Bermuda Holiday Summer 2010- The World Is My Playground, Entertaining and Design Ideas From Around The World, Workshop, The Paris House Designs.

History

( this image was not photo-shopped, or enhanced in any way, it is exactly as it looked that evening)

My family and I just returned from a lovely snorkeling vacation in gorgeous Bermuda. We have been several times over the years and seem to love it more each time we return to visit its pink sand beaches and ocean breezes.  Whether you like sea faring adventure, fabulously prepared gourmet foods, snorkeling out in the coral reefs or perhaps a trashy novel, strong pina colada while your toes are buried in the sand, Bermuda has something for everyone.  Not to mention the people who are blessed to call this place home are incredibly hospitable and welcoming.  When I travel near or far I am always bringing back ‘ideas’ for my book and classes I teach ” The World Is My Playground, Entertaining and Design Ideas From Around The World.” I host these workshops out of our historic farmhouse and they are based on various places in the world.  Bermuda doesn’t disappoint one bit, I was able to bring back enough recipes, design ideas, items for my party planning, boutique and classes to give my students endless inspiration to draw upon for creative Summer entertaining.

Photos in this collage were taken by my 16 year old son Sam, he just won photographer of the year in his high school.

Bermuda is a small Island about 21 miles long and a mile or so wide at its deepest parts.  The homes that dot the island are in pastel shades of blue, yellow, pink, salmon and green.  Really the cutest homes I have seen, makes me dream of candy when I am looking at them. Bermuda was discovered by Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez.

Bermuda is, as we all know a British Country, which makes me love it all the more.  I love the relaxed formality of the island, Bermuda is meticulous, spotless, elegant and oh those accents are just beautiful!  With all this beauty comes a Hefty price tag, Bermuda is very very expensive and worth every penny. So we save up and splurge every now and then!

Places to Stay

We stayed at Pompano Beach Club, it is a boutique hotel with one of the best views of the sunset you will  see anywhere in the World, many magazines have indeed mentioned this particular resort as having the most breathtaking views of the sunset anywhere on the island/world.  The service and food was wonderful.  The private beach was very secluded and offered hours of fabulous snorkeling for my 3 boys and me and Mr. Bunny.  The sand bar was about 1800 feet out, where you could walk out to a dock, the water looked lit from within, it was magical. It is pricey but we liked it better than Princess and other large hotels, plus the view of the PGA Golf Course and the ocean that plummeted below our private terrace was spectacular. We use to stay at Ariel Sands, which I believe is owned by Michael Douglas and we enjoyed it, it is closed for renovations at this time.  Pompano is my first choice. ( My Mr. Bunny is so sexy!)

Shopping

Our resort was on the south end of the island about an hour from the airport.  I believe going from one end to the other is about an hour or so by taxi.  We always spend time in Hamilton on Front Street for some great shopping and pub hopping.  My boys let me shop till I dropped, actually they join in buying up lots of cool t shirts, souvenirs for their travel shelves ( they all have travel shelves in their rooms and bring back something from everywhere they go to put on it)  and fun ‘guy’ things. I never miss a stop at the Irish Linen Shop, the large iconic yellow shop that has been there for years.  It is here that I stock up on linens for The Paris House.  This time we brought  back colorful island themed linens, clothes for Oliver, they carry Papa d’anjou for boys, we also found embroidered game card cocktail napkins that are so beautiful I sighed when I saw them!  You can pick up fun beachy dresses, unique handbags, island perfume, high end items such as Prada, Louis Vuitton ( I almost never shop in these stores when I travel, I much prefer to support local artisans and bring back one of kind items that remind me of our travels, why waste my time shopping for ‘designer’ labels on my travels when they can be easily purchased at stores only minutes from my home! Nt only that but I would rather purchase more unique and affordable treasures) and much much more.  Mr. Bunny bought me a lovely pink ring with a pearl set in gold. It will always remind me of some of the happiest moments of my life. Nothing makes me happier than spending time with my sons and husband. Every time I look at that ring I will remember all of us being together as a family in paradise laughing together over cocktails, sodas and lunch in a pub…..

Below are a few of my ‘treasures’ that I brought home.  I also picked up some very affordable sundresses ( about $30 a piece!) and the most adorable Kelly Bag style straw handbag that I am in love with!  I brought back one of my favorite perfume lines, Lili Bermuda a very old perfume house, I love their coconut tropical scent the best. It has coconut milk, guava and salty notes of the ocean it. Tres Sexy!

Sight Seeing

Bermuda has nine parishes to explore.

You can take a cocktail cruise in the evening while the sun sets, glass bottom boat trips out to the coral reefs where you can snorkel and see ship wrecks, shopping is plentiful.  You may want to visit the aquarium and then head over to the spectacular Botanical Gardens where you can visit acres and acres of blooming flowers. The Bermuda Perfumery is a fun stop,  Historic Front Street is where the cruise ships come in and where you can shop up a storm.  We never miss drinking a 20 oz ale at The Hog Penny and enjoying some fish and chips while we are there.  Set aside two hours and stroll along the Walkway of History in Hamilton. Our trip would not be complete without a visit to the very historic town of Saint George.  We do this on our last day before we fly home in the early evening.

Cuisine

The creative cooks, home cooks and chefs on this beautiful island  sure can Cook!!  You will enjoy some of the most delicious food anywhere while you vacation in Bermuda. The soup featured below is a coconut mango chilled soup with a lime ginger sorbet, it was fabulous.

Cocktails

Bermuda Rum Swizzle Recipe

Ingredients

4 oz.

Gosling’s Black Seal Rum®

4 oz.

Bacardi Light Rum®

1 oz.

Lime Juice

5 oz.

Pineapple Juice

5 oz.

Orange Juice

2 oz.

Grenadine

6 dashes

Angostura Bitters

Directions

Fill a pitcher 1/3 full with crushed ice. Add all ingredients and stir or shake vigorously until a frothing head appears. Strain into sour glasses. Serves 6. Note: This is the original recipe from Gosling’s, the makers of Black Seal Rum. The recipe was copied from the back of their business card.

Drink Type

Cocktail

Glass Type

Pitcher

As the legend goes Christopher Columbus reported strange dancing lights on the horizon in 1492 and over the years The legend of The Bermuda Triangle has evolved.  Researchers say that this is really all a strange mystery and many of these odd occurrences indeed happened elsewhere in the world, never the less it is a fun legend.  Of course that doesn’t stop me from whipping up some rum based ‘Bermuda Triangle’ cocktails or Bermuda Rum Sizzler’s.  Everywhere you go, you can bring back the memories and fun by incorporating your travels in your everyday life and style. I love to sketch fast little pictures of the places we are visiting, it relaxes me so much.

Bermuda Rum Swizzles- You can whip them up by scratch or use one of the mixes from the Island.

Fashion

Top- J crew, shoes Louboutin, belt Escada, skirt is a light weight summer leather don’t know who designed it? I packed fun outfits for dinner, a ton of bikinis and cute cover ups for the beach and  pool side lunch. I also brought great  fun over sized   necklaces in a variety of blues and corals and paired them with fun green jersey knit dresses and white cocktail dresses in the evening.  For walking around St. George and Hamilton I chose smart preppy chic comfortable skirts and sundresses paired with espadrilles.  The island is classy, comfortable and stylish with a preppy tropical flair. It is a fun easy trip to pack for.

I love the pretty bottles that Lili Bermuda perfume comes in. The perfume house just created a new fragrance to celebrate Bermuda’s 400th birthday.

Historic St. George

I never visit Bermuda without stopping by the very old Town of St. George.  It was founded in 1609 when a group of sea ventures decide to ‘wreck’ their small vessel on the shores of St. George. It feels as if time has stopped here and you are in the ‘olden days’ of a small English seaside village. Many sketches of design were sent over from England and you will see a very distinct old world English flair in this small quaint town,  Each day you can see a re-enactment in King’s Square at precisely 12 noon where the town crier puts on quite a show for all to enjoy.  You can visit the Bermuda perfume factory and a host of lovely little boutiques where I guarantee you will find some treasures to bring home as gifts for your family and friends. I adore the little bookshop pictured above, I stocked up on some English paperbacks that I am so enjoying, such fun witty humor!  Visit the unfinished stone church, the Somer’s gardens, dine ocean side on fish and chips or a fresh seafood salad at Woohoos and then give their green tea gelato a try, it is fabulous!  I love St. George.

No matter where you live in the world if you have not been to Bermuda, I highly recommend this lovely Island.  You can relax on the beach, play golf at some of the best courses in the world, snorkel the coral reefs, dine at 5 star restaurants, take in a game of Cricket, shop, relax in a spa and get a good dose of culture and history while you are at it.

Have a lovely day.

Fun Fact #1Bermuda Shorts:

Bermuda’s world-famous shorts are part of the Bermudian man’s formal wardrobe. They have been declared the correct national dress for just about every occasion from cocktail parties to meeting the Queen.  The shorts were originally designed by the British Army and adapted and made their own by Bermudians.  The local stylebook decrees that they should be worn two inches above the knee with Bermuda hose ( long black or navy socks), a white or blue short-sleeved shirt, and a navy blazer.  Black or brown shoes- often loafers- complete the attire. In the summer, casual Bermuda shorts are worn with boat shoes or sandals, but definitely no socks! ( source Destination Bermuda 2010 )

Fun Fact #2 Bermuda’s Pink Sand Beaches:

Why are their beaches pink?  Luck and the coral reefs that provide home to tiny creatures called foramnifera which have pink shells which are washed ashore with sand and bits of coral.

Fun Fact #3 Bermuda Shutters:

Very few products are marked with the made in Bermuda stamp, but a local company is trying to change that.  After 20 years in business ‘Bermuda Shutters’ has recently introduced a new range of shutters called slimline that are manufactured in Bermuda by Bermudians.

xoxo Bunny

Please visit the incredible Foodie Friday for an endless array of delicious treats and yummy goodness to prepare all Summer Long

This entry was posted on Monday, June 14th, 2010.
Tags: Bermuda, Bermuda cuisine, Bermuda History and facts, Bermuda shorts and fashion, fashion, Lili Bermuda perfume, Pompano Beach Club, St George, The Bermuda perfumery, The Irish Linen shop, travel, Travel Classes, travel with children
Posted in Cheers, Family Fun, La Cuisine, La Cuisine - Appetizers, La Cuisine - Entrees, La Cuisine - Soups, Living, Party Girl, Treasure Hunting, Voyage