BER-MU-DA

We spent a few Bermudays on the beach, in the sun, floating in the water, snorkeling, marvelling about how the weak economy doesn't seem to have reached that isle. Let me put it this way - where we stayed (Elbow Beach Resort,) the prices were HIGH.

But the weather was cooler than Austin's record breaking summer by about 20 degrees. It was much more humid, of course, as Austin is in mid-exceptional-drought while Bermuda sits on the Atlantic.

Some notes in no order:

--- Tourists from wherever still smoke more than we have seen/smelled in our lives for many many years.

--- Elbow Beach sand was wonderful. (I collect sand from beaches on which I've stood. I have about 70 samples.) I'd put this right into the top few!

--- The world population is headed to obesity, as measured by our snapshot on the beach and in airports.

--- Flying in coach still sucks. I cannot get comfortable.

--- Atlanta airport is HUGE and amazing and well run.

--- Bermuda's airport also beats all of the Caribbean ones we've seen in organization, cleanliness. Of course it isn't IN the Caribbean, either.

--- We saw very few seagulls. No dolphins. Lots of seaweed. LARGE parrot fish.

--- Despite a couple thousand college-era miles on my Vespa, I'd have died on a scooter in Bermuda as I would have immediately turned right into oncoming traffic. No question!

--- I saw several schools of very small jellyfish. I didn't know they could do that schooling thing. Each was maybe the size of a 50 cent piece.

--- Terri and I debated about a couple - he, what appeared to me to be a 60ish retired CEO; she, a thin 20ish long legged colt (high heels to the beach,) Me: model; Terri: white trash. We gave up on "niece" after watching him caress her thigh. She swam a great distance and I didn't think strippers did that. The debate was fun.

--- The people in the room next door to ours played the oddest music, sometimes accompanied by singing... as late as 2AM or beyond. We finally thought to complain to the front desk and that stopped the nighttime warble.

--- Bermuda is clean and beautiful. It is celebrating its 400th birthday next week.
Their last hurricane was in 2003. Water was 84 degrees. Daytime air was 87 degrees. We had fun.

--- I took several hundred pictures and will probably post some on my new site www.photographerbobwood.com , which remains a work in progress.