Bermuda

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Day 14 - Wednesday, May 18, 2016 - Hamilton, Bermuda - Weather forecast: overcast in the morning with a chance of rain - actual: it did sprinkle in the morning then the sun came out in its glory - temperature: 25°C/77°F - winds 13 knots, 4 Beaufort



The humidity was very noticeable when I got up early this morning and set off in search of a Wi-Fi hotspot. Brad had found that even outside of the Library the connection was stable so I headed there. I actually walked past the building not realizing that it was the Bermuda National Library, it was such a non-descript structure, but it was adjoined by some very peaceful public gardens. Even at 7:00 am there were several crew members using the area to make cell phone and computer connections with home.



At first I could not make a connection but after adjusting my location nearer the main entrance my laptop, after I agreed to the BNL terms of usage, successfully connected and I finally got 7 blogs with their pictures sent off. Surprising how a solid connection to the Internet speeds things along unlike the shipboard Internet connection. Now I have only yesterday and today to worry about.



Today we thought we would take the water taxi from Hamilton out to The Royal Naval Dockyard and visit the National Museum of Bermuda & Commissioner’s House. The bus passes that we purchased were also good for the water taxis and since the ferry dock was only 300 meters forward of our ship it was an easy walk to get there. The ride across the harbour was smooth and took only 20 minutes instead of the approximate hour that the land transport would have taken. As we approached that end of the island we could see that they were already under a surge of passengers as a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and a Celebrity ship were docked out there. Fortunately for us most of those passengers seemed to be heading off to Hamilton or St. George so after they left things were a bit quieter.



The Museum has essentially taken over one end of the fortification known as the Keep. Surrounded by high walls there are a number of buildings contained within which have been repurposed into galleries to give a visual history of the island. Sitting high atop a natural hill overlooking the complex and the sea is the Commissioner’s House, an imposing two-story structure that certainly had a commanding presence.



One of the features of the original complex, the Keep Pond, which had been used to transport ordnance supplies into the fortress, has been reconfigured to serve as a training station for Dolphin Quest Bermuda. 10 dolphins, nine of whom were born in captivity and one retired from the military, call the fortress home. They and their trainers work in an enclosed area that has a channel out into the sea and the dolphins can freely travel out there if they wish. At present only two have taken up the option as the majority seem to be a bit skittish of new surroundings. The oldest dolphin there is 42.



The ramparts surrounding the fortress contain seven irregular bastions, which were equipped with heavy guns, including, over the years, 24-pounders, 32-pounders, carronades, 8-inch shell guns and 6-inch breech loading guns. A number of examples of these weapons are still on their mounts though a majority of them really need a heavy dose of restoration to make them presentable.






This evening we went to the late performance put on by a Canadian comedian/juggler. He told us that he had been performing for 22 years in Canada and asked if anyone in the audience knew him. When he did not get any positive responses he stated "The it was better than the witness protection plan". At any rate he was amusing.




This will be the last blog until we get back to the mainland since the shipboard Internet is still extremely slow and these blogs with photos take too long to load. Talk at you in two days!

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Comments

[Gillian Wade]

With You Every Inch Of The Way
Great Blogs as always. Glad you're in warmer weather and hope those colds have cleared up. Enjoy!