bermuda-made rum, beer and other products are served in the cooperage atrium, and during the market's winter program (November to March) visitors may participate in some of the craft activities and keep what they make.

Then we used our Heritage passes (instead of paying $10 admission or $8 for seniors), for the Maritime Museum

2004 Entrance to Maritime Museum

Bob at the entrance of the Maritime Museum

2004 - Neptune in the Maritime Museum

and we climbed the hill and toured the Commissioner's House (which was not open in 1995)

Bob through the archway

Stone building

Sheep or goats on the Maritime Museum property

Anchors at the dockyard

From Commissioner's house over top of Keep

and toured the Commissioner's House.

Cannon and flagpole in front of the Commissioner's house

From the front door of the Commissioner's House - Bermuda

2004 Looking down on the Entrance steps

Inside the Door of the Commissioner's house

Real cedar corner cupboard

Board room in the Commissioner's house with Bermuda Cedar furniture

Cutaway depiction of a cruise ship

Exhibit on the Yacht Racing

There was a wonderful doll house full of carefully crafted tiny cedar furniture.

Dollhouse with cedar furnishings

Closeup of the dollhouse library

Closeup of doll house furniture

We walked back down to the entrance. Bermuda has a REAL Water Gate The watergate is an actual gate over the water.

Watergate from inside

There is a canal or slip and the gate (above) cranks down across it. This enclosed waterway once served to transport ordnance stores from ships anchored in Grassy Bay to storage houses within the Keep, safely allowing for ship repairs or refitting in the outer Dockyard. The sea gate enabled gunpowder and shot to be lightered out to the waiting warships with minimal risk of explosion occurring.The canal goes from the watergate to the keep pond on the inside of the Naval Base. The hanging portcullis gate operated by pulleys and a winch maintained security.

The Keep Pond is now the residence of the dolphins of Dolphin Quest. (UGH). I thought what the Dolphin Quest has done to the Watergate area was horrible.

Dolphin pens

Dolphin pens

Then got the high speed catamaran ferry back to Hamilton.

Restaurant from ferry landing

Clocktowers

For dinner, we walked up to the Hog Penny and had the Upper Crust Supper ($46.00 including service charge for a 3 course dinner).

Front of menu

Drinks menu

Interior with insets - too dark for a good picture

Hogge Money explanation on the menu

and had the Upper Crust Supper ($46.00 including service charge for a 3 course dinner). I had French onion soup and Bob had salad, I had Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington

and Bob had salmon phyllo, and we both had the Granny Smith apple pie with ice cream and drank iced tea.

Granny Smith Apple Pie

Norwegian Crown in Hamilton at dusk

Hamilton store at night

Motorscooter parked at night

Mosaic in Hamilton

17 November 2004

Motorcycle parking in Hamilton

Wednesday, we started out with our own walking tour of Hamilton. I was looking for a place to eat dinner and also shopping

Port Of Call Restaurant

Flannigan's menu

Black Seal shop

Kirk's and Rock On

Women's leather handbags

Crisson with lions guarding the Rolex watches

Bob outside of Crisson's

Alley between stores from Front to Reid Street

Bermuda House Lane (one of the little lanes in Hamilton)

We walked along Front Street,

Cenotaph

and saw the Cenotaph and the Government Buildings,

Cabinet Building and Senate Chamber

Police station in Hamilton

Restaurant patron

Water Catchment in Hamilton

Chancery Lane

and then walked back to the bus station

Water fountains at the City Hall in Hamilton

Vane face on the tower

Whole City Hall

Front of City Hall from temporary bus station

and hopped a bus out to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. Actually, we hopped the bus but it let us off several blocks away - in Paget Parish because there's no outbound stop nearer to the BUEI. On the walk we went past the statue of Johnny Barnes

Johnny Barnes

who waved to passing traffic at the Foot of the Lane roundabout in Hamilton, Bermuda, from roughly 3:45 am to 10 am, every workday, rain or shine. He was known for waving and saying "I love you, God loves you," to passing commuters during the morning rush hour into Hamilton. We also passed a boatyard

Rance's Boatyard

and took a picture of a kisskidee bird.

Kisskidee

Outside of the BUEI Building

(Non-Heritage pass admission $10.50 or $8.40 for seniors). Completed at an overall cost of over $16 million, it was officially opened on July 10, 1997 by His Excellency, Thorold Masefield , Governor of Bermuda. It is Pembroke Parish on the northern side of Hamilton Harbor . According to Bermuda Online "It is a major - a "must see" - cultural, sightseeing and scientific attraction for locals and visitors.

I personally felt that it was more expensive than it was worth. There were a lot of unconnected exhibits, some of which were sponsored by commercial interests and might not be completely accurate and unbiased. The BUEI website was EXTREMELY difficult to find information from as to where it actually was and how to get there by bus.

Velocity sailboat in front of the BUEI

Outside of the museum is the ship VELOCITY that Bermuda entered in the "Around Alone" race in the 2002 – 2003 school year, 18 Bermuda schools followed Alan Paris on his historic 30,000 mile single-handed circumnavigation.

Entrance to the museum

On the porch is this exhibit of SCARAB I, a deep water diver. You enter at the first floor level - they number the floors like they do in Europe so the first floor is really the second floor. What we call the first floor is Ground Level. On the first floor is an auditorium for large presentations and the gift shop where you pay your admission

Bob waiting for me to finish playing with the exhibits

First Floor exhibits on Bathysphere

On the first floor were exhibits explaining the Sea Mount that Bermuda is on, and various kinds of diving, including SCUBA, which seemed to be sponsored by a local dive shop. The lady in the picture is watching a movie about diving bells like the one to her right.

Then we got into what was basically a tricked out elevator, and 'dove' to the depths of the ground floor

Exhibits at the BUEI in the Shipwreck area

Exhibit in the Shipwreck area

Ship diagram

There were many exhibits depicting the lives and circumstances of the old ships and the men who sailed on them.

Important Note: If you exit from the museum, like to go to the bathroom - you won't be able to get back in again. The doors are set to be one way.

Shipwreck Map of St. Georges

Shipwreck listing north of St. George

The ground floor shipwreck gallery has a lot of information about treasure hunting around shipwrecks, and it has this map which shows the locations of the shipwrecks on the reefs around Bermuda.

In addition to the information on shipwrecks and diving, there was a large collection of shells. In 1968, Jack Lightbourn and his friend Arthur Guest were inspired by the fact that they hadn't found any new species in three years to try dredging and trapping in deep water – in depths of 300’ to 400’ and in depths of 800’ to 1,500’. Their efforts were immediately successful to the extent of adding during the next 20 years, 300 new species to the Bermuda listing, 10 of which were new to science. Of these 3 are named after Jack as follows: Pterynotus lightbourni, Fusinus lightbourni and Conus lightbourni. It was during this same period that Jack started to collect foreign shells comprising of cones, cowries, murexes and many other miscellaneous species. Jack and Arthur had from the beginning decided to pool the Bermuda species, which resulted in this collection numbering some 756 species – the largest ever in Bermuda

In his will, Arthur Guest left his entire collection to Jack, who in turn presented the large Bermuda collection to the Bermuda Zoological Society as a gift from Arthur and himself. Jack also presented a quantity of his collection comprising 1,200 shells of 1,000 species to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. Of these, 110 are from Bermuda, the remainder are foreign.

Shell Collection

After we viewed the exhibits, I got a recommendation for lunch from the guy at the gift shop and we took a bus out and stopped for lunch at the North Rock. This is the only brewery on the island that serves most, if not all, of its product on the premises. The setting is a smoky, and sometimes rowdy, replica of an English pub, complete with ceiling beams and paneling which is where locals spend their time in the pub section where views of copper-sided fermentation vats are visible through plate-glass windows. That's where we had lunch - not in the dining room.

Brewery

Pub

I had the Bermuda fish chowder which I would swear had beef in it and a side salad. I later found out that Bermuda fish chowder is a dark and spicy.

Bermuda fish chowder

Bob had a beef panini sandwich. Lunch was $31.50.

Bob's Beef Panini Sandwich

We took the bus up Collector's Hill and visited Verdmont. Although the Bermuda National Trust says that Verdmont is "easily reached by the #1 bus from either Hamilton or St. George's" that's not really true. It is really very difficult to get to on the bus. You have to get off the bus and walk up the hill. The buses run every half hour.

The 1710 Georgian-style house, with its 4 huge chimneys, never had electricity or any other modern amenities installed. No plumbing or running water, no electricity, no air conditioning, no ceiling fans and no heating (other than the eight fireplaces), even though it was a private residence until 1951. It was once the home of Hon. Thomas Smith, the customs collector (which is where the name Collector's Hill comes from.) I didn't regret not taking pictures inside except for not being able to take pictures of the children's dollhouse. Each room had a list with the provenance of all the furniture and other items in the room. Outside there are also rose and flower, herb and mixed period gardens.

Verdmont front walk

Entrance walk from inside Verdmont

Old glass in Verdmont House window

Their website said: The Verdmont Museum is a treasure trove of antique cedar and mahogany furniture. There is a fine collection of English and Chinese porcelain on display, portraits of former residents and a children’s playroom complete with original furniture and toys. While there, check out what is, arguably, the finest cedar staircase in Bermuda. In 2003, Verdmont was given a major award by the American Society of Travel Writers (SATW) recognizing its restoration. It is at the top of Collector's Hill, Sayle Road junction, Smith’s Parish

Verdmont front garden from upstairs

Attic rafters in Verdmont

Then we walked back to the bus stop. Since there was no room to stand on the side of the road at the bus stop for the bus in the direction we wanted to go, we sat on a wall on the other side of the road. When the bus came, Bob sprinted across the road to the other side to give me a chance to get over there.

Shore from the bus

On the way to Grotto Bay by bus

Same as above- note car driving on left and ped Xing

From the bus looking at the front of the hotel

Sign out front

Golf course from the bus

We took the bus out through the golf course, past the caves to the Glass Blowers (opposite Grotto Bay) and discovered it (like the Perfumery) had closed. I knew that the Perfumery had closed. So we started back for Hamilton, stopping on the way (at 4 pm) at the BAMZ (Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo) which is also on the Heritage Pass. Regular admission $10 or $5 for seniors. They were feeding the turtles at the outside tanks

Green turtles being fed

Green turtle

Harbor Seal Tank

We went to the Zoo first because that closed at 4:30

Galapagos Tortises

Bird eating food of Galapagos Tortoise

Golden Lion Tamarins

Turning his back on us

Flamingos in the zoo

Scarlet Macaws in the zoo

Peacock begging

Flowers in the Zoo

Sign on Oscar's cage (Oscar is an alligator)

and then we went to the Museum

Giant Pacific Clam Shell at the entrance

Exhibit on roof making from coral rock

Display in the Museum on island living

Display in the museum on invasive species (Bad Seeds)

Display on the disease that attacked Bermuda cedar

Roadside Geology exhibit

and after that the Aquarium

Scorpion Fish

Aquarium tank with fish school

Local lobster

Aquarim FIsh - Bermuda

Octopus

Aquarium

Reef Tank in the Aquarium

When the BAMZ closed at 5,

Road outside the museum and the porch

Rainbow

we got a bus back to Hamilton

Zoo sign and road with cars driving on left

Boats

2004 from the bus stop

Map of the village from Bermudatourism.com

Current flowing under the Flatts Bridge 2004

School kids getting on the bus

Motorcycle rider in the rain at a stop light from

and finished the walking tour and also did some shopping at Trimminghams on the way back to the ship.

Since the dinner coupons for the dining out in town were supposed to be a value of $50, I thought that I should really get our money's worth out of them. There's no point paying $10 for a $50 coupon and then buying a $20 dinner with it. That's why we didn't use it at the Hog Penny. The most expensive option would have been Tom Moore's Tavern, which NCL has mistakenly located in Hamilton. It is NOT in Hamilton in Pembroke Parish. It is in Hamilton PARISH which is a different location altogether. The problem with Tom Moore's would be that we would have to get a cab as the buses stop running out there at 6, and they don't open until 6:30. So that would not be economical.

We'd stayed at the Hamilton Princess on a previous visit and I figured that would be the best use of the coupon, and I was right.

Fireplace in the Fairmont Hamilton Princess

Dimly lit dining room

Posted menu

Decorative plates at Harley's

I had a 16 oz. prime rib which was delicious (but I couldn't eat it all and I couldn't take it back to my room and keep it for lunch the next day), which was listed on the menu at $29.50.

Soup, water glass, inset of prime rib and counter

I also had a Waldorf salad which was delicious and for dessert

chocolate mousse with ice cream which listed for $8.50

Bob a shrimp pasta dish ($29.00) and fish chowder. I can't remember what he had for dessert but it would have been $8.00.

We drank tea, and everything including the tips were included.

Rosedon at night walking back from dinner

Primavera at night

The next morning the ship left and went back to St. Georges

November 18, 2004

Thursday, since the seas had calmed, the ship motored around to St. George,

CSY Pilothouse on a mooring

St George's channel

Ship entering St. George

The channel to St George's is very narrow. On a subsequent trip this ship got stuck in the inlet, thus trapping all the ships that were docked there in the harbour

Little lighthouse on a little coral island as an aid to navigation (ATON)

Rocks along the channel

Channel marker

Lagoon

Ship coming into St. George

Sailboats med-moored along the waterfront

Boats tied to the wall in St. George

Looking at St. George over the bow

Pink Bus on the bridge from NCL Crown 2004

Cruise ship dock from the NCL Crown 2004

Glass Bottomed Tour Boat

Duck by a bollard

Pilot boat

We got off and did a little shopping.

Old Armory Building, 1 Water Street

Long House

Back of Four Star Pizza

Dowling's Shell station

Sign on the building

Then we got a taxi with 6 other folks ($4 for two)

Bob waiting for the taxi with a cat

Mini bus at the bus stop

to Ft. St. Catherine (admission $5 without the Heritage Pass).

To Ft St Catherine exhibits

Flag over the fort

Side of Fort

Fort Walls outside the fort

Bob walking into Ordance area of Ft St Catherine

View of main turret

Stairs to the Fort Walls

cannon on fort wall

Looking out to sea

Passageway

Compass Rose

Gun deck of the fort

Cannon

Shell lift

Shell lift closer

The exhibits in the interior were new to us.

Ammo handler

Shell handling

Mechanism to move shells

Model of the interior

Entrance to the Cook House

Cooks

Crown Jewel Replica Exhibit

Achilles Bay beach from Ft St Catherine

When we finished climbing around on the fort, they called the mini-bus for us ($3 each)

Cat on the wall

Old Club Med building and St. George golf course

Golf course from Ft. St. Catherine

Cat crossing the road

.. and we had an interesting ride back to town which included stopping to pick someone up at the condo.

Condo units from the minibus which were built on the site of the hotel where we stayed in 1963

There's almost no place to stay in the St. Georges area except for these condos, which are rarely available for rent. If you want to go down to town, you can call a mini-van which costs about $3 per trip.

There are three outdoor pools (one heated) and three tennis courts. The private beach and beach club are a mile away. The beach club is open seasonally and offers a restaurant, beach chairs, and water-sports equipment rental. The resort also offers on-site moped rentals. Griffins is the resort's on-site restaurant and bar and there is a mandatory $50/person (over 18) charge for the restaurant when you rent these condos. This can be used as a credit toward food & beverage purchases throughout the week. Each unit is air-conditioned and has ceiling fans and cable television. 1 & 2BR units have stereo with CD player. Laundry services are available on site. There is a housekeeping charge of $9/per person twice a week.

We ate lunch at Freddie's

Menu board

(I had the souper sandwich for $9.95 (the sandwich part was egg salad),

souper sandwich for $9.95

and Bob had chicken fingers

Bob's chicken fingers

Check

-total $21.01). We took the bus back towards the BAMZ and stopped at the Railroad Museum (admission free-donation requested).

Looking out from the Railroad Trail near the RR Museum

Sign on the Railroad Trail

Sign on the Railroad Museum

Exhibits in the museum

Silver Table

Showing how close the building is to the road

Former Railroad Bridge no longer on Trail

After we got back to St. George, we looked in the newly refurbished (after Hurricane Fabian) Town Hall especially the cedar woodwork (although we didn't see the free Bermuda history show this time)

Ceiling and light on the first floor

Bob in the Town Hall

Certificate in the Town Hall

Clock above the door in the Town Hall

Door to the City Hall in 2004

Plaque on Town Hall

Horse drawn carriage in King's Square

and made it to the Bermuda National Trust Museum at the Globe Hotel (admission $3 without the Heritage Pass).

Rum Runner Museum sign

We just had time to see the video tape before they closed.

Photo taken while watching video tape

Back of bench in the room where video tape shown

November 19, 2004

Friday, we walked around St. George and looked at some more historic buildings following somewhat the Fromer's Walking Tour

King's Square

We begin the tour at King's Square AKA Market Square or King's Parade, which is the center of St. George is only 200 years old. This was formerly a marshy part of the harbor. Next to the harbor and the war monument is a branch of the Visitors Service Bureau. You can buy a bus pass or a Heritage Pass here (cash only)

St. George Visitor's Center and War Memorial

Stocks in the Town Square

Also on the square there is a replica of a pillory and stocks in front of the Bank of Butterfield. Frommer's walking tour says You could be severely punished here for such "crimes" as casting a spell over your neighbor's turkeys. From the square, head south across the small bridge to:

2. Ordnance Island, so called because the British army once stored gunpowder and cannons here.

NCL Crown from Ordnance Island

A replica of the Deliverance, the boat that carried the shipwrecked Sea Venture passengers on to Virginia is here

Sign depicting the Deliverance spaces aboard

2004 photo of the ship

along with a ducking stool, a contraption used in 17th-century witch trials and which is used in reinactments by the Town Crier today.

Ducking stool

Also there is a statue on the island to .Sir George Somers, and also the dock where you can get the High Speed ferry to Kings Wharf.
Retrace your steps across the bridge to King's Square. On the waterside stands the

3. White Horse Tavern

It was once the home of John Davenport, who came to Bermuda in 1815 to open a dry goods store. Davenport was a bit of a miser; upon his death, some £75,000 in gold and silver was discovered stashed away in his cellar. Across the square stands the:
4. Town Hall (1802) (which we visited yesterday)

Souvenir Shop next to the Town Hall in 1995 and 2004

This is the meeting place for the St. George governing corporation. It has antique cedar furnishings and a collection of photographs of previous lord mayors. It was renouvated after Hurricane Fabian and also has photographs of the damage that occurred then. One of the best budget attractions in Bermuda is Bermuda Journey, a multimedia audiovisual presentation, which is shown here several times a day. We saw this in 1995. From King's Square, head east along King Street, cutting north (left) on Bridge Street. You'll come to the:
5. Bridge House (1690s)

Closeup of sign

This building at 1 Bridge Street was formerly the home of several of Bermuda's governors. Now there is an art gallery and souvenir shop there. It is furnished with antiques. Near Bridge House are some things not included on the walking tour.

Buckingham

Buckingham has a bust of Irish poet Thomas Moore located in a triangular walled garden east of King's Square

THOMAS MOORE 1779-1852 IRISH POET AND LYRIST BYRON'S FRIEND

A 3' high life-size bronze bust of Irish poet Thomas Moore rests on a 3' high stone base. The curly haired poet is is shown from the mid-chest up. He is wearing a double breasted coat buttoned left over right, a neck scarf, and a bow tie. He is facing slightly to his left. A bronze plaque on the front of the base is inscribed:

THOMAS MOORE
1779-1852
IRISH POET AND LYRIST
BYRON'S FRIEND

THAT LITTLE BAY WHERE WINDING IN
FROM OCEAN’S RUDE AND ANGRY DIN

THE BILLOWS MISSED THE SHORE, AND THEN
FLOW CALMLY TO THE DEEP AGAIN.
Also Reeve Court is listed as a Bermuda National Trust building

Reeve Court

Return to King Street and continue east to the:
6. The 1620 Old State House

Old State House

The State House is at the top of King Street on Princess. This oldest stone building in Bermuda was originally the home of the Bermuda Parliament which first met here in 1620. Now it is the Masonic lodge. They pay the government a "rent" of one peppercorn annually for the use of the property - the payment is made at a yearly ceremony. Continue your stroll down Princess Street until you come to Duke of York Street and the entrance to:
7. Somers Garden (1920)

Somer's Garden

Monument in 2004 with inset from 1963

I've always thought the story about the heart of Sir George Somers, the admiral of the Sea Venture, being buried here was at once charming and macabre. The gardens, which were opened in 1920 by the Prince of Wales, contain palms and other tropical plants.

First and third visit to Somer's Garden 1963 and 2004

Walk through Somers Gardens and up the steps to the North Gate onto Blockade Alley. Climb the hill behind the garden to the structure known as "the folly of St. George's,". I didn't walk all the way up the hill to the unfinished cathedral, but I did get these pictures
8. Unfinished Cathedral (1874)

View from the road

Entrance pillars

This was to replace St. Peter's Church. Work began on the church in 1874, but ended because of infighting and financial difficulties.
9. St. George's Historical Society Museum

Historic Society Stairway

At Featherbed Alley and Duke of Kent Street, is the Mitchell House built c.1731 which is an example of 18th-century Bermudian architecture. It is now the St. George's Historical Society Museum. In both 1963 and 1995 we visited this museum. This is called the welcoming arms stairway. It is very photogenic, and I have pictures of it from both dates and some pictures inside of the collection of Bermudian historical artifacts and cedar furniture from the 1995 visit to the Historical Society Museum. But this time when we went it was not open.
10. Featherbed Alley Printery was also closed in 2004 because it is the same as the Historical Society Museum. We didn't see it in 1995, because it was being renouvated, and I don't think we saw it in 1963 either. If we had been able to see it would be a working replica of the type of printing press invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany in the 1450s. Go up Featherbed Alley and straight onto Church Street.
I took some photos along the way of some churches

Church

Church

And we passed Whitehall

Whitehall gate

Church steeple

At the junction with Broad Lane, look to your right to see the:
11. Old Rectory

Old Rectory c. 1699

The Old Rectory is at the top of Broad Alley, behind St. Peter's Church. It used to be that you could go inside and tour on Wednesdays from noon to 5 pm, but that was no longer possible at the time we were there because it is rented to someone. It is a National Trust property which was built c. 1705 by a reformed pirate. After seeing the Old Rectory, go through the church's back yard (where you will see the St. Peter's Church Thrift Shop sign) ,

Alley behind St Peter's (Church thrift shop)

opposite Broad Alley, to reach:
12. St. Peter's Church c 1713. You will be coming in through the graveyard.

St Peter's graveyard

In the churchyard, you'll see many headstones, some 300 years old. The assassinated governor, Sir Richard Sharples, was buried here. There is also a section for slaves

This Stone is erected in memory of THOMAS J STIRLING, Surgeon

This stone is for Thomas J. Stirling. It says:
This Stone is erected
in memory of
THOMAS J. STIRLING, Surgeon
of
Halifax Nova Scotia,
who Died on Board the
mail Boat Roseway.
off St. George's
27th February 1846.
Aged 32 Years
The main entrance is on Duke of York Street. The present church was built in 1713, with a tower added in 1814.

St. Peter's Church from Duke of York Street

Bob in St. Peter's church 2004

Organ inside the church

St. Peter's is believed to be the oldest Anglican place of worship in the Western Hemisphere. .In addition to the organ, there is an alter of Bermuda cedar and a lot of other woodwork also made of cedar in the church, including the stairway to where the slaves used to si

Chandelier in the back of the church

Balcony

Pulpit

closeup of wood

Interior walls

Looking down the stairs in 2004

Across the street is the
13. Bermuda National Trust Museum

Museum from the steps of St. Peters

When we were here in 1995, this was called the Confederate Museum.When it was the Globe Hotel, this was the headquarters of Major Norman Walker, the Confederate representative in Bermuda. Bermuda gave a lot of help to the CSA during the Civil War. Go west along Duke of York Street to

Scooter rentals near St Peters

14. Barber's Alley & Petticoat Lane--Barber's Alley honors Joseph Hayne Rainey. A former slave from South Carolina, Rainey fled to Bermuda with his French wife at the outbreak of the Civil War. He became a barber in St. George and eventually returned to South Carolina, where in 1870 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives -- the first African American to serve in Congress. Nearby is Petticoat Lane, also known as Silk Alley. I took a picture of Bob by the sign when we were here in 1963. According to legend, the name dates from the 1834 emancipation. Two slave women who were freed at this time and who had always wanted silk petticoats because of the rustling sound they made. They walked up and down this lane to show off their purchases.

Continue west until you reach:
15. Tucker House

Tucker House

I intended to go to Tucker House, but we didn't have time. It was on the walk up from the cruise ship dock. It was the family home of President Henry Tucker who was President of Bermuda c 1776. His was a prominent Bermudian family, whose members included an island governor, a treasurer of the United States, and a captain in the Confederate Navy. The building houses an excellent collection of antiques, including silver, portraits, and cedar furniture. One room is devoted to memorabilia of Joseph Hayne Rainey who was the first black member of the U.S. House of Representatives and who once rented space on this property for a barber shop. There is also a period kitchen, and an exhibit based on the archaeological excavation of the site. Open 10-4 Monday through Saturday.

Diagonally across from the Tucker House is the Carriage House, 22 Water St., Somers Wharf (tel. 441/297-1730), a former waterfront storehouse and also where the Carriage House Museum is or was that we visited in 1995..

Carriage house in 2004

The end of the tour is at 16. Somers Wharf, a multimillion-dollar waterfront restoration project.
We finished up our shopping before going back to the ship

Shop window

English Sports Shop in St. George

and then the ship left at noon.

The back of a range marker

Exit Channel

Town Cut -Gates Fort (R) and Higgs Island (L) 2004

On the way back, the sea was almost as smooth as glass and there was very little motion. One would almost not have known that we were on a ship. Bob was jealous because he says the sea is never that calm when we are out there.

After our cruise we went Migrating South by Car

Our next visit to Bermuda was in 2007