Colonial St. George is lovely slice of Bermuda that offers not only the visual delights of pastel homes, but also an alluring history. It's a place I plan to return to again and again.
All you need is a little hunger for history and this UNESCO World Heritage Site will enlighten and entertain with its slew of sites.
It was in the year 1609, when Sir George Somers struck a reef off the eastern end of the island. The 150 people and one dog aboard his ship made it to shore in skiffs. The productive captain, crew and colonists stayed for 10 months and built two ships, the Deliverance and the Patience, a church and a few houses. They salvaged the rigging from the Sea Venture and set sail again. Somers returned to Bermuda on Patience to supply the island settlers, who were on the verge of starvation, but died soon after arriving in 1610.
It was with this history in mind that I jumped on the back of my husband's red rental scooter and ventured off to the oldest continuously inhabited town of English origin in the Western hemisphere. From Elbow Beach, we zipped on to St. George, which is in a region of Bermuda is known to locals as "down country."
The hard history of the area seemed in bright contrast with its pleasant present. The ride was scenic, sketched in pastel.
Note on Transportation: There is no such thing as renting a car in Bermuda. All cars on Bermuda are owned by Bermudians, and if if a visitor knows a Bermudian, driving their car is off limits. Transportation options for visitors are: taxi (expensive), pink and blue buses (inexpensive), ferry (moderate) and cycle/scooter (potentially dangerous).
