Reflecting on Bermuda

It has been 3 months since we updated you and I’m going to blame our increasingly social lifestyle.  It all started last November when we met up with a bunch of Salty Dawgs in Virginia and joined the Ocean Cruising Club.  Ever since then we come across boats we know in every harbor we visit.  

Our friend's ancestral home on Trunk Island

It was no different when we got to Bermuda.  We arrived with several other boats and met lots of new friends in the 6 weeks we were there.  We thought St. George might be packed due to the America’s Cup, and there were a few more boats than usual, but not overly crowded.  There were lots of extra events going on throughout the island though, and we were thrilled to see Bermuda experiencing a surge in tourism.  Oh, and our picture from 10 years ago is still in the Visitors brochure, so we are still famous in the information office.  

New Zealand Team Emirates, the 35th America's Cup winner

Oracle Team USA, the defender

Once we arrived, we figured out we could get an America’s Cup spectator flag for $35, which allowed us to view any of the races from our own boat!  We took Rockhopper and friends to the races several times,  squeezed in amongst the other boats at the edge of the course, and had a blast.  It was also fun to watch with the enthusiastic groups in the restaurants and bars, which we did often, but the ludicrous speed of the boats was so much more remarkable in person. 

The elegant J boats.  Boats like these competed in year's past.

   
We had a lot of time to hike the scenic trails and caves, we experienced Bermuda’s unique glow worm mating ritual, we revisited the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, and we met some local sailors and spent some time on their private island!  As usual we never tired of Bermuda and we look forward to spending a couple of months there next year.  We left Bermuda at the end of June and those beautiful turquoise waters are still clear in our minds.  We’ve been in Canada ever since and we’ll update you on our Canadian experiences soon (really).  

Mindy at a picnic spot on the south side of the island

Reinhart in a park on the north side of island

The Tall Ship regatta was in Bermuda as well