Bermuda 2023
In the Fall of 2024 Ron and
Carol finally got to go to Bermuda. They always wanted to go, but it just cost
too much until recently. They spent two days on the island.
Baltimore Museum of Industry. Before the trip Ron and Carol visited this museum. The building is the last canning building left in the harbor. It was a fun little museum since Ron had lived in Baltimore as a teenager.
Baltimore Museum of Industry. The coal fire engine for the city tug "Baltimore." The tug is located in the water outside. The ship, built in 1906, is one of last remaining coal fire steam tugs.
On the Atlantic. Eye candy for the formal dinner.
Royal Naval Dockyard. It was the principal base of the Royal Navy in the Western Atlantic between American independence and the Cold War. Now houses the National Museum, shops, food and the cruise terminal.
Island tour: Most notable on the tour were the roofs of the houses. They are made of blocks of concrete (traditionally limestone slabs), and the plastered over and painted white. This is really solid roof, excellent for hurricanes.
The roofs have built-in drains for rainwater. Since Bermuda has no lakes or rivers, rainwater is the primary source for freshwater.
Somerset ‘Draw’ Bridge. It was hard to get a picture of the small part of the bridge with actually opens, so Ron bought this postcard. The bridge is opened by hand, creating a 32-inch gap that allows the passage of a sailboat's mast.
Gibb's Hill Lighthouse. Built in 1844, it is one of the few lighthouses made of cast iron.
City of Hamilton (harbor). Carol standing at the apex of the Bermuda Triangle. Well, some sort of triangle. Actually, the north apex of the actual Bermuda Triangle is behind her in the harbor.
St. Peter’s Church. It is also reportedly the oldest continuously used Protestant church in the New World. The oldest parts of the current structure date to 1620.
St. George’s Towne Hall. Settled in 1612, St. George it is nearly as old as Jamestown, and is the first settlement in Bermuda.
St. George’s – A ducking chair (stool). Carol struck down with fear, since the chair was used for punishment of disorderly women.
Typical upscale cemetery. Our tour guide told us due to the lack of land that many members of the family may be stacked in the same tomb.
RCI "Vision of the Seas." Nice ship and great staff, but being RCI’s smallest ship, it made for a bumpy ride.
The next day Ron and Carol went snorkeling about 5 miles NW of the Navel Yard at two shipwrecks. Note Bermuda is closer to Canada than the Caribbean and considered subtropical. So, the coral is not as colorful.
One of the paddle wheels for the steamer "Montana." She plowed right into a reef while trying to outrun bad weather in 1863.
Cement bags, now hardened, from the "Constellation", a schooner built in 1918. It ran into the reef in 1943. The Constellation was the inspiration for Peter Benchley’s book/movie The Deep.
The adults-only Solarium on the ship. Carol liked to sit at a table journaling and Ron preferred lounging, so here’s how they stayed together. Also in the Solarium was a small café, and a small bar handy for frequent refills of soft drinks.