Christmas in Bermuda
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For the first time in 7 years, since the time we first started cruising, John and I went home to Bermuda for Christmas.
We stopped in Guatemala City for one day to do some gift shopping. Visiting the central market we found it in full seasonal swing!
There was even a skating/ice ring set up! Decorations galore and festivities abounding, we enjoyed our day just strolling around.
The next stop was Miami for some Airbnb purchases for Langata Lower and a few Christmas gifts. This was more of a chore than fun, but a necessary stop.
Finally we arrived in Bermuda on December 9th a few weeks before Christmas. We were staying in our Airbnb – aka our home.
The first week was mighty busy.
There was family to visit, Gavin, Katie and the girls, in their new home. Plus Kate and May to catch up with and Fabio to meet. Jessie and Jossie the horse and pony to feed for Kate, a few days and odd hours of babysitting to do, house maintenance, plus the garden to try and check.
There were repairs to start. This time around they mainly consisted of plumbing problems. A pipe had broken, so there was water damage in the storage room, one of the water heaters had died and the pressure pump needed replacing.
I also spent time cooking for everyone and cleaning the upper house where our daughter Chrissie lives with her son Quest, plus our grandson Ethan.
On the Sunday before Christmas we had a grand baking day, mince pies by the dozens and sausage rolls by the scores were produced by Kate, Chrissie and myself with Fabio helping in the background. They were delicious!!
There were trips into Hamilton, both business and shopping, a visit to my family’s grave site after which we were able to have a quick drive around Somerset and along the Southshore Road.
Before we knew it, it was Christmas Day.
The morning was spent first opening a few presents with Chrissie and Quest, then off we rushed to 1st visit Kate, May and Fabio followed by a stop at Gavin’s and Katie’s.
At Kate’s we opened gifts and had minosas, May loved the bike we got her, she also had a new miniature pink car which she proudly drove around the garden.
Quest really wanted the car for himself and had a hard time parting from it. Kate gifted us with a lovely sailing print for our place. It really looks wonderful in Langata Lower.
At Gavin’s the girls Lily and Evie were thrilled with the new fishing gear. Living right on the shoreline plus having a boat they will have lots of opportunity to fish. Gavin and Katie liked the Guatemalan painting we had brought them. It will be a splash of colour in their new house.
Back at the house it was full ahead to get ready for the Christmas dinner which we hosted for the entire family, excluding May for a few hours. We had a full menu, a kale salad to start, followed by the turkey, ham, cassava pie and all the trimmings plus 3 vegetable dishes and 4 dessert choices to follow.
Quest’s Daddy – Ivan visited, he had brought Quest a motor bike, just a toy one but still it runs. Quest of course loved it.
At the table it was a squeeze to fit us all in, John and I, Gavin and Katie, Kate and Fabio, Chrissie plus the 6 grands. And it took John and I a good 5 – 10 minutes to serve up and get the food to the table. The meal was – I think – a resounding success! Afterwards the younger grands played with the new toys, the older grands and the rest of us chatted.
The next day – Boxing Day is traditionally one for visiting, Gavin and Katie were having a house warming party celebrating their new house.
We all gathered at their house in early afternoon and were able to catch up with old friends. There was a fun castle and many children who all had a blast playing.
With just a week to go before we were to leave with Chrissie and Quest John and I had to rush to try to finish off everything we had hoped to do. The time in Bermuda as usual just flew by……
