norwegian breakaway cruise to bermuda - part 5

i hope you have enjoyed seeing so many pictures this past week from our cruise to bermuda.  (this is the last batch of pictures, i promise!)  we really had such a great time.  while we were docked in bermuda for three days we made sure to squeeze in as much as we could.  we took the public buses and water ferries all over to see as much of the island as possible.

in addition to spending time at horseshoe bay beach and in the city of hamilton, we also visited the town of st. george's, st. david's island, and numerous beaches, including: tobacco bay beach, clearwater beach, turtle beach, elbow beach, and snorkel park beach.  here are a few more pictures from our time in bermuda . . .

^we took a water ferry to visit the quaint historic town of st. george's.  walking the stone streets was like taking a step back in time.^

^these pretty purple flowers were growing all over st. george's.  i'm not sure what type of flower they are, but i love the bright color!^

^while in st. george's, we walked around the town square and we visited the town hall.  the town of st. george's is the oldest continuously occupied town of english origin in the new world.  i had to take pictures of us in the stocks outside the town hall because i have a picture of my brother and me doing the exact same thing in the same spot 10 years ago when we were in bermuda on vacation.^

^i still can't get over the fact that hibiscus flowers grow wild all over bermuda.  i wish we could figure out a way to have them survive year round in pennsylvania!^

^we weren't intending to visit bermuda's famous unfinished church, but we stumbled across it while we were walking around the town of st. george's.  the incomplete gothic ruins are a landmark in the town.  although the construction work of the church was started, it was never completed and now the ruins are a protected historic monument.  it was equally beautiful and spooky to be there.^

^just beyond the unfinished church is tobacco bay beach.  although it was much too cold to swim in the water when we were there, we enjoyed walking around and admiring the beach's beauty.  we also made friends with two resident kitties at the beach!^

^i'm telling you, the flowers that grow wild in bermuda are gorgeous!^

^clearwater beach and turtle beach are adjacent beaches on st. david's island.  it took forever to get there since we had to transfer buses several times and hike a distance to get out to the beaches, but it was worth it for the views of the beautiful blue water.^

love, laurie

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you can see more photos from our bermuda cruise here: part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4

norwegian breakaway cruise to bermuda - part 4

we loved our cruise aboard the norwegian breakaway to bermuda.  while in bermuda, our ship docked at heritage wharf at the royal naval dockyard.  the dockyard was our central point for the three days we were in bermuda and from there we took public buses and water ferries to explore the island.  here are a few more pictures from our time in bermuda . . .

^moongates can be found all over bermuda, and there was one right where our cruise ship was docked.  according to local legend, couples who kiss under the wedding band-shaped arches will be assured a long and happy life together.  after couples kiss, they are supposed to walk through the limestone archway and make a wish as they look forward to a joyful and prosperous future.^

^the royal naval dockyard is full of lovely old stone buildings.  it felt like we took a step back in time.  i loved seeing the bird of paradise flowers blooming in the royal naval dockyard too.^

^while in bermuda, we took a water ferry ride from the royal naval dockyard to the city of hamilton.  along the way we got to see so many colorful bermuda homes along the coast line.^

^hibiscus flowers grow wild all over bermuda.  they really were everywhere we turned.  we loved seeing all of the different colors of the pretty hibiscus flowers.^

^we walked around the city of hamilton and visited victoria park.  i had to take a picture of ryan standing in front of this moongate at the edge of the park, because i stood in that exact spot with my brother 10 years ago to take a picture when we were in bermuda on vacation with my parents.  it was pretty surreal to be back in the exact same spot a decade later.^

^after walking through victoria park, we strolled through the streets of hamilton until we came to fort hamilton.  it was neat to walk around the fort and to see the city of hamilton below.  the fort had a resident orange kitty so we had to stop to say hi to him too!^

^the cruise ship was so pretty lit up at night as it was docked at heritage wharf, especially with the moongate lit up in front of it.^

love, laurie

. . . 

you can see more photos from our bermuda cruise here: part 1, part 2, and part 3

norwegian breakaway cruise to bermuda - part 3

our cruise aboard the norwegian breakaway last week took us to bermuda where we docked for three days.  on our first day in bermuda, the very first thing we did was hop on a public bus and travel to horseshoe bay beach.

horseshoe bay beach was on our list of must-see places in bermuda because it is consistently ranked as the top beach in bermuda.  it's famous for a reason, and as soon as we stepped foot on the beach we immediately knew why it is so celebrated.  horseshoe bay beach has the most beautiful pink sand and crystal clear water.  yes, the sand is actually pink and the water is actually crystal clear.  it is absolutely exquisite!

the long, sweeping crescent-shaped beach gets its name because it forms the shape of a horseshoe.  limestone rocks surround the beach and form a boundary around the beach.  we were able to climb up the limestone rocks for amazing views of the beach below.  we were also able to climb in the caves, tunnels, and passageways formed by the rocks.

we had so much fun walking on the beach, swimming in the water, and exploring the rocks while we were at horseshoe bay beach.  in fact, we had such a great time that we decided to go back again on our second day in bermuda after visiting several other beaches and coming to the conclusion that none of the other beaches were nearly as beautiful.  if you visit bermuda, horseshoe bay beach is a must!

love, laurie

. . . 

you can see more photos from our bermuda cruise here: part 1 and part 2

norwegian breakaway cruise to bermuda - part 2

we really enjoyed our cruise aboard the norwegian breakaway to bermuda this past week.  there was so much to do, to see, and to eat on board the ship during the days that we were at sea sailing to and from bermuda.  here are a few more pictures from around the ship . . .

^the food on the ship was absolutely amazing!  there were so many options, including several main dining rooms, a buffet, casual cafes, grills, and on-the-go meals too.  the menus changed daily and the choices were endless.  it felt like we were eating constantly.  everything was so good!^

^we loved getting dressed for dinner in the dining room each night.^

^the chandelier hanging in the middle of the ship was really cool.  it was lit solid white during the day, and then at night it would change all different colors.  we enjoyed watching it.^

^there are so many activities around the ship at night.  one evening they had a glow-in-the-dark party on the top back open-air deck.  everyone dressed in either white or florescent colors and they lit the crowd with black lights.  it was a really neat effect!^

^after we set sail from bermuda on friday night, the crew set off fireworks from the top deck.  i have been on a lot of cruises over the years, but i have never seen fireworks on a ship in the middle of the ocean.  it was a really neat experience!^

love, laurie

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you can see more photos from our bermuda cruise here: part 1