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Cruise part 3

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 The view from our table one morning at breakfast Day two in Bermuda, and another excursion. This time we boarded a mini bus.   Our first stop was the  Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo .  We were given an hour at this location, and that’s plenty of t8me to see all the animals. We were there when the harbor seals were fed. Giant tortoises  We love zoos of any size,  so this was fun. And then it was on to the Crystal Cave.  I was a bit nervous about this part, because you have to walk down 88 steps into the cave, and then back up 88 steps…and I have arthritis in both kneees. But a favorite YouTuber, Tony from La Lido Loca, did this excursion a few months ago. To be honest, I climbed more steps on the ship than in the cave.   It’s a pretty cave, but very small.  The whole tour took about 30 minutes. Weird occurrence of the day.  We got pulled over at a police checkpoint and our bus driver got a $50 ticket for not wearing his seatbelt. We ma...
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Music Monday

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Cruise part 2

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Bermuda is a small island …or rather, a group of small island …in the middle of the North Atlantic.  It’s closer to North Carolina than it is to the Caribbean.  21 miles long and a mile wide, it’s the remnant of an extinct volcano.  It is surrounded by coral reefs.  Originally discovered by the Spanish, it was settled by English people who were bound for the Jamestown Colony in Virginia but were blown off course and shipwrecked.  So what did we do in Bermuda? Well, on the first day, we took a tour of the island.  7 of us in a minivan.  The driver talked about the history and culture of Bermuda as he pointed out interesting sites. This is a small church. Notice the cistern collecting water from the roof.  There’s no fresh water on the island except rainwater, so every roof is designed to collect rain. Avery different church in the distance … And in Hamilton you have to pose… The church we saw in the distance  We also stopped at Horseshoe Bay, ...
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So, the cruise …part 1 of 4

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 Five days on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. Sailing out of Port Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, with a two day visit to Bermuda.  It’s one of the older, smaller ships, sister ship to Freedom of the Seas, which we sailed to the Caribbean in 2016. This was the first time we drove to a port rather than flying in.  We know how bad the traffic can be through Brooklyn, so made certain to leave the house very early in the morning.  Through Brooklyn, over the Verrazano Bridge, across Staten Island to the Bayonne Bridge, then a short ride to Port Liberty.  Parked the car, went through the pre boarding process, and finally we were on the ship!  Welcome to New York Harbor. I had heard that the best place to be when the ship sails is the helipad.  It’s an open area on deck 5, right at the front of the ship.  The view was gear, but I wish I’d brought my hoodie — it was very windy and a little cold. The Staten Island Ferry   And the Verrazano...
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