Sea day and BERMUDA

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 – Formal day at sea
Rocky seas, meeting with friends, games for dollars, took a nap!, walked two miles.
Another nice pillow gift from Holland America – a beautiful china collector’s plate of the Grand Voyage with the itinerary on a world map.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 – Hamilton, Bermuda!
We had a beautiful ½ hour tender ride in to Hamilton through the clear blue waters, passing the colorful homes and small islands. I had forgotten how beautiful the approach to the island can be.

We will be returning in September for a week’s cruise from NY on the Holland America VEENDAM ship – Sept 19-26. Consider joining us! And also for the special event: Joyce (owner of Preferred Travel) and Jeff will be married on September 23! We did some research for the big day, enjoyed a walking tour of Hamilton to the Sessions House with a private tour, watched the Supreme Court in session, visited the Department of Tourism, Heritage Museum, toured the Cathedral, found the library for free internet!, Perot post office, City Hall and various shops along Front Street. The town is pretty easy for walking, if you don’t mind a few hills. We saw the VEENDAM parked right in downtown Hamilton and thought ahead to our September trip!

Hamilton is the capitol of Bermuda. It is located on the north side of Hamilton Harbor, and is Bermuda's main port. Although there is a parish of the same name, the city of Hamilton is in the parish of Pembroke. The City is named after Sir Henry Hamilton, governor from 1778 to 1794. In spite of being the administrative capital of Bermuda, Hamilton only has a permanent population of approximately 1,800.

As the offshore domicile of many foreign companies, Bermuda has a highly developed international business economy. It is a financial exporter of financial services, primarily insurance, reinsurance, investment funds and special purpose vehicles (SPV). Finance and international business now constitute the largest sector of Bermuda's economy. The city is 185 acres in size, substantially more than when first established but still one of the smallest cities in the world. As a self-governing British colony, Bermuda is comprised of 181 small islands and islets connected by bridges and causeways that resemble a fishhook from the air. 
Bermuda is divided into nine parishes. Each parish is unique. St. George's captures the island's past with structures dating back to the 17th century. The pastel-colored buildings make up the government and shopping Mecca in Hamilton in Pembroke Parish.

Prior to July 31, 1972 Bermuda's currency was tied to the British Pound. Legal tender is now the Bermuda Dollar which is pegged to the US dollar on an equal (1 to 1) basis. This means that US currency is accepted at shops, restaurants and hotels at equal (face) value.

We toured the Anglican Cathedral of The Most Holy Trinity is on Church Street, between Cedar Avenue and Parliament Street. It is considered the most imposing edifice in Bermuda. Built on the site of Trinity Church, destroyed by an arsonist in the 1880s, it is Gothic in style. It was designed by Scottish architect William Hay of Edinburgh and built (work began in 1886) from a mix of Bermuda stone, Caen stone from France, Nova Scotia freestone and Scottish granite.

The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute is the world's first scientific institute to focus entirely on deep-water exploration and research. The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute is a pioneer in focusing on everything from marine biology to the technology of underwater exploration and deep-ocean ecology. The 3,000-plus shell collection is the world’s best. You will see the shrunken human heads showing gruesome effects of deep-water pressure. You can also hop aboard the world's first simulated deepwater submersible going down to the 12,500-foot base of the Bermuda Sea Mount. This will be our Ensemble Experience shore excursion for the group in September.

Sessions House is the Georgian-style building on Church Street. Built in 1817 when the City of Hamilton became the Capital of Bermuda, Sessions House is located on Parliament Hill. The Clock Tower was added in 1887 to commemorate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign. It serves as Bermuda's House of Assembly and Supreme Court, where they still wear the wigs in the courtroom!

Phoenix Clock is a famous city landmark on Reid Street. A Howard Post Clock, it was first imported from Boston, Massachusetts, in 1893 by merchant Duncan Doe, a watchmaker and jeweler. He advertised his craft via the ornate timepiece. It has been owned by the local Phoenix group of pharmacies for decades. For years, it was located on Queen Street before it was relocated to Reid Street. It runs via a pendulum and after not working for sometime, it was repaired in May 2009 by a craftsman from Massachusetts.

Horse drawn carriages are available for hire by visitors. Hamilton Trolley Train is a one hour tour of the City of Hamilton. It will drive past the famous Birdcage, Albouys Point, City Hall, the Bermuda National Gallery, the Anglican Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, and Fort Hamilton. The drive continues to the Botanical Gardens and Camden House, the official residence of the Premier of Bermuda.

Bermuda has more cars and motor vehicles per square mile than anywhere else in the world and too many people drive too fast and dangerously. Each family is allowed one car.

Very nice sailaway with commentary from Bermuda through the various straits.