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Nana and Papa’s Easter camp
Our 3rd week was a Nana and Papa camp for the Grandchildren May, aged 7 and Quest aged 5 both arrived before 8:00am, keen to have fun. I planned to keep them busy as occupied as possible.
Monday started off with some math activity workbooks that kept both John and I quite busy…. Then we headed off to feed Jessie, he is Kate and May’s horse.
Well, Kate’s horse really, she’s had him since she was 15, but May now counts him as hers. At the stable May was quick to get out the fork and wheel barrow while John did the feeding.
Quest and I filled the water barrel. After a couple of mornings May had Quest nearly trained picking up the poop with the rake too.
Fort Hamilton was our next stop:
This fort is found atop a hill behind the city of Hamilton. From its border wall we had panoramic views of Hamilton Harbour. The kids enjoying the flag pole too??
The fort is a relic from the Victorian age. It was built by the British in 1870 to protect Hamilton, however the fort never saw any action.
There are massive, 18-ton artillery pieces which were never fired in defense of the city. Quest and May had a quick look at the huge guns but we’re far more interested in the tunnels that led to the moat.
The moat has been transformed into a lush garden. The kids followed the moat around and then we explored more of the underground passages and dungeons.
Blue bird boxes
Upon returning home, after lunch there were the Blue bird boxes, that May and John had made together back in September, to put up.
Out came the ladder and all the necessary tools and up went the blue birds boxes. Climbing that ladder was such fun!
Tuesday, after our morning math activities and seeing to Jessie we headed off to the Botanical gardens:
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Gardens was established in 1898, and consists of 36 acres. Lots of space to exercise two energetic kids. These gardens have been a popular area to walk, play and relax. We started off parking centrally near the show ring and headed towards what used to be the aviary but, finding just empty neglected cages.
Further along we came across a few workers sitting having a break from their work. One of them happened to know some magic tricks which Quest and May were happy to enjoy.
Off to the climbing trees we went. These are huge rubber trees that children just love to explore and climb.
Nearby was the maze, which John had a look around.
Our final stop was the sensory garden for the blind, with Braille signs fragrant blooms and herbs. Again we found it to be neglected, rather sad as it used to be lovely.
Hog Bay Level Park
In the afternoon we headed out to Hog Bay Level Park for a walk. Hog Bay Park is 32 acres of open space, which is mainly used by local farmers.
Where does it get its name? Apparently back in the 17th century passing Mariners dropped hogs off in this area as a future food source should they become shipwrecked on Bermudas’ reefs.
Quest and May headed off along the side of fields and along the pathways, uphill and then downhill to the shoreline.
It wasn’t a particularly sunny day but Westside looked as lovely as ever. Back uphill we were all flagging, turning back along the sides of fields,
passing a derelict farm house where we looked for a ghost , but never saw one, and then to the car.
Wednesday was the regular math activities yet again, and seeing to Jessie. Our visit this day was the
Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo.
Located in Flatts Village, BAMZ is one of the world’s oldest aquariums, founded in 1926. It features hundreds of fish species, rescued sea turtles, harbour seals and a 145,000-gallon coral reef exhibit with sharks and black grouper. The zoo part has more than 300 birds, reptiles and mammals from islands around the world. Plus the Bermuda Natural History Museum which is found there has interactive exhibits for children and adults too.
This was a rainy day, so we were there with several other groups of children off of school, plus quite a few tourists.
We started in the Aquarium where I tried to ask Quest and May questions about each exhibit, both of them are quite knowledgeable about the fish species, corals etc. Plus we would hunt each tank to see where the creatures were hiding and match them with their names.
The museum Papa took over going around the exhibits, they enjoyed the interactive ones.
Out in the zoo area most of the animals and birds were tucked away out of the cold, rainy weather. The flamingos were huddled together, as flamboyant as ever.
In the afternoon we had to move into Gavin and Katie’s home to housesit and care for Amy. The kids loved the move as they had lots of space outside to play outside, plus May was particularly happy to enjoy riding all the bikes around the driveway.
Whales and a shoreline amble
Thursday after Quest and May arrived John had to head out, I was with them doing our regular math fun activities when ……. we saw whales from Gavin’s dining room glass door.
The kids flew out to the rocks to watch, I grabbed my camera and scurried behind them. Unfortunately all my camera caught was the beautiful blue swell….
When John returned we headed out for a long walk to the peninsular that can be seen across the bay from Gavin and Katie’s place.
It was a wonderful few hours walking the rocky shoreline, examining rock pools, finding shells and crab’s exoskeletons,
peering into rocky crannies, climbing the steep boulders at the end of the peninsular.
After all of our explorations the kids raced back along the rocks for lunch with no complaints of being tired.
Kite making
The afternoon activity was kite making. Bermuda kites are a very special tradition. John built the frames and then together we taught May and Quest to paper the kites with tissue paper.
This is quite a delicate art, May found it way easier than Quest, who elected to do artwork instead.
We did quite well this first afternoon, managing to paper half of Quest’s kite.
Exploring the East End
On Friday, we were off to the East end.
Gates Fort, was our 1st stop.
The kids were happy to clamber all over this tiny fort which sits right on the edge of St Georges Town Cut.
This is a channel that was created for ships to enter the St. George’s Harbor.
Fort St Catherine, was our next stop.
Quest and May were excited to explore this fort with all of its displays, neither of them having been there before. Fort St Catherine was first built from wood in 1612.
This was replaced by a stone fort in 1614. It was one of a number of forts built immediately following the Virginia Company being given official sanction in 1612 for its possession of Bermuda, which it had occupied since the wreck of the Sea Venture in 1609.
The fort was actually rebuilt five times, the last time at the end of the 19th century, by when Bermuda had become the premier base for the Royal Navy in the Western Hemisphere.
But Quest and May weren’t interested in that info, they enjoyed the displays showing life back in the day and all the large bullets/explosives displayed.
Outside we walked around the entire perimeter from which there are some lovely views, (if you ignore the ugly hotel that was recently built).
Tobacco Bay was our stop for snack time.
This area is quite scenic with little bays and rock formations.
May and Quest were ravenous so they quickly ate their snacks and then headed off to clamber over the rocks.
The area is reputed as the backdrop for the Gunpowder Plot of 1775, in which Bermuda locals helped American revolutionaries steal a supply of British gunpowder from the Town of St. George.
St Georges town was our next stop.
We started off walking along the dockside, across the little bridge and over to the stocks.
These are models of the real ones used back in the day of public humiliation for wrong doers. May and Quest enjoyed taking turn being stuck in the stocks.
St. George’s is known for being the Bermuda’s first settlement. It is full of reminders of the past with its Colonial buildings around the central King’s Square
These include the 18th-century town hall. Nearby, the Tucker House Museum is a typical home from the 1700s, with displays of crystal, silver and period furniture. Other notable landmarks include St. Peter’s Church, founded in 1612.
We just strolled through the square making our way to the Supermarket to buy some much needed water. The kids were happiest to walk through a bubble machines bubbles! Yes, small things entertain them the best.
Off we drove to Southside for lunch,
and a playground. Quest and May devoured their lunches quickly and were soon playing on the equipment. So we figured it was time for a walk to Cooper’s Island Nature reserve.
Just along the lane from Clearwater is the old deserted US Naval Air Station. The beaches here, believe it or not are both manmade beaches created by the U.S. Navy when Cooper’s Island was used as a U.S. Naval Air Station.
Since 1995, the area has become the Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve, and just inland from the beaches you find walking trails and a pond that are great for birdwatching. However our walk with Quest and May was along the remains of the little roadway above the beaches.
Stopping first at the old tower to look out from the top.
Down and along the rest of the way to what is left of a breakwater. There the kids had fun examining what was in rock pools.
We went off looking for ice cream cones but found nowhere open, so I bought frozen chocolate fudge bars instead.
Back at Gavin’s they enjoyed their fudge bars, rode bikes and there was just enough time to finish Quest’s kite as this was his last day with us.
Overall we had a terrific Nana and Papa Easter camp!
On the weekend we were able to go back to Langata to continue with our maintenance projects and then on Sunday afternoon we had few old friends come to Gavin’s fora get together.
We actually hadn’t seen each other since before covid, so it was great to exchange news and catch up.
Week 4 our last week
On Monday, we just had May, as her school got a second week holiday.
Back to Langata we went where May helped Papa with the painting. And for much of the week each day was a home maintenance day with May helping. Plus we finished May’s kite!
Bluebird boxes had a pair of nesting birds!
Amazingly we saw that one of the Bluebird boxes had a pair of nesting birds residing within! I am sure the other boxes were also being used, but I just never had the time to walk in the woodlands and watch for them.
Good Friday
Every Good Friday, Bermudians of all ages fly kites, usually of traditional Bermudian type (though plastic, store-bought kites can be seen), These kites were originally flown to symbolize Christ’s resurrection, but nowadays it’s just a very important, fun family tradition.
Our Good Friday was held at Gavin and Katie’s home. We all arrived around noon, and there were so many of us. The only grandchild missing was Rhianna, even Ethan came to fly kites.
Most of Gavin’s friends are fellows whom we have known since they were children and now they were there with wives and their many children. Plus for me even a few of the wives I had taught when they too were young school girls.
The kites were mainly flown by the Daddy’s, the Moms were chatting and watching while the many children enjoyed the hot tub and pool. Most of the kites were the traditional Bermuda kites. The two kites made with May and Quest were both flown.
Bermuda kites are typically hexagonal, though larger ones, may be octagonal, or have even more sides. They are constructed from flat sticks we call kite sticks, arrayed like spokes of a wheel, with a nail at the axis. A string passes around the ends of the sticks, marking out the edges, and concentric strings are arranged inside of this, all contributing to the rigidity of the structure and creating the pattern. Colored tissue paper is glued into the spaces created between strings and sticks.
Using different colors, patterns are created. The kite has a single stick secured at one end to the axis, which rises at a shallow angle from the plane created by the other sticks. This stick, forms the head of the kite, thus the head stick. It extends considerably beyond the perimeter of the hexagon. It actually passes over the midpoint of one side of the hexagon, and a string creates a triangular shape from the corner at one side of the head stick, to its tip, and back to the opposite corner. Strips of paper are folded and glued along this string. A long, cloth strip tail is fitted to the kite via a loop of string at the bottom. This is the tail without which the kite would not be able to fly.
Good Friday is also a time for traditional Bermudian Good Friday special foods. For most of us there’s codfish cakes, hot cross buns, and Portuguese beans. At Gavin and Katie’s most folks had brought some of each dish. The lunch was delicious. And for several days after we enjoyed the same fare.
Wonderful Bermuda Good Friday
