Bermuda

October 2016

Bermuda is an archipelago situated in the Atlantic Ocean around 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina. The main island which resembles a fishhook consists of several islands that are connected by bridges and a causeway for a total of 21 miles from end to end.

The subtropical island which is bathed by the Gulf Stream is renowned for its beautiful pink sand beaches, turquoise waters, hibiscus blooms and pastel coloured buildings with white roofs.

I visited the island in October which is a great time of the year as the tourist season is winding down. The weather is good, the beaches are relatively deserted and the ocean is still quite warm for swimming.  

I spent my days exploring caves, shopping, relaxing on the beach, sampling the cuisine of the island, visiting museums, small towns and old heritage sites.

Crystal Caves, Bermuda

Crystal Caves was discovered in the 1900s by two boys looking for a lost cricket ball which fell down a hole. A series of steps lead down into a sapphire-bottomed lagoon surrounded by big stalactites and stalagmites. A floating pontoon bridge allows visitors to explore the cave even further.

Bermuda’s top views and beaches are located on the spectacular south shore of the island. Not surprisingly, this is where you will find the very best and most expensive resorts.  There are more than a dozen beaches, coves and bays which provide for great swimming and snorkeling.

A beautiful half mile beach trail starts at Horseshoe Bay and ends at Warwick Long Bay Beach. (Jobson’s Cove,  Stonehole, Chaplin Bay). Horseshoe Bay is Bermuda’s number one attraction so it can get really crowded. When I visited in October there were only a few people. Climb the rocks to get a nice bird’s eye view of the bay.

Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda

Warwick Long Bay Beach, Bermuda

Another favourite among locals is Church Bay. Church Bay offers excellent snorkeling just a short distance off the beach.

Church Bay, Bermuda

A great place to visit on a rainy day is the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute which is located in Hamilton. I spent roughly 2 hours wandering through my favourite sections, the Jack Lightbourn Shell Collection and the treasure room. The institute has a nice collection of many artifacts retrieved from shipwrecks around Bermuda. The Shell Collection has over 1200 shells collected from around the world.

Gibbs Lighthouse is an historic landmark in Southamptom Parish on the South Shore. It was built as a navigational marker to prevent shipwrecks because of the island’s dangerous reefs. Beautiful views from atop the lighthouse over the Great Sound. 185 stairs to the top. High railed balcony provides 360 views of Royal Naval Dockyard, Great Sound and Hamilton.

View from Gibb's Lighthouse, Bermuda

Bermuda is dotted with nice little towns. St George’s is Bermuda’s oldest town. It was founded in 1612 and was once the capital of Bermuda. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Top attractions are King’s Square, Town Hall, Unfinished Church and St.Peter’s Church.

King’s Square and Town Hall, St.George's, Bermuda

Unfinished Church, St.George's, Bermuda

St Peter's Church is the oldest Anglican Church outside of the British Isles built in 1612.

Getting around Bermuda is quite easy. I used a combination of bus and ferry. I purchased a 7day pass which allowed me access to all the ferry and bus routes. A bus ride from Hamilton to Horseshoe Bay is 40 minutes while a ride from Hamilton to St Georges is roughly 1 hour.

View of Hamilton from the ferry heading to Nelson's Dockyard

Nelson's Dockyard has a wide variety of shops and restaurants

Baily Bay is a nice section of the Railway Trail as it has a bridge that spans the bay.

Bermuda was a source of inspiration for many famous people including Mark Twain, John Lennon, Georgia O’Keefe and Winslow Homer. In fact Mark Twain once said this of Bermuda, “You go to heaven if you want to- I’d rather stay in Bermuda.”

30,000 Islands Day Cruise on the Island Queen,Georgian Bay National Park, Ontario

July 12, 2014

Hole in the Wall

There is nothing more spectacular than Georgian Bay on a beautiful summer day and the perfect way to spend it is by cruising the World Biosphere Reserve of the 30,000 Islands. The boat tour I chose was the 3 hour afternoon cruise aboard the Island Queen, a 132 foot expedition cruise ship out of Parry Sound, Ontario. The ship navigates past granite shoals into narrow channels and provides an up-close look of the pristine beauty of Georgian Bay’s remote island wilderness.

As the ship leaves Parry Sound it makes its way into the Big Sound, a body of water reaching depths of 350 feet. Around 20 minutes into the cruise the ship passes the first point of interest, The Hole in the Wall. Hole in the Wall is a narrow channel which is just wide enough for the Island Queen to pass through with 80 foot granite cliffs on either side. As we passed through we were entertained by locals jumping from the cliffs into the clear blue waters. 

The next real point of interest is Killbear Provincial Park which is a very popular summer park that features beautiful sandy beaches and granite cliffs. The ship then enters the Waubuno Channel and continues pass the Outer Islands, Bears Head and makes a tight angle turn at Devil’s Elbow before entering the Seven-Mile Narrows. Seven Mile Narrows is a narrow channel that was blasted out years ago and is dotted with cedars, white pines, moss and other forms of vegetation.

The ship then passes Five Mile Narrows and provides an opportunity to spot osprey in their nest. Before returning to Parry Sound the ship finally passes through the Rose Point Swing Bridge. Upon approach the ship gives 3 horn blows to signal to the attendant that the Island Queen is approaching and needs to be let through.

I plan on returning but this time in the fall to view the magnificent changing of leaves.

Killbear Provincial Park

Killbear Provincial Park

Approaching Five Mile Narrow

Rose Point Swing Bridge

Cuba Tour: Havana, Topes de Collantes, Trinidad, Playa Ancon

March 28-April 4th 2014

In March 2014, I went on a 1 week walking holiday of Cuba with a group of friends. We explored the stunning architecture of Havana, touched on the revolution at Santa Clara led by Che Guevera, visited the UNESCO world heritage site of Trinidad, hiked in the protected national park of Topes de Collantes, spent some time by serene Lake Hanabanilla, and of course had some lazy moments at the most beautiful beaches. We traversed pictured hills, valleys and villages and along the way met the most wonderful people of the land. Everywhere we went we experienced great Cuban music, ate at the most quaint restaurants, sipped on some Mojitos and even smoked some Cuban cigars...when in Rome!

Here are some pictures from this fabulous holiday.



San Francisco de la Habana Basilica, Old Havana



Plaza Vieja, Old Havana

 

Pedestrian street in Old Havana

 

Havana

 

Santa Clara

Santa Clara

 

View of Lake Hanabanilla from my hotel room at sunrise

View of Lake Hanabanilla, Paisaje Natural Protegeo Hanabanilla

 

Star fruit and rum drink....tasty and refreshing

 

 

Hiking on the Sendero Caburni trail to waterfall and swimming hole in Topes de Collantes.

Topes de Collante is a nature reserve located in the Escambray Mountains around 3 hours south of Havana. It features caves, rivers, waterfalls, canyons and swimming holes. Another hike we did was Centinelas del Rio Melodioso.

 

We stopped here at a beautiful swimming hole for a refreshing swim

The following are pictures from Trinidad.

Trinidad is a well preserved city of Spanish colonial architecture and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos with it's distinctive bell tower.

Cathedral Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima



While a lot of the buildings in Trinidad have been restored, many are on the verge of decay.



Street musicians in Trinidad

Azores Island Hopping, Portugal

June 2013

In June 2013 I took a 2 week trip to the Azores. It was a walking tour through Explore Worldwide that visited 5 of the 9 volcanic islands that make up the Azores. The Azores belong to Portugal and are situated in the North Atlantic around 1360 kms of its coast. On this trip I visited the islands of Sao Miguel, Terceira, Sao Jorge, Pico and Faial. I spent my days discovering crater lakes, thermal springs, deep gorges, craggy coastlines, small fishing villages, caves, UNESCO heritage sites, incredible Azorean cuisine and spotting whales. 

Day 1- 4 Landed in Ponta Delgado on the island of Sao Miguel after a 5.5 hour flight from Toronto

Ponta Delgado is the largest city in the Azores situated on the largest island, Sao Miguel. It’s a charming city with narrow cobbled street and interesting buildings. Ponta Delgado was our base for 3 days as we visited the islands dramatic landscapes and main attractions. One of the highlights was a crater hike around Sete Citades.  Sete Citades is the name of a village as well as a crater. The walls of the crater rise around 400 metres and is composed of two lakes (one is blue and the other is green) which are separated by a bridge. The rim of the crater is dotted with hydrangeas which bloom in June/July. Some of the best views on the island can be seen from a popular lookout point at Vista do Rei.

Ponta Delgado, Sao Miguel

Sete Citades, Sao Miguel

Another spectacular view point is Lagoa de Fogo(the islands highest crater lake). It is easily reached by car.

Lagoa de Fogo

Among other spots that we visited was the Furnas Valley. The Furnas Valley is a highly volcanic area where volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools. Here we took a short walk along the shores of the Lagoa das Furnas  to the natural ovens where a traditional Cozido(blend of vegetables and meats) is cooked in the volcanic fumeroles. We later got to sample the Cozido for our lunch. In Furnas, there are some beautiful Botanical Gardens which feature a thermal hot pool where you can bathe. This is a must do, just be sure to bring an old bathing suit as the water has a high concentration of sulphur and might stain it..

We also toured a tea plantation where they produce the some incredible organic teas and a pineapple farm to taste the sweet variety that the island is known for.

 

Cozido lunch at Furnas

Thermal hot pool at botanical gardens in Furnas

Day 5-6- Flight to Terceira

We said our goodbyes to Sao Miguel and took a short inter- island flight to Terceira. Our base for 2 days was the small harbour settlement of Praia da Victoria. Here we explored the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angra do Heroismo. The town is made up of distinctive architecture, cathedrals, museums, forts and urban parks. It is one of the finest examples of Renaissance planning and was the Azores’ seat of government until the early 19th century. There’s a really nice walk up to the fort which offers great views of the town.

We did a really nice walk from Quatro Ribeiras to Biscoitos. The 3 hour walk followed the contours of the coast and provided us with nice views out to sea. In Biscoitos we swam and relaxed in the lava rock pools. 

It just so happened while we were staying in Terceira they were having a Running of the Bulls Festival. This definitely was a highlight. Our group was invited into a locals home to view the event. From the second floor balcony we watched as the event took place.

Angra do Heroismo

View of Angra do Heroismo

Lava rock pools at Biscoitos

 Day 7-9- Flight to Sao Jorge

We said our goodbyes to Terceira and took a short inter- island flight to Sao Jorge. Our base was a cute little hotel perched high overlooking the town of Velas. When we arrived we were treated to wine and some delicious cheeses. Sao Jorge produces some of the best cheeses. The island is rather elongated  some 56 km long and 8 kms wide It was created by a series of linear volcanic eruptions.

Some of the best hiking and views can be found on this island due to its precipitous cliffs, narrow valleys and tiny coves. My favourite walk was the  Caldeira de Cima. The walk begins on from a 700m ridge and descends through a beautiful gorge down to the coast. Our walk then followed a rocky coastline through Fajas which are small plains at the foot of the steep coastal cliffs which are dotted with hamlets and orchards.

View of cliffs and ocean on the Caldeira de Cima hiking trail

Velas, Sao Jorge

Velas, Sao Jorge

Day 10-11- Ferry to Pico Island (Madalena)

In the morning we took a ferry to Madalena, Pico. The ride is a round 1.5 hours and offers incredible views of Mount Pico from the water.On Pico we did a series of walks past UNESCO vineyards and visited a lava tunnel (Grota do Torres). We walked to the village of Lajes and visited the small whaling museum. Another walk had us exploring the numerous volcanic cones on the slopes of Pico Alto as well as some small caves which were created by past lava flows.

Mount Pico, on the island of Pico, is the highest point in Portugal, at 2,351 m (7,713 ft).

Mount Pico

Day 12-14 Ferry to Faial Island (Horta)

We took a short 30 minute ferry ride to Faial. This would be my base until I departed back to Canada.

The island is very small and can be easily toured in one day.The main attractions on the island are Capelinhos Volcano and the town of Horta. Most sailors on their transatlantic voyage usually make a stop here. Within the town is a nice sandy beach at Porto Pim and for beautiful views of Horta and the Caldeira do Inferno an easy walk up Monte da Guia should be on everyone's list.

Porto Pim beach

Caldeira do Inferno

View of Horta from Monte da Guia