Celebrating 400 years of Bermuda

Where did William Shakespeare get the idea for his play The Tempest? Bermuda. In 1609, the Sea Venture was sailing from England to Virginia when it got caught in a storm near Bermuda. The ship sank; its passengers survived, built a smaller ship and sailed to Jamestown in 1610, leaving two people behind on the island. Shakespeare used the survivors' accounts of the shipwreck as inspiration for The Tempest.

Since January, Bermuda has been celebrating 400 years of links between England and what became one of its first colonies in the New World. Special events include exhibitions of objects from the Sea Venture underwater archaeological site in the Bermuda Maritime Museum and a "Tall Ships" festival planned for 11 to 15 June in Hamilton, the capital.

According to the Bermuda Department of Tourism, the island is coming to the end of its "winter season", which runs from November to March, when the daytime temperature is about 21 °C. Not perfect for snorkelling, perhaps, but ideal for golf, tennis and hiking. Because cruise ships don't visit Bermuda during its winter, getting restaurant tables and good hotel rates is a lot easier in winter than in summer.