Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

I woke up on day two, with great enthusiasm. After having followed the artist group 'Bermuda Plein Air' on Facebook for years, I was invited to join them for their first al fresco painting gathering of the post-summer season. 

I had connected with a very welcoming lady named Heidi, who told me to meet them at Chaplain Bay on the South Shore, and to bring a picnic lunch.
Heidi did not give me a precise time, but I presumed that 11am might be appropriate, given the picnic reference. 

I knew exactly how to orchestrate my morning. I would go to breakfast at Windows on the Sound at the Southampton Princess akfa (also known to foreigners as) The Fairmont Southampton. I could easily grab a snack 'to go' at Wickets afterwards- their charming coffee bar. I had no idea how long we would be out in the heat, so water would also be a high priority! 

There are so many lovely places to have brunch in Bermuda, that it makes you wish for more Sundays. Typically, I would have gone to church first (I longed to go!), but I truly wanted to witness the Plein Air folks capturing the sea and the clouds. The following weekend, they were scheduled to paint in Hamilton- not the same scenery that I was mystified by.

Windows on the Sound is just grand. There is no other word to describe it. The restaurant is sprawling, with large windows looking out, across the sound, as far as Dockyard. The brunch on Sunday is abundant, and the service is nothing short of impeccable. I enjoyed the most delicious juice that I can recall in recent memory- made from Carrots, Passion Fruit, and Pineapple.

After enjoying Eggs Benedict and grilled asparagus, I grabbed a snack for my painting excursion and hopped in a cab to Chaplin Bay- a stone's throw away. Upon arrival, I saw a good number of cars in the parking lot, so I knew that I had found the right spot. I headed down a trail toward the sea. 

When I reached the sand, I saw a small group, gathered under a group of trees in the shade, critiquing a work of art. OH NO... I had missed it all!!

It turned out that everyone had gathered just after 9am, and the session was over. Sorely disappointed, I was fortunate to make a new acquaintance, who would turn my day around, on a dime.

A kind woman named Anne recognized my name from my writing (!) and offered to show me a thing or two about watercolor painting and composition. As the group dispersed, she said, "I'll stay and take a swim with you, if you'd like!" We spent the next hour (at least!) snorkeling around rocks, looking for fish, bobbing up and down with the waves, and getting to know one another.

Anne offered me her mask and snorkel, but I am an underwater girl. Snorkels do not agree with my lack of coordination, so I opted for the simple mask. How fun it was to swim with someone who could identify each fish. Anne would come up and shout, "There is a Parrot Fish over here!", so I would not be flying blind. She told me which fish had which markings- I loved it!

The waves were surely kicking up, and it was hard to stay in one spot. At one point, Anne warned me that I was drifting too close to a cliff and to move over, against the current.

These are the times in life when chance becomes Heaven. I would not have felt secure enough to swim so close around those rocks, had it not been for Anne, and I did not have a mask to see the fish with clarity(I will be buying one!).

After churning in the sea under the sunshine for an extended time, Anne invited me to join her for lunch at The Swizzle on South Shore Road. It was there that I learned whom I had been snorkeling with... the Executive Director of Keep Bermuda Beautiful. What are the chances?

Here in Bermuda, I learn so much from the people that I meet- whether they are visitors or Bermudians. Anne and I had a fascinating discussion about her work, and I learned that she had recently lost her mother, just like me.

Have you ever been with someone, who has so much knowledge, that you wish you were wired to record it all- so that you could play it back later? Such was my experience with Anne. She had my attention riveted, as we discussed environmental issues on these islands.

I learned about KBB's recent Trash Art Show- one in which entrants gather trash off of the beaches, and create fabulous works of art. She discussed a major event, that is coming up on September 15th- a clean up day, where hundreds of Bermudians take to the beaches and seas to collect litter. Anne actually calculates what percentage of the island's population turns out to participate. It is dedication!

I asked Anne how big her staff was; she is IT- the only employee, supported by a Board and many volunteers. She discussed the difficulty with fundraising in Bermuda, due to so many worthy causes. Here in Bermuda, there are reportedly over 400 registered charities- on an island chain of approximately 21 miles. Anne works very hard to keep the environment front of mind, with regard to giving.


After lunch, Anne was generous enough to escort me to the pharmacy in town, in search of a steno pad for my big story on Weds. We wound up buying all kinds of miscellaneous- like lipstick, which was amusing. We tried on sunglasses for fun. Anne bought a pair of glasses that made her look like an owl- perfect for doing environmental presentations to young kids.

She emphasized how important it is to teach children to protect the environment. To do so, she utilizes a mascot called the "Litter Critter" and shows children imagery of sea life that tell the story, without words. Children have an affinity for God's creatures, and thus this messaging resonates.


While in town, Anne took me to the office of Keep Bermuda Beautiful to show me the history of this vital organization. The walls are lined with educational posters, memorabilia, and trash art- naturally! In looking around, I thought- what an exciting job to have. 

Despite the challenges for funds, it is an impactful crusade that will never be obsolete- and one that impacts every single Bermudian and visitor. Each piece of trash that is picked up protects Bermuda's purity.

I was especially intrigued to see a map that showed the "gyres" in the ocean- circular currents that propel ocean waste to travel long distances. 

Not only does Bermuda need to mind its own litter; it also has to deal with litter that washes up from distant international locations- including the United States.

While ships, by maritime law, are not permitted to dump trash in the ocean, bits of smaller inadvertent debris- called "microplastics" will wash up on Bermuda's beaches; some of them have actual bite marks from sea life.

Anne showed me, on a map, where Bermuda lies within a gyre. Trash that winds up in the North Atlantic Ocean will be pulled into this gyre. It is no wonder that locals are vigilant about picking up litter, here in Bermuda. We witnessed this at Easter, when our kayak guide fished out items from Ely's Harbor. 

To the average visitor, Bermuda is a pretty immaculate island. This, however is not accidental.

Anne showed me a work of art that resembled a color wheel. Every single piece of trash on it was in its original color. It was spellbinding.

I asked Anne why Bermuda does not recycle plastic. You do not see any mention of plastics on recyclable containers. She explained that I was misinformed, and I was glad to learn that! 

Interestingly, Bermuda burns plastic for energy, but not at a temperature that would create an airborne threat; this is calculated precisely to avoid public exposure to toxins.

Anne drove me back to Salt Kettle, after a wonderful afternoon of education and amusement. If I were to randomly wind up at the beach with someone, she was there for a reason. I learned so much from her, that I will carry forward. She even offered to let me borrow a glue gun, when I told her that I felt compelled to make a work of trash art, prior to departure!

The evening at the guest house was wonderful. John invited the three guests at Salt Kettle for dinner in his kitchen. Over a refreshing salad and wine, the four of us got to know one another better. 

One of the visitors is an Italian business man from London, who has traveled to nearly every country in the world, it seems. Another is a Bermudian at heart from Pennsylvania- an adoring friend of the late Hazel Lowe (the matriarch of this delicious property). It was her first time back to Salt Kettle without Hazel here. We could feel her heartache. I could identify with that experience, in an acute way.

Hours passed, and it was time to sleep. As I ended the day, I thought about the power of a guest house- to bring people together from all walks of life and around the world. Sharing a meal with new acquaintances in Bermuda is to be genuinely welcomed and appreciated. We stop, listen to one other and find common ground- sharing stories, laughter and even compassion.

The Lowe family is a worldly clan, having lived in Africa and the UK- in addition to Bermuda. Right now, Suzie and Janie are in Gocek, Turkey. John will join them shortly. This trip is not the same without the Lowe sisters here, yet as John often says, "I must press on"... I will see them again soon!

With each new acquaintance (new friend) that I meet here, I find it remarkable that this 'settlement' here at Salt Kettle (which Mr. and Mrs. Lowe spontaneously purchased on their lunch hour!) has engendered so much love from around the world- without any of the Lowes having to step foot abroad to forge such connections. 


It is no wonder that Madame Hazel Lowe received over 400 Christmas cards every year.