4-22 Bermuda day one

After a brief port hold up, we’re finally off the ship a little after 1.  We fast walk over to the Frog and Onion and belly up to the bar. Michael – our darling and ever so patient bartender – serves us up our beer. We have some discussion about the Vampire answer, write it down and take a picture.  Then we decide to ask if there is anything in the pub that might be a clue.  Michael reads the riddle and doesn’t know, but comes back a little later and points out the Flag hanging on the wall with what looks like a bear and a ship.  Ok – but what is it?  More discussion ensues – Ed takes a picture of it – Randy finds some guy who has lived on the island for 65 years to ask about it – but the guy doesn’t have a clue.  Hmmm….finally the hostess comes over and asks if we are doing the Race.  She proceeds to tell us it is Griffin – cool – thanks! But – do you have internet here? Can we go online. Oh yeah, sure – here’s the code for an hour.  AWESOME.

Googling all spellings of Griffin, Griffon, Grifin Wolf, you name it, comes up with zilch.  We say stick with Vampire.  Randy and Bev leave.  Ron, Prim, Ed and I are hanging out. I decide I need a wine!  Bev and Randy come back saying they overhead another team talking about the Griffin Wolf and know Vampire isn’t right. Ok, but there is nothing on Google. Finally – I take the damn riddle and Google the first sentence – DUH – it’s a freaking STAPLER of all things!  Honestly!

So – we change the answer, ask for a magic marker at the bar, take another picture this time with another bartender because Michael is somewhere else – and voila!  We are done.  I decide I need a 2^nd glass of wine – and Ed now joins me with a real beer.  Phew.  For a bonus – that was tough!

So, now that’s done – Ron and Prim go off to wander around and we do the same.  We meander through the little craft market next to Frog and Onion, I pick up some great pink sand earrings, then we just walk around Dockyards, taking pictures around the courtyards and generally just enjoying the sunny weather.

We’ve decided to just spend the day here, and hang out. Tomorrow we can head over to St. George or Hamilton and do a little sightseeing – but for now, we’re content to stay on this side of the archipelago.  There is a tourist information gal at the port building where we can get our bus tickets for tomorrow – so when we are ready to get back aboard, we go to her for our one day pass. She tells us there is a special ferry to St. George tomorrow just for us.  Yay!  It leaves at 9:30, but we should be there by 9:00 she says.  Great. As an added attraction there is also the Peppercorn Festival being held in St. George tomorrow, their annual celebration to memorialize paying the rent (of one peppercorn) for the state building in St. George. Cool!  Should be a fun day.

We spend the rest of the day just relaxing about the ship.