"Tour of Hamilton 2004" Hamilton Travelogue by grandmaR

Text adapted from Frommers 2004. Fromer's test in italics

Front Street from the ship

Because we either come in on the ferry from Kings Wharf or are at the docks, we begin the tour along the harbor front at the:

1. Ferry Terminal. This used to also be the Visitor's Service Center, but in 2007 we could not find the Visitor's Service Center. We used to be able to get a Heritage Pass and the three day bus and ferry pass (cash only - no credit cards or Traveler's checks) here. The ferries leave from the docks behind the ferry terminal - there are ferries to Warwick and Paget parishes or across Great Sound to the West End and Somerset.

Right along the water is Front Street. This is one of the City of Hamilton's main streets. Note that before 1946, there were no cars here. You can see that today, there are small automobiles (only one automobile per Bermuda resident household), buses, mopeds, and bicycles. During the summer, you may also see horse-drawn carriages, which are the most romantic (and, alas, the most expensive) way to see the City of Hamilton.

On our first day in 2004, we took the ferry to Somerset and for some reason I didn't take a picture of the Visitor's Center or the ferry terminal.

"Walk south from the Ferry Terminal toward the water, taking a short side street between the Visitors Service Bureau and the large Bank of Bermuda. You'll come to:"

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club with Albouy

Albouy's Point is a small, grassy park with benches and trees, which is a good place to sit and watch harbour activity. When we stayed at the Hamilton Princess, we walked past Albouy's Point every day to get up to the bus terminal.

Near the ferry terminal (visible from the ferry as it comes in from the Dockyard) is the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, which sponsors the widely televised Newport-Bermuda Race. The club has been a meeting place for the yachting set since the 1930s. To be called ROYAL, the club had to obtain special permission from Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort.

After taking in the view, walk directly north, crossing Point Pleasant Road, to the:

3. Bank of Bermuda--You can visit the bank Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 3pm. On the mezzanine is Bermuda's most extensive coin collection -- there's at least one sample of every coin minted in the United Kingdom since the reign of King James I in the early 17th century. Many Spanish coins used in colonial days are on display. You'll also see the most famous Bermudian currency, the first coins minted on the island, called "hog money." In use since the early 1600s, the hog coin is stamped on one side with the ill-fated Sea Venture and on the other side with a wild hog, the main source of food (barring fish) for the early settlers. Look for an 1887 £5 piece depicting Queen Victoria; its appearance led to a protest throughout the British Empire, when critics claimed that the queen's small crown made her look foolish.

The closest I got to looking at Bermuda money was dining at the Hog Penny.

Now head east along Front Street to the intersection with Queen Street.

The most photographed sight in Bermuda-the Birdcage. I saw a police officer in the birdcage in 1963 and failed to take a picture. Since then, the birdcage has always been empty when we've been near there, so I have never been able to get a photo of the police officer directing traffic from the Birdcage. The policemen (called a bobby like in England) will be wearing regulation Bermuda shorts.

The traffic box was named after its designer, Michael "Dickey" Bird. It stands at Heyl's Corner, which was named for an American southerner, J. B. Heyl, who operated a nearby apothecary in the 1800s.

Continue north along Queen Street until you reach:

Dusk-Bermuda National Library / Historical Society

5. Par-la-Ville Park--This was once a private garden attached to the town house of William B. Perot, Bermuda's first postmaster. Perot, who designed the gardens in the 19th century, collected rare and exotic plants from all over the globe, including an Indian rubber tree, which was seeded in 1847. Mark Twain wrote that he found the tree "disappointing" in that it didn't bear rubber overshoes and hot-water bottles."

We didn't get to the park this time although I have some pictures from the 1995 visit. Nearby is the:

6. Bermuda Historical Society Museum--This museum, at 13 Queen St., is also the Bermuda Library. It's filled with curiosities, including cedar furniture, collections of antique silver and china, hog money, Confederate money, a 1775 letter from George Washington, and other artifacts. The library has many rare books, including a 1624 edition of John Smith's General Historie of Virginia, New England and the Somers Isles, which you can ask to view.

The first time we came here there was a quilt exhibit. In 2007, we had a good time looking at the portraits of Perot and his wife in addition to the other exhibits.

Perot Post Office at dusk

William Perot ran this post office from 1818 to 1862. It's said that he'd collect the mail from the clipper ships, then put it under his top hat in order to maintain his dignity. As he proceeded through town, he'd greet his friends and acquaintances by tipping his hat, thereby delivering their mail at the same time. He started printing stamps in 1848. A Perot stamp is extremely valuable today -- only 11 are known to exist, and Queen Elizabeth II owns several. The last time a Perot stamp came on the market, in 1986, it fetched $135,000.

I finally visit the Perot Post Office in 2007. It is a real working post office with a few little exhibits in one corner.

Continue to the top of Queen Street, then turn right onto Church Street to reach:

Hamilton City Hall / Arts Center &Sea Venture vane

Hamilton City Hall--Located at 17 Church St., the city hall dates from 1960 and is crowned by a white tower. The bronze weather vane on top is a replica of the Sea Venture. Portraits of the queen and paintings of former island leaders adorn the main lobby. The Bermuda Society of Arts holds frequent exhibitions in this hall. The Benbow family's collection of rare stamps is also on display.

Take a Break--The Paradiso Cafe, on the ground floor of the Washington Mall, a shopping and office complex on Reid Street, which is parallel to Church Street to the South (tel. 441/295-3263), serves the most irresistible pastries in town. You can also order ice cream, tartlets, quiches, croissant sandwiches, espresso, and cappuccino.

We took a break in that the bus station is beside City Hall and we stopped our tour at this point to get a bus. I have never been inside the City Hall.

In back of Hamilton City Hall, opening onto Victoria Street, lies:

9. Victoria Park--Office workers frequent this cool, refreshing oasis on their lunch breaks. It features a sunken garden, ornamental shrubbery, and a Victorian bandstand. The 1.6 hectare (4-acre) park was laid out in honor of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. Outdoor concerts are held here in summer. Contact the tourist office for dates.

We rode past Victoria Park on the bus.

Cedar Avenue is the eastern boundary of Victoria Park. If you follow it north for 2 blocks, you'll reach:

10. St. Theresa's--This Roman Catholic cathedral is open daily from 8am to 7pm and for Sunday services. Its architecture was inspired by the Spanish Mission style. Dating from 1927, it's one of a half-dozen Roman Catholic churches in Bermuda; its treasure is a gold-and-silver chalice -- a gift from Pope Paul VI when he visited the island in 1968.

After seeing the cathedral, retrace your steps south along Cedar Avenue until you reach Victoria Street. Cedar Avenue now becomes Burnaby Street; continue south to Church Street and turn left. A short walk along this street (on your left) will bring you to the:

11. Bermuda Cathedral--The Bermuda Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, is the seat (main church) of the Anglican Church of Bermuda.

The Cathedral is known not only for its religious, historical, and social importance, but also for its beautiful Neo-Gothic architecture. This architectural style is characterized by stained-glass windows and soaring arches. The hilltop location means that I have never visited it, although the steeple towers over the city of Hamilton

". The reredos features a striking central figure of the Lord flanked by 14 saints, and the pulpit is a replica of the one in St. Giles, Edinburgh, Scotland."

The top picture is of the Bermuda Cathedral from the ship - that's as close as I've gotten to it.

Cenotaph-commemorates Bermudians killed in WWs

12. The Sessions House (Parliament Building) is quite near here located on Parliament Street, between Reid and Church streets. The Sessions house is in the background of this Cenotaph picture.

The Sessions House is open to the public Monday to Friday from 9am to 12:30pm and 2 to 5pm. The speaker wears a full wig and a flowing black robe. The Parliament of Bermuda is the third oldest in the world, after Iceland's and England's.

Continue south along Parliament Street to Front Street, and turn left toward the:

13. Cabinet Building--The official opening of Parliament takes place here in late October or early November. Wearing a plumed hat and full regalia, the governor makes his "Throne Speech." If you visit on a Wednesday, you can see the Bermuda Senate in action. The building is located between Court and Parliament streets, and is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

In front of the Cabinet Building is:

The Cenotaph is a memorial to Bermuda's dead from World War I (1914-18) and World War II (1939-45). In 1920, the Prince of Wales laid the cornerstone. (In 1936, as King Edward VIII, he abdicated to marry an American divorcée, Wallis Simpson, and during World War II, as the Duke of Windsor, he served as governor of the Bahamas.) The landmark is a replica of the Cenotaph in London.

I had a picture of the Cenotaph both from 1963 and from 2004.

Continue east along Front Street until you reach King Street, then turn left and head north until you come to Happy Valley Road. Go right on this road until you see the entrance (on your right) to:

15. Fort Hamilton--This imposing old fortress lies on the eastern outskirts of town. The Duke of Wellington ordered its construction to protect Hamilton Harbour. Filled with underground passageways and complete with a moat and 18-ton guns, the fort was outdated before it was even completed, and it never fired a shot. It does, however, offer panoramic views of the city and the harbor, and it's worth a trip just for the view. In summer, try to be here at noon, when the kilted Bermuda Isles Pipe Band performs a skirling ceremony on the green, accompanied by dancers and drummers.

Winding Down--Enjoy old-fashioned tea at the Fort Hamilton Tea Shoppe (no phone), where you can also order light refreshments.