Bermudaful Day
A couple of weeks back I had my sons and their partners visiting from Canada. They were having difficulty understanding why I am thinking it was so cold here.
I've lived in many places, but including hard Ottawa winters, but never felt as cold as Bermuda the last few weeks. It is all perspective.
We had good times while they were here, below is just one of those days.
Pink and blue limo
We'd decided to go to Spittal Pond. As we are down the west end of the island, that means 2 buses, or the pink and blue limo.
We were in luck, the number 7 bus pulled up just as we reached the stop. A sunny day, so the views along South Shore were spectacular.
We were soon in town and just had a bit of time between buses to look at Victoria Park and the web of ropes holding up trees that have been lifted back up since the hurricanes knocked them over.
Onto the number 1 bus and another beautiful journey. You are higher up on the bus, and see so a lot more. Plus it stops every now and again.
Spittal Pond
I have liked Spittal Pond for a lot of years. It is a place in Bermuda where you can really feel in a natural environment. Spectactular views and lots to explore.
It is also a place that changes through the seasons, so there is always something new to see.
This was the first time I had been since the hurricanes. There wasn't much sign of them on this walk. Just a fiew views that didn't used to exist.
But we were treated to a sunny day without much wind. The ocean always looks better in the sun. It lights up the clarity of the water and the pink sand beneath.
The path leads down to some rocks where in a few places there are actually steps cut out to make it a little easier to clamber over.
At the waters edge there were a couple of large parrot fish, bobbing around as the waves were breaking against the rocks.
Portuguese Rock
We took the little detour up to a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. Here there is a brass plate that is a cast of an inscription that was found on the rock here. It has the date 1543 and some other marks that have been interpretted as "R. P." standing for Rex Portugaline.
1543 is nearly 70 years before the island was settled, indicating that there is more to the early history of this island than we are every likely to discover.
The farm on McGalls Hill
Once back at the road we decided to walk over the hill, past St Mark's church and down McGall's Hill to the Northrock.
Part way down the hill we stopped to look at a small banana plantation. The farmer, Henry, and his wife, Theresa, were there looking after the land and invited us down.
Henry delighted in telling us just what is invoved in growing bananas. He also showed us onions, giant cloves of garlic and new potatoes.
They had such patience in showing how all the different plants thrived. Henry also told us about the fruit salad tree.
Citrus fruit used to be a big thing in Bermuda. If you visit the island ask an older Bermudian about the citrus and they will tell you Bermuda used to have some of the best citrus fruit you can find.
Henry explained that you can even grow fruit salad trees here: a single tree that grows lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit, all as a result of grafting buts from different fruits onto a wild lemon base.
All in all, it was a great day.