The Apples in My Orchard

On Sundays I usually post only photographs. This month, however, I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge through the Two Writing Teachers blog. It is a blog writing challenge. It is debatable, even in my own mind, as to whether just photos would be acceptable in a writing challenge. Last week, I posted text on Sunday, but it didn’t feel right. It actually felt all wrong. I realized that by not writing on Sunday – for the last FOUR years – and posting my photos instead, I was supporting my hobby of nature and travel photography and re-centering myself for the week ahead.

So, today, I will post photos but to fulfill the blogging challenge requirements, I will also tell you a bit about the photos I post. In April, if you choose to stick with my blog, I will revert to Silent Sunday posts without any explanation or text.

Since it seems I, as well as many others, have been dreaming about travel, I decided to post on one of my favorite places in the whole world – the island of Bermuda! I’ve had the great fortune to visit this island three times in my life, in 1987, 2007, and 2017. My love for this small island was enhanced during our first visit which happened to be our honeymoon. The trip in 2017 was a 30th wedding anniversary trip! Our three boys, then fairly young, went with us in 2007.

Bermuda is an island apart from other islands you might think of or have visited in the Caribbean. It is actually located 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina, all alone in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is small, only 21 miles long and 1.7 miles wide, comprising 20.54 square miles total. The country of Bermuda actually consists of many small islands, 181 to be exact, considered to be part of the archipelago. There are 75 miles of beautiful coastline. It is a self governing territory of the United Kingdom.

Bermuda is a special place geographically, historically, and also sentimentally for me. There truly are pink sand beaches, pastel colored houses, and turquoise waters. The public transportation consists of pink buses and taxi cabs. Over the past thirty years we’ve noticed a great increase in traffic on this tiny island. There are blind curves and speedy locals. It is not a place to drive as a tourist, and in fact, as one you are not allowed to rent a car. Mopeds are popular and able to be rented by visitors but aside from our first honeymoon visit, we have never rented one again. There is just no need as the public transportation will get you where you need to go – the pace of life is slower – so you just have to go with it. There is a wonderful ferry system that will take you to the capital city of Hamilton or to the far end of St. Georges parish. I highly recommend at least one ferry ride when you visit.

There is also the famed 117 foot high, cast iron (not steel), Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, which we’ve gone into and up to the top landing on two of our three visits. The glass bezel is amazing and you can picture the importance this structure provides to sailing vessels both in the past and present. At night the light, can be seen 40 miles out to sea. Historically, many ships were sunk around these islands that are ringed in a sea of coral.

Are you ready for some photographs of this unique and beautiful country? I hope so!

Today is day 14/31 of the Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to TwoWritingTeachers.org for creating and hosting this challenge.