Bermuda Blues

One thing every expat who lives in Bermuda will remember about their time here is the Bermuda Blues.  For anyone who has not yet been here for a prolonged period, there are a couple of things that I should explain about that first statement.  Expat is a word I often get asked about so I will just quickly say that it is short for expatriate, meaning you retain citizenship in your country of origin but are not resident in that country.  So I am currently a resident of Bermuda, which among other things means that I have to go through the non-resident (aka guest) lineup at customs when I come back to Canada for a visit.  When I return permanently, I will repatriate to Canada, and become eligible for all of those wonderful Canadian privileges like cheap to free health care (it costs $503 a month here, and you still pay $40 out of pocket to go to the doctor, a percent of prescription costs, and because my employer got the cheap plan, forget about massage reimbursement for those inevitable beach volleyball injuries).  Ok, perhaps that wasn't a quick explanation of the term, but you get my drift.  The Bermuda Blues may sound a bit sad, and you are probably thinking that it's a feeling of homesickness, or a general depressive state brought on by the realization that you are living on a tiny rock several hundred miles away from friends, family, and the normals of city living that you left behind.  To put that idea into perspective, there are not many places on this globe that don't sport the giant glowing double arches that are representative the bad dietary choices of generations (yes I mean McDonald's and yes we really don't have one here and no that does not mean that everyone is skinny.  Nor does that cutting statement mean that if you tossed a chicken mcnugget at me right now that i wouldn't leap into the air and catch it in my mouth like an eager labrador). That feeling of needing to get to the mainland and experience all of the bright lights, multitude of commercial choices, and the thrill of driving faster than 35 kph is called something else -- that is Rock Fever.  Symptoms of Rock Fever include frustration, irritability, swollen tongue (either from biting it too much or hitting it while you jam your foot in there since suddenly you have the need to express your opinion of local media and politics).  Treatment is rapidly provided by Delta, Jet Blue, American Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways, US Air, and Continental Airlines.  Recovery is swift, but subsequent relapses have been known to occur as frequently as every three months.  This is not what i mean by the Bermuda Blues.

The Bermuda Blues is my term for the thing i will miss the most about the island when I leave it.  It is the color palette of the environment here, which is most vivid in the summer.  There is the obvious pale blue sky, which treats us to lovely shades of gold, orange, pink, and purple as it rises and sets.  But the most variation in blues is in the water.  Quite often I find myself standing on a rocky cliff overlooking the water and marvelling at all the shades of blue before me.  The water in Bermuda is crystal clear, allowing you to see the muted colors of the rocks below it's gentle shades of teal and turquoise, and it gradually turns to deeper blues as you gaze out further.  These beautiful blues are offset with white or pink sand beaches, depending on where you are, and decorated with the occasional column of black rock reminding you that Bermuda is the product of an ancient volcano.  A little research shows that our little island is propped up on top of the intersection of 3 prominent fault lines (don't tell my mom).  Also decorating the sky in the summer is the Bermuda longtail, a fascinating bird that has been eluding both my schedule and my camera techniques for several years now.  This is an unusual bird that nests in the rocky cliffs around Bermuda, and hatches and raises beautiful little chicks here.  I can watch them adorning these shades of blue for hours...the skydiver in me marvels at the way they fly -- they seem to soar in an area, often wingtip to wingtip with their mate, with no purpose, intent, or distraction like stopping for food.  I think they do it for the sheer joy of flight.


a not so crisp shot of those elusive longtails

Of note, i am not the first person to think of celebrating the Bermuda blues --  the local perfumery makes a cologne for men called Bermuda Blue, and for anyone who is going to come to Bermuda, the company is called Lili Bermuda, they do a short tour at their factory (old house) in St. George's, and make wonderful affordable souveniers for you, or someone you couldn''t bring with you.

The Bermuda Blues are something that I think all of my friends should take the time out one day to see.  There are a lot of beautiful places in the world, but no two are alike.  There is really something special about Bermuda...maybe it's just the blues.  I am going to post some photos I took to share these colors for you, especially you Canadians who are likely looking at a very different color palette of reds, oranges, and yellows today.





My anything but sad Bermuda Blues

My favorite rocky outcrop to watch storms and the view from



a pretty little cove that i can never remember the name of

black volcanic rock at Jobson's Cove, a favorite spot