Montag, 31. Dezember 2012
Sylvesterurlaub in Sussex
von Brighton auf Allen´s Farm in einem alten Oast House (Hopfendarre).
Heute scheint die Sonne und wir machen nach einem englischen Frühstück
( was sonst) einen Ausflug nach Brighton. Das Meer schäumt, aber
richtig kalt ist es nicht und auf dem Beach Volleyball Feld spielen
ein paar Leute. Die Stadt ist voll von Ausflüglern und leuten die den
Winter Sale nutzen. zum Mittagessen gibt es Carrot Cake und Almond
Cake with plums im Food for Thought. ( Nana: ich habe an uns gedacht
und mir ein Ginger Beer bestellt, natürlich organic und mit zusätzlich
frischem Ingwer).
Sonntag, 30. Dezember 2012
Wunderbares Brighton
Kunst und Kitsch, Clubs und shady bars.
Samstag, 29. Dezember 2012
Samstag, 6. Oktober 2012
Abschied von Bermuda I
Der Shuttle holte uns am Freitag Mittag um halb eins vom Hotel ab. Bezeichnend für die Menge amerikanischer Besucher ist, dass es am Flughafen von Bermuda eine Filiale der amerikanischen Immigration gibt.
Es geht zunächst nach Philadelphia, genau drei Wochen später kommen wir wieder dort an. Der Weiterflug hat Verspaetung ( ein Warnlicht im Cockpit leuchtet und muss überprüft werden) und erst sitzen wir eine halbe Stunde am Gate und dann noch einmal eine Stunde auf dem heißen Rollfeld (80 Grad F sind es in Philly).
In Frankfurt dann um 13.09 den Ice Train bekommen und um halb drei hat Juliane Kaffee gekoht!
Schön war es!
Das Bild zeigt den Blick aus dem Wohn/Esszimmerfenster.
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Es geht zunächst nach Philadelphia, genau drei Wochen später kommen wir wieder dort an. Der Weiterflug hat Verspaetung ( ein Warnlicht im Cockpit leuchtet und muss überprüft werden) und erst sitzen wir eine halbe Stunde am Gate und dann noch einmal eine Stunde auf dem heißen Rollfeld (80 Grad F sind es in Philly).
In Frankfurt dann um 13.09 den Ice Train bekommen und um halb drei hat Juliane Kaffee gekoht!
Schön war es!
Das Bild zeigt den Blick aus dem Wohn/Esszimmerfenster.
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Freitag, 5. Oktober 2012
Kreuzfahrtschiffe
Entsprechend der Betrieb rundum. Der gesamte Bereich des Alten Marinedoks und -Forts dreht sich um die Versorgung der Kreuzfahrtschiffe. Da alle in Pub u d Brauerei gehen, können wir im Pastryshop noch in Ruhe Kuchen essen, bevor die Tour losgeht. Vorher und nachher Schlangen an Transferbussen zum Strand, an den Fähren und Ausflugsbooten. Ideal zum Peoplewatching.
Glasboden
Wem das wohl gehört ?
Fähre von Hamilton zum Dockyard und wie die andere Haelfte lebt
interessierte Dame
Regattatag drei
Donnerstag, 4. Oktober 2012
Our planet Earth on 4. Oktober 2012 -Leverkusen
Our planet Earth on 4. Oktober 2012-Bermuda
Keine Grillen, sondern Baumfroesche- abendliches Konzert nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit
Hier mehr dazu: ( die Laut pfeifenden Baumfrösche passen auf einen Daumennagel)
Anhörbar auf Youtube
Quelle fuer den nachfolgenden Text:
Whistling frogs (tree frogs)
Two species, Eleutherodactylus johnstonei and Eleutherodactylus gossei(first is shown in 1979 Bermuda Postage Stamp graphic here) sing loudly at night. They are one of the most characteristic night sounds of Bermuda between April and November. They are not indigenous - both were introduced accidentally sometime prior to 1880, most likely on orchids imported from the Lesser Antilles. They can be found elsewhere in temperate and sub-tropical regions.They are so small they can sit on a thumbnail. They have tiny suction discs on long, slender toes. They can be heard island-wide when the weather is warm enough but are most common in the Parishes of Devonshire, Paget, Pembrokeand Warwick. Their song is the sound of males trying to attract females. The first of the two is more common and smaller. The other has almost disappeared. Both are brownish, nocturnal, living in trees near the ground and by day hiding under stones and leaf litter.
Many visitors are not used to the whistling song, a loud bell-like chorus, of these tiny and harmless creatures. Some visitors say it disturbs their sleep but others love it because it adds a unique sound to the atmosphere. Some newly-weds say it keeps them awake and explains their sleepy eyes the next morning. Whistling frogs do not require standing water for breeding but pass through their tadpole stage within the egg itself. Clusters of eggs are laid in damp situations among rotting vegetation or under stones.
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Tribünenplatz
Die kleinen Boote mit den U Fahnen sind die Umpire, die Schiris, glauben wir. Gier ein Streckenteil vor dem Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel.
Nächster Strandtag
Das Lichtbist ganz toll und durch die Wolken veraendern sich die Farben alle zwei Minuten.
Bürger- nicht Hausmeister
Im Nationalmuseum für Kunst in Bermuda ( ist in der Cityhall) haben wir sein Portrait gefunden:)!!
Einkaufsbummel in Hamilton und Kunstmuseum
Beim Bild bitte nochmal die Busineskleidung beachten.
Warum es hier relativ teuer ist
Eine Ananas kostet knapp 7 USD ( rechnerisch gleich dem Bermudadollar), eine Flasche Bier USD 2,95, eine Mango USD 1,50-2,00. Brot ungefähr USD 5,00.
Das ist einfach für die Expats, die für die Versicherungsgesellschaften arbeiten, hier zahlt der Arbeitgeber Wohnung, Auto und Privatschule und natürlich ein gutes Gehalt.
Da kann ein Taxifahrer nicht mithalten. Immerhin aber liegt das durchschnittliche Jahreseinkommen bei USD 60.000.
Jedenfalls müssen Güter herbeigeschafft werden und so konnten wir am Morgen nach dem Frühstück vom Balkon aus zuschauen,mWieso drei Lotsenboote den Riesenfrachter manövrierten.
Mittwoch, 3. Oktober 2012
Artikel über Bermuda aus der Daily Mail
UFOs and European charm - there's more to Bermuda than the Triangle
By TOM MANGOLD
First - what is Bermuda not? It is not a Caribbean island; it is not in the tropics; it doesn't have the 'feel' of the jungly Caribbean but neither does it have the downside of the pervasive Caribbean 'attitude' towards tourists; it is not a winter vacation resort; there are hardly any exotic birds; and visitors are not allowed to hire cars.
So what does it have? It has a warm, subtropical Atlantic climate roughly the same as the Carolinas on the East Coast of the US (700 miles to the west). This means the high season is from May to October. It has a rich mixture of people, friendly, business-like and Western-orientated. It has golf courses to die for and beaches to rival the Caribbean. It has long, windy roads, like Cornwall, quite cute but bad for cycling, and for tourists a mandatory taxi system for getting around. If you object to paying for taxis and prefer to drive yourself, do not visit Bermuda. It is also a very expensive island for shopping, so don't shop Bermuda unless you feel flush. Indeed, a coded message in a popular Bermudian vacation guide states: 'In many cases shopping in Bermuda is about quality and not quantity.' Quite so.
That said, having arrived with all sorts of prejudices, I now love the place.
Downtown: The Fairmont Hamilton Hotel
I went to investigate aspects of the legendary Bermuda Triangle. The trip took me off-track to meet real locals, which is how my romance started, visiting places and seeing folk the tourists usually omit.
The island is a mere 21 square miles and lean, looking rather like a fish-hook. This means that wherever you are, you will invariably see the sea - which is the exact colour you see in the luxury brochures. Bermuda, being ever so slightly snobby, is not over-festooned with corny tourist attractions or T-shirt hell-holes and the island has its own quiet rhythms and pace which I found squared nicely with my comfort zone.
I went to interview Denis Rowe, 39, chief radio officer at the impressive old Fort George Signal Station on Rick's Mount overlooking the attractive St George's Harbour. Mr Rowe, from Belfast, has the immensely pleasurable job of keeping a radio eye on all shipping traffic coming to and leaving the island. His base was built in 1788, and one of the old 24 lb guns still glares out at the Atlantic. This is not generally a tourist location but if you make an appointment through the Bermuda Tourist Authority (0800 883 0857), providing Denis is having a quiet watch, he'll let you in.
The biggest name on the island is Tucker. The Tuckers came to Britain with William the Conqueror, and a direct descendant was Bermuda's first governor. Today, Teddy Tucker runs the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, an innovative and clever attraction celebrating the island's symbiotic relationship with the sea.
Teddy, 80, is still a hugely active part of Bermuda, a former treasure-hunter and a man with a thousand sea yarns. The Institute has a shark cage, a beautiful shell collection, a shipwreck gallery with real artefacts and several interactive exhibits. Teddy knows the island back to front, doesn't believe in the Bermuda Triangle myth but, surprisingly for a serious and sober expert, insists he has seen UFOs while out treasure-hunting.
I don't believe in the tooth fairy and I don't believe in the power of the Bermuda Triangle to gobble up ships and planes without leaving a trace, but meeting Bermudian fishermen does re-focus the mind. They tend to live in the island's splendidly-coloured waterfront cottages, and these guys and their wives are hospitable to a fault.
I met one, Frank, just back from a day's lobster-fishing. We sat down and he held me spellbound with his fisherman's tales. He told me that on one particular Bible-black night he was fishing in calm waters, a mile or so from the island, when suddenly, without warning, the entire sky lit up, brighter than daylight. He could see the coast, companion ships, everything. There was no noise, no focal point or obvious reason for the light. Then after about one minute, the sky reverted to darkness. Please don't ask me for an explanation, but if you bump into some of these friendly Bermudians in a pub, trust me, you'll be made very welcome and won't be bored by their stories.
Enchanting: Bermuda's Crystal Caves are a must-see
I did tourist stuff too. Bermuda's Crystal and Fantasy caves are two natural jewel boxes deep underground, with hypnotic collections of 'soda straw' stalactites and calcite mineral deposits that look like frozen waterfalls. Floating pontoon pathways cross a 50ft-deep, azureblue underground lake with new growths below the water and curtains of pristine white stalactites pointing down from the cave top. A unique display cleverly lit, it's worth an hour of your time.
A sightseeing cruise takes in the homes of A-list celebs including Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. There's an erudite commentary and a glass of something cold and sparkling.
Bermuda's Maritime Museum has a thoughtful exhibition on slavery and some fascinating artefacts recovered from shipwrecks, such as cowry shells, glass beads, body restraints and weapons.
On the road I seemed to see a church at every junction. I recommend a stop at Cobbs Hill Methodist Church, the oldest existing Methodist building in Bermuda. Today's congregation includes descendants of the slaves who built the church, block by sweaty block, two centuries ago.
As you might expect, summers are quite hot, so make sure your hotel has a quality, air-conditioned room and good swimming facilities. There will be days when the trip from the bedroom to the deckchair is as much as you can manage. The Fairmont chain of hotels has two excellent places on Bermuda, quite different in character. The downtown-Hamilton Princess is a large, luxurious combination of British elegance and Bermudian charm, just out of a £20million restoration.
Resident celebrity: Catherine Zeta-Jones enjoys holiday time on the island with her husband Michael Douglas
It has a long and thrilling history of being a spy HQ during the war, and was much visited by royalty. The Second World War British Intelligence chief Sir William Stephenson, known by the codename Intrepid, ran a massive spy operation from the hotel and it became the headquarters for an extensive signals operation that included opening most of the letters the Nazis sent to their friends in America.
Earlier, Mark Twain was a regular guest, smoking on the hotel veranda and reciting Kipling to adoring audiences. He wrote to a friend in March 1910: 'Bermuda - you ought to be here now. The weather is divine, and you know what it is to drive along the North Shore in such weather and watch the sun paint the water. We had that happiness today. The joy of it never stales. There are no newspapers, no telegrams, no trolleys, no trains, no tramps, no railways, no theatres, no noise, no lectures, no riots, no murders, no fires, no burglaries, no politics, no offences of any kind, no follies but church, and I don't go there. I think I could live here always and be contented. You go to Heaven if you want to - I'd rather stay here.'
Now that's what I'd call a 24-carat testimonial.
The Fairmont Southampton at the other end of the island is a very large beach hotel, overlooking some of the finest sands I've ever walked on. If you have kids, take them here. I inspected the rooms and the numerous facilities and the place works for me. The two hotels are connected by a private ferry.
Expensive? It doesn't have to be. The recession has affected Bermuda tourism and business was down by about 18 per cent when I visited. This means that if you tailor-make your holiday (I do), you can haggle with hotels to bring down room prices, especially if you are booking when occupancy rates are low. Bermuda may be very English, but it is nicely American when it comes to hard-headed haggling.
Alternatively, the island has scores of pleasant little guest houses. Some are old listed properties, some have pools and Jacuzzis, some have private docks, nearly all of them are within a lungful of ozone from the sea. I ate, consistently, at a Hamilton restaurant called The Lobster Pot. My policy is, when you find a good fish restaurant with ambience, well-selected wine and fresh fish, go as often as you can.
And the famous Bermuda Triangle? Does it exist? Well, why not go and see for yourself this lovely little island with its good manners and European charm. But do mind the time-warp, the little green men, the sea monsters, the dark ships' graveyards in the deep-sea trenches and the space kidnappings. Don't say you weren't warned.
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Sundowner
