Best for 700 Miles Around

About the only thing accidental in Bermudan history is the island state’s beginning. A group of settlers sailing for the shores of Virginia in 1609 were shipwrecked there in a hurricane

Many of them decided after months of enjoying Bermuda’s equable climate and fertile soil that they would rather stay put than finish the final 600-mile leg to North America. It was not a bad decision. In the almost 400 years since, Bermuda has become a wealthy, peaceful, civil, beloved place, both in the eyes of its citizens and millions of people in the English-speaking world.

For Bermudans have built much to be affectionate about. Their English language and folkways have been leavened with a heavy infusion of African cultures (about 60% of Bermudans are of African descent). The admixture has created a people who can be very much like the Americans in having an emotional palette that can safely range from a dignified, stately formality to a party-down, pull-out-the-stops state of mind.  In between, English civility melds with African sociability to produce a public life that is attractive to everybody who experiences it – native and visitor alike.

Social skills aside, Bermudans aren’t too bad at business either. A savvy business class has made the island a preferred entrepot for many U.S. and European companies, and offshore investors have moved in to take advantage of Bermuda’s liberal tax laws.

The resultant economy, a mix of tourism, warehousing and, increasingly, high-tech hosting of Internet services, is robust. Per-capita income (approx. $35,000) exceeds that of the U.S. and is surpassed by only three other nations. Not bad for 62,000 people living on 20 square miles of land atop a mid-ocean mountain.

Prosperity and neighborliness have made for a small nation with big cultural aspirations. Since 1976, the island has put on the Bermuda Festival, a cultural extravaganza that ranges from jazz ensembles and ballet dancers to theater productions, circuses and chamber music. (Note that it is called The Bermuda Festival, not a Bermuda Festival.)

Unlike its distant island cousins in the Caribbean, Bermuda is not tropical or hot year-round. Winter weather is mild (and certainly balmy for a Londoner or New Yorker) and turns people’s thoughts to more cerebral pursuits. So, the Festival always starts in winter, in late January, and extends through all of February. The almost casual unfolding of events makes for an unstressed event, with festival-goers able to leisurely work in other pursuits rather than madly dashing from one event to another.

This year’s festival, the 27th, begins January 16 with the Aquila Theatre Company. Over the next six weeks, such performers as the New Shanghai Circus, American Ballet Theater and The Bach Ensemble each will perform at one of the four venues set aside for the festival.

After 27 years, the organizers have this event down to a science. A very handy web site (see the URL below) contains detailed information, and even allows online ticket ordering (make sure your browser can accommodate cookies).

Remember that aside from enjoying performers of note, Bermuda offers the January and February traveler eight golf courses, a cluster of world-class resorts, a spectacular shoreline and warm winter weather. Air flights from New York or Boston take about two hours, and Atlanta or Toronto two and a half hours.

Don’t forget that the Bermudan dollar is pegged to the U.S. dollar, so what you see is what you get when it comes to ticket prices. — Patrick Totty