Here we are in New York City, where the sun is shining and the humidity is relatively low.  We had an exciting Sunday, seeing Carousel on Broadway, and having dinner with family and friends.  But before describing the joys of NYC, I will return to early last week to remind ourselves of . . .

9-11 July 2018

. . . sailing at sea for three days as we head toward our final port in Bermuda.  The sea has been a little rough due to the remnants of Beryl as she batters the East Coast,  but the ship sails on without making us feel uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, Oceania has provided very little in the way of shipboard activities to fill in for the days we were supposed to be in port.   In fact, while we have been enjoying ourselves and have met some very nice people, this has been the least interesting of all the cruises I have been on.  The "enrichment" speaker has not provided much commentary of interest, and so we are left with the usual bingo, spa, and food events.

In addition, although the Insignia is an identical sister ship to the Nautica, on which I sailed for 18 days from Hong Kong to Mumbai in 2016, it is clear that the Nautica had been significantly updated before my sailing.  In comparison, the Insignia seems a little dowdy.  The guest rooms and bathrooms are especially in need of some TLC.  We have been told that she is going in for a lengthy refit in November.

12-13 July 2018:
St George, Bermuda

We arrive early morning in the small, sheltered harbor of St George, Bermuda.  Because the "Cut," the only navigable entrance to the harbor is very narrow, large ships cannot dock here (pictures of the "Cut" in the next blog); those ships must dock at the western end of Bermuda.  While Bermuda looks like one long island on the map, it is actually comprised of about 100 islands, some very large, some so small you can't blink or you will miss them.  The series of islands rests atop an isolated rocky outcrop of a now dormant volcano.  Although the waters are shallow, lovely and serene (in a gorgeous shade of green) on the north side of the islands, the south side is much rougher and deeper and at a short distance off the coast, falls off into a deep ocean gorge.

St George is a lovely, small village at the eastern end of the islands, built up on a small hill, with many colorful residences and historic buildings. When I visited Bermuda in 2016-- as I sailed transatlantic from Miami to Barcelona on Oceania's ms Riviera (a larger ship than the Insignia)--we docked at the eastern end of the country, at what had been the British Docklands settlement of the 18th and 19th centuries.  (Readers can view the pictures from that trip by linking to the dates below.)

Today we have a morning excursion in an 8-seater taxi that takes us around all of St George's Parish, well beyond the walking limits of the village itself.  Our tour begins with a drive eastward from the village to visit the St David Lighthouse, no longer in use.

Our Touring Taxi

St David's Lighthouse

From here we are given multiple drive-by views of the old and new airports (scheduled for completion in 2020), and then have a brief stop at Clearwater Beach, one of the most popular on this side of Bermuda.  

Before returning to the village, we visit St Catherine's Fort, part of a series of fortifications designed by the British to protect the islands from pirates and, especially, the invading Spanish.  Although the Spanish had visited Bermuda before the British, they decided the land was not worth keeping since there was no gold to be found.  Much of the fort is open to visitors for exploration above and below ground; there is also a fine small museum that traces its historical development.

We return to the village to visit St Peter's Church, one of the oldest in the western hemisphere.  The inside of the church is a small forest of beautiful woodwork and stained glass windows.  Surrounding the church is an ancient cemetery shared by white governors and black slaves.

St Peter's Church

The Black Cemetery:

Above and Below:  Church Interior

The final stop of the tour, before returning to the ship, is at the King's Square, the waterfront center of life in old Bermuda.  We watch a recreation of a ceremonial "dunking" of a "wicked" woman, before deciding we had seen enough.  Rather than going back to the ship with the tour group we decide to stay in town for lunch and window shopping.

The King's Square

We are lucky enough to get a waterside table for two at the "Wahoo" restaurant, recommended by our tour guide.  The food is very good, but the prices are very high.  But we thoroughly enjoy our one off-the-ship meal of the cruise.  We have another day in Bermuda tomorrow (until our 3 o'clock sailing), so we head back to the  Insignia for some rest and relaxation.

 A Short Walk Through St George Village: