2009 marks the 400th year that Bermuda was settled. In 1609, a boat called the Sea Venture was sent from England to send help for a troubled settlement in Virginia. But the ship was wrecked on Bermuda's reefs. The people stayed in Bermuda for months while they repaired the ship. Once that was done, they continued onto Virginia, but 2 people stayed back as it was decided that Bermuda could be settled by the English. That's the story in an extremely condensed version. The island was spotted maybe 100 years before that by a Spanish sailor called Juan de Bermudez. Sailors used it as a landmark for navigation, but avoided getting close because of the dangerous reefs surrounding it. For a more accurate and complete history, visit the Bermuda 2009 website.
To kick off a year full of celebrations, a street party was held on Hamilton's Front Street. We headed down there, but eventually opted to celebrate in our own style and go for a drink.
In the second picture above, my friend is pointing to the lights on the palm trees (as mentioned in my previous blog).
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