Monday, January 19, 2009

All About Bermuda!


Okay, since a few of you thought my platform should be Bermuda, here goes. On Mondays I will share a little of my island home with you. Feel free to ask questions or suggest topics.

Where are we located?

This is a common question and I never cease to be amazed by the answers to it. So, I'm not going to tell you. Take this handy dandy little quiz and give me your answer and I'll tell you next week.
NO research on the internet allowed!

a). Off Papua New Guinea
b). Somewhere in Florida
c). Near Jamaica
d). England. by Belfast.
e). Off the coast of North Carolina

Okay, good luck with that.
So, first things first, if you're going to come to Bermuda, here's what NOT to expect:

Starbucks. Yep, there are none. Sorry, Rachelle. I can make you a mean cappucino though.
A Mall. Again, no such thing. Well, we have a pseudo mall, a little shopping arcade called The Washington Mall. I have no idea why it's called that. We do have some nice shops, so all is not entirely lost, but if you're coming expecting to find J.Crew, Ann Taylor, The Gap...you're out of luck.
And I stay here. Bermudians do leave the island to shop on a regular basis. You can get to JFK by nine am and be home again by seven pm. If you have the bucks to drop on the airfare of course.

You will also not find many franchises as they are no longer allowed. We do have a KFC though only God knows why. No McDonald's or any of the other fast food places. Thus Bermudians live ten times longer than the rest of the world. (I made that up btw).
No AMC. If you want to go to the movies, you will have to put up with midget sized screens and seats, and projectors that break down on a regular basis.
Not much night life. Most of you are probably asking what that is anyway so no matter. If you're really bored you can listen to the tree frogs.

Okay, so why come to Bermuda at all?
How about this?

Or this?


Bermuda is Beautiful! Plain and simple. Tranquility at it's best. We have worked hard to maintain our classic island charm steeped in British tradition. We are not a ritzy, commercialized vacation destination with skyscrapers on the beach and street vendors on every corner. Times have changed some since I was a kid, and a bit of that charm has been lost in my opinion, but I still believe in Bermuda and her ability to offer a vacation paradise. If you want to kick back, relax on the beach and swim in the ocean, then this is the place for you.
We're a small island, 24 square miles long and about four wide, so it won't take you too long to explore. Just don't rent a moped. That's another post, but really, if you value your life, take a cab or bus. Water sports abound, tennis and golf readily available. You can even go horseback riding on the beach at sunrise! Not that I ever have.
We also have wonderful restaurants! I should know.
A disclaimer: If you're looking for a cheap holiday, you won't find it here. But if you want to splurge and spoil yourself, this is definitely the place for you! Of course some of you will be able to stay in a lovely little guest cottage at Chez West. I hear it's not that expensive.

Well, I hope I've wet your appetite just a little. I will be back next week with more information and hopefully you'll have some questions for me.

6 comments:

Katy McKenna said...

Cath---Thank you!! I really have wanted to learn more about your country, especially since I am a British citizen always exploring where I might want to spend retirement. Not that we can afford to retire, maybe ever! But that's a subject for another day......

Can you speak at all to the state of the economy there? Is your country be hit along with the rest? Or is your economy somehow insulated from what's happening in the world?

Enquiring minds, and all that.....

Catherine West said...

Katy, thanks for your questions but you must participate in the quizz in order for me to answer them!! LOL!

Nat said...

Well, I already know where Bermuda is so can't take part in the quiz but quite honestly your description sounds like my idea of heaven!! I hate shopping!! lol

Are most Bermudians native? I mean born and bred there? Or are they mostly US/British ex-pats?

I have friends living on Gibraltar, a tiny British enclave off the Spanish south coast, and I just love it there...it's like stepping out of 'the real world' for a time.

jenness said...

Oh, pick me, pick me. I get to stay in the cottage, right? Did you get my choices of paint colors yet? lol.

Valerie Comer said...

How cool. Your island is about the same size as my valley in the mountains.

You'll have to tell us about Bermuda shorts!!

Deborah Vogts said...

Fun post, Cathy. I'm looking forward to learning more about your homeland. ;) I want to know about the Bermuda Triangle. Scary.