Bermuda Bae

Bermuda is my happy place. I visited for the first time in 1989 when I stayed at The Coral Beach & Tennis Club. The club names their rooms and cottages, and mine was named “Midnight Mushroom” because it was the least expensive room, somewhat dark, with mismatched left-over furniture, and located directly above the scooter rental shop. Since that time, I have returned on several occasions and tried some of the other rooms. This year, I was lucky enough to stay in “Noontide Sun” which is bright and sunny, with a private porch and an ocean view. I call it Heaven.

One of the most spectacular things about Bermuda is the pink sand, made from the coral reefs which surround the island. It never gets hot on your feet. Coral Beach Club offers food and beverage service all day on the beach, so you need only make your way down the cliff stairs and you are set for the day.

Bermudian nights are balmy and mosquito-free, as they eradicated them from the island through laws and inspection. One of our favorite dinner locations is at the Longtail Terrace at the Coral Beach Club, on the cliff, overlooking the surf below. Each Thursday night is the mixed seafood feast. Many evenings they have live music.

Dinner on the Longtail Terrace over the years

Because Bermuda is a British Colony, tea is served in the afternoon. Being a tea aficionado, I love this concept. The tea is served in the lobby along with scones, clotted cream, and finger sandwiches. The rocking chairs on the porch are available to rock the afternoon away while enjoying your tea and treats.

Sometimes in the afternoon, a storm rolls in for a few minutes of rain. Since the air is humid and warm, it’s often a welcome respite from the sun.

Breakfast room service is divine when you have your own balcony.

Our Room: Noontide Sun at Coral Beach & Tennis Resort

Bermudian attire is unique to the country, after all, it’s where “Bermuda Shorts” were invented. The formal attire for men consists of a short-sleeve button-down shirt, a blazer, Bermuda shorts, knee socks, and dress shoes. Men wear this to work during the day, and to dinner in the evenings. So, of course, Scott went with the program. The most popular colors of Bermuda shorts for men are pink, yellow, and coral (in that order.)

One year we attended the Bermuda Fall Fashion Show while we were in town. The local stores put on an event to showcase fashions for kids, men, women, and plus size. The sold-out event included celebrity guests, goodie bags, and a VIP reception. Since we decided to leave at intermission (which was at about 10 pm) I noticed some folks just arriving. I planned to give them my VIP tickets if needed. When I asked them if they had tickets they laughed at me and said, “We don’t need tickets!” Apparently, they were the celebrity guests. Oops.

One of Bermuda’s most famous exports is their Goslings Bermudian Rum, also used in Scott’s favorite alcoholic beverage, the Dark & Stormy. He happened to pick up a bottle of their special aged variety in the Duty-Free Shop.

The Bermudian roof has evolved over the last 4 centuries and is made of lime stone slabs that are hurricane resistant and funnel all rain water into a cistern buried under the house. There is no water source other than what your roof collects.

Bermuda is a fabulous country to do business. It is the world’s leading offshore captive insurance domicile and this provides many jobs as well as deposits for the country. If you are thinking about moving there, non-residents pay an 8% license fee on home real estate purchases. This didn’t stop Michael Bloomberg, Ross Perot, or Michael Douglas from buying homes on the island.

If you can pull yourself away from the beach, there are other options and exciting venues to explore on the island. The Bermuda Perfumery serves afternoon tea as well as island-made perfumes and lotions. There is an Aquarium, Botanical Garden, and Natural History Museum, Crystal underground caves made of limestone stalagmite formations, the replica slave ship “Deliverance” from 1609, and many gorgeous cedar plank churches such as Devonshire Church on Middle road which was built in 1716. Over the years we have explored these all, and found many hidden gems along the way. We have purchased art, antiquities, crafts, and souvenirs. This year we brought home a beautiful cedar tray made by artisan, Ian Birch, at Somers Wharf.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Bermuda handled it with efficiency and grace. The country took care of those who were sick, created mandatory mask requirements, testing, and closed their borders. When they opened back up to tourism, they required a test prior to granting a Visa, a test upon arrival at the airport, 24 hour quarantine until the airport test results were completed, and then subsequent tests on days 2, 4, 8, and 14 of your residency in Bermuda, along with twice daily self-temperature checks. This made me feel very confident and relaxed to visit, knowing that the rate of Covid was quite low, and the people around me were thorough. We stayed for 3 weeks!