I let Caleb know I made it back to the couch in my friend’s house where I was staying in Bermuda, and he called to confirm that at 3:45 am (four hours ahead of San Diego). I wake up at 8:15 am to an argument over an email between Dean and Dustin. I’ll rinse off and put on more aloe before debating wearing swimsuit bottoms under my shorts. I feel too hungover, but also just super tired at the moment, and maybe I just need to poo and eat something before I get in the water.

An hour later, we’re at their harbor, me toting my sunburn and the guys with their dive bags. We are going to Hamilton so they can work while I sleep on the boat or find shade in town. Dustin woke me after the excursion through Great Sound to let me know that I could either take pictures of race boats or just sleep on the boat, which I had just done for probably half an hour, so a day of exploring was next. I sit up until the guys are suited and in the water before stumbling my way off the pier.

We are moored at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, so I feel free to explore inside. There is a trophy from the third Duchess of Edinburgh, who became the Queen of the United Kingdom for 70 years, to the club for their racing in 1948. There’s a cabinet full of silver trophies and inscribed plates, along with boat pictures and parts on the walls. The club was established in 1844 and added “Royal” to their name two years later. It’s the third oldest ‘Royal’ club outside the British Isles.

I wrote (in my notes) that I found a street and crossed it, but I zigzag my way to a shop selling cookies, balsamic, and uncooked noodles before sitting down to breakfast at 11 am in a courtyard. The Italian restaurant Angelo’s Bistro is possibly reopening as of 2021, but while it was open for my visit in 2018, they served a great variety of eggs Benedict for $18 and plenty of complimentary water.

Feeling full and refreshed, I walk towards the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. On the way is a plaque commemorating the 50 Years Strong of the Bermuda Regiment, who combined their segregated units in 1965. They went from a history of supporting World Wars to hurricane response and ceremonial services and expanded their training after 2001 to work with the armed forces of the UK, US, Canada, and CARICOM (Caribbean Community and Common Market) countries.

The original church was completed in 1869, and the Gothic-style Anglican Cathedral was finished in 1905 from Bermuda limestone and French Caen stone. There are usually tower tours available for $3 that will take visitors up 155 stairs to the top, but that’s not an option today as the tower is closed. An 1868 Walker organ is on a permanent loan as a monument to its Anglican heritage and comprises four stops, three ranks, and 150 pipes.

My next stop is Hamilton City Hall to have a look at their free art gallery that centers on island life: statues in swimsuits, military portraits, and a scaled-down Bermuda painting. There’s a house near the Bermuda National Library where the first Bermuda postage stamp was issued in 1848 by William Perot that is closed. I walk into the library to see the few bookshelves, wall of movies, and magazine rack before returning to the boat while the guys are on a break.

I see boats from Canada, Germany, Bermuda, and Monaco amongst the 17 teams with 150 sailors from 14 countries. They will race from here to Hamburg, some 3500 nautical miles, as the final race for the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta. I’ll hang out for a while and then be on my way to Fort Hamilton, open daily from 930 am to 5 pm. There’s a warning sign at the entrance about the lack of fencing around walls or edges, so children should be supervised, and visitors do so at their own risk.

In the moat is greenery, shade, and wind, so I’m in no hurry to leave this garden that was started in the 1960s. I appreciate the sounds of the birds around me and notice a hen with her chicks nestled in some brown leaves. I explore the wet-bricked tunnels with roots reaching over the rocks for any moisture they can find. Back in the sun, there are bright flowers, manicured lawns, and the oldest self-governing overseas territory’s flag waving proudly over the fort.

The fort was built by the British in the 1860s and used as the headquarters for the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps from the 1890s until the 1930s. The fort has never seen battle and has been a place of peaceful contemplation for almost sixty years. I get the feeling that I’m no longer the only one here, and even if I wasn’t, there’s something relaxing about feeling alone (in a good, creative, and calm way) when the world is full of cramped spaces and noise pollution.

I stop in at The Supermart to see their high-priced foods, have a look around The Black Purl yarn shop, and get two scoops of ice cream from Meltdown. The guys are starting work on another boat when I check in, so I will go to the bar on-site to watch a Russia vs. Croyden soccer match. I wasn’t tracking the score or betting on the game, so I’m not sure how much I saw, but I was glad to walk to dinner at Robin Hood … a Fine Pub & Restaurant for calamari and pizza.

We get back on the boat after a long afternoon and have a lemon pie awaiting us (not sure from who or where) and an amazing sunset, too. The boat gets stopped by police for speeding and having no registration number, and Dean clears that up. The seas become restless as the sun disappears, and we return to the marina as the darkening clouds start to cover a blue sky that refuses to lose brightness on a faster schedule. I covered downtown Hamilton on foot and will have no trouble closing my eyes as soon as I touch the couch for the evening.