My mother (93), daughter (30) and I booked a Mother’s Day weekend in Bermuda. On approach to landing, my first impression was the many shades of blue – blue skies with puffy, white clouds fading into azure blue waters with white sand beaches.
I truly don’t ever remember seeing water so clear and beautiful. The 21-mile long island is still under British rule and it’s a direct reflection of the UK; very different from nearby Caribbean islands. The airport is in St. George and our resort was at the extreme other end of the island. A 40-minute taxi ride at about $50 gave us a good overview of the architecture and landscape. We passed neat, well-maintained, pastel-colored homes and commercial buildings. Even the gardens had a British feel to them. There’s no question that this is a desirable location for wealthy people. It’s just a two-hour flight from NYC. We were told that Michael Douglas has a home here (his mother was a native of Bermuda) and former-NYC Mayor Bloomberg also has a home here. Our taxi driver told us it’s illegal to take pictures of others, whether famous or not, since it’s considered rude. Papparazzi are not allowed.
We stayed at the Pompano Beach Club which is a 50-year old resort of pink buildings built into the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at the western-most point of the island. 
Meals were uniformly tasty, fresh, and pricey. Fresh fish, lobster and other seafood were prevalent. Birds flew in and out of the 30 ft tall restaurant and each evening we had a majestic view of the sunset. I was completely shocked one evening when, at the moment the sun disappeared below the horizon, I saw a green flash! Seriously! It was a shade darker than lime green and was explosive like fireworks.
Never out of view of the ocean, every morning began with an excellent breakfast served by friendly staff. In fact, everyone we met on the island had such a positive, welcoming attitude. Either the locals understand the importance of tourism on their economy or they just have extremely nice personalities; perhaps, both. 
The beach, sunshine, relaxation, and shared time were our main interests but we took advantage of the one rainy day to ride the local bus to Hamilton (about $4 per person). Front Street was lined with cafes and small shops selling vacation attire, souvenirs, and Cuban cigars. 
Nothing’s cheap. It seemed like most things cost double or triple what they would at home. Shopping is easy because the American dollar is accepted as equal, dollar for dollar, to the Bermudian currency. And, of course, English is the native language.
Although there are plenty of tourists, there’s a prevailing sense of peace and calm with virtually no shouting, no chaos, no horns blowing, no sense of urgency, and very little noise. Mixing British decorum with island-time produces a very pleasant atmosphere.
We noticed that there were a lot of pregnant women among the tourists. Apparently, this is a top spot for a “babymoon” because it has no Zika virus scare from germ-carrying mosquitos. Everyone with whom we spoke was a repeat visitor with many people saying they’ve been coming once a year for decades. Golfing seems to be one of the big attractions. Supposedly, Tiger Woods played at the PGA golf course next to our resort.
Bermuda shorts is a real style here. I saw businessmen carrying brief cases and wearing suits with the pants legs cut off just above the knees. The black knee-socks and dress shoes seemed odd with shorts but it makes sense if you think of it as professional attire. 
Alas, all good things must come to an end. I won’t soon forget how easily and quickly I can be on the beaches of Bermuda complete with the crystal blue water, white sand, and magical sunsets.
The weekend was marked with beauty–beautiful water, weather, people, and my beautiful mother and daughter. 
“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” Abraham Lincoln
“My parents elected me president of the family when I was 4. We actually had an election every year, and I always won. I’m an only child, and I could count on my mother’s vote.” Condoleezza Rice
“Shower the people you love with love.” James Taylor
Kathryn Byler, blog 