Bermuda | Chicago Addick

Jul 20

Bret

Last September I blogged through the night (my September archive is dominated by it) when Hurricane Igor battered the island throughout the night. It was a scary experience coming a day after I had knee surgery and was hobbling around on crutches.

The hurricane season is with us again and Bermuda is set to have it’s first 2011 brush with nature on Thursday as Tropical Storm (a named storm is not classified as a hurricane unless it has sustained winds of at least 74 mph) Bret passes by the island.
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Jul 15

The Plaza Café

Not content with discovering good coffee at the Tribe Road Kitchen last week, this week I came across a good lunch spot in Hamilton.

The Plaza Café is tucked away upstairs in what is called the Walker Arcade between Reid and Front Street’s and used to be a very third rate coffee shop.

Upon research the Plaza Café got renovated by the owners at the back end of last year and I normally have no reason to venture near it, so when I did stroll past earlier in the week it was a pleasant surprise to look in it’s window at the very sleek interior.
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Jul 11

Bermuda Page

After recently celebrating 3 years on the rock, I thought it was a good time to update my Bermuda Page over there on the right hand side. Feel free to comment.

Jul 8

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Young Bermudian players in English league

Freddy Hall. Remember that name? You probably don’t although I suspect my fellow Bermuda Addicks will. Hall is a Bermudian goalkeeper who was on trial with Charlton in December 2009. It didn’t work out and he returned to University in America to finish his degree.

A year ago he was at Plymouth Argyle on trial, but that didn’t work out either and he returned to Bermuda and played the season with the Hogges in the USL, the American 3rd tier. However it was announced today that Gary Johnson has given him a one-year contract at Northampton.
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Jul 5

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Bermuda – 3 years on

3 years on the rock has flown by, probably because I have this inherent view that everyday living here is very similiar. Unlike some ex-pats who move to a new country with an end game like going home after a finite amount of time, we came here open-minded to how long we stayed but acknowledging that we are tied to term work permits and unpredictable government policy.

We are very happy here and although if I’m honest we don’t love it, there isn’t much not to like. We miss the cultural things and modern infrastrucure and the things that one takes for granted that big cities bring, but Bermuda is not like living in Jamaica. This is first world on one of the remotest islands on the planet, albeit it can be like living in an English village in the 1970’s.
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Jul 4

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The Tribe Road Kitchen

This weekend was my 3rd anniversary of being in Bermuda, more on that another day, but I have to tell you that I finally found a coffee shop to rival one I found in my early decent coffee hunting three years ago.

The Tribe Road Kitchen has been open just a few weeks and is on the corner of Reid Street and King Street in Hamilton. The owners stripped down and restored a derelict 200-year-old Bermuda cottage and have used appealing reconditioned furniture and fittings to give it a hip but homely look.
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Jul 2

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2011 Island Games

I wrote about and followed quite closely the Island Games two years ago. Yesterday was the last day and the closing ceremony of this year’s tournament held in the Isle of Wight.

25 island nations either part of, or associated with, the 9 sovereign nations of Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the Caribbean compete every two years in 14 sports (chosen by the hosts from a list of 18) and the next Island Games will be in Bermuda for the first time in 2013 – sod London 2012, I might just wait for the greatest show on the ocean to come here!
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Jun 20

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National Heroes Day

I’m in New York today but officially I am on holiday as back in Bermuda it’s the National Heroes Day public holiday. Previously Bermudians celebrated today as the Queen’s birthday but a couple of years back the government decided to scrap poor old Queenie and go for something with a more civic meaning. Please click for more

May 18

Three become two

It was just 18 months ago that a 3rd political party, the Bermuda Democratic Alliance (BDA) was formed (I wrote about it here). Yet yesterday BDA and the countries main opposition party, the United Bermuda Party (UBP) merged.

On the face of it, it appears a strange decision. Yes, the BDA’s hopes of getting into government within the next decade are slim if non-existent but politics is a marathon and not a sprint. From an outsiders point of view and from what I had read the BDA had some common sense ideas and they offered a different perspective outside the current prejudices.
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May 12

Drought

Despite being surrounded by millions of leagues of deep blue sea and having 60 inches of rainwater each year Bermuda is close to running out of water. At home we have already been forced to order 13 tanks of additional water so far this year and it’s not even summer yet.

Not withstanding Bermuda’s island status, water is a scarce and valuable commodity. With a solid limestone rock base piping water is impossible. There is no tropical rainy season or fresh water lakes on the island and Bermuda has just a few reverse osmosis plants and ground water gathering lenses. Whitewashed house roofs collect rainwater and funnel it into underwater tanks (there are 21,000 on the island).
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Apr 22

Fainted

I started Good Friday with a hangover. I was, as I tried to explain to my other half, a touch over-served by the waiter in Harry’s last night and it was also what I call a ‘London night out,’ i.e. no food. My punishment was a nudge in the ribs at 6.15am as my daughter’s crying heralded an early breakfast time for me and her.

Later I was blowing up a rubber ring before we headed out and I fainted. I have no idea what happened and I only blacked out for a few seconds but it did earn me a bit of sympathy.
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Apr 18

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Earthquake felt in Bermuda

At 12.38pm today Bermuda shook as a 4.5 magnitude earthquake rattled buildings and made people stop in their tracks and wonder if they’d had one too many early lunch sharpeners.

I was in the Bank of Butterfield at the time and no one appeared to blink an eyelid, even the useless staff who were asleep while customers queued. The earthquake was 50 miles west of the island and only around 2 miles deep below the previously still clear Atlantic Ocean.

No damage or injuries are being reported. Bermuda is a known hurricane centre, but earthquakes is a new one on me. There is no fault line in the middle of the Atlantic technically speaking but there is a divergance zone where the mid-oceanic ridge passes through to Iceland.

Unlike hurricanes there is no season for earthquakes, and no warning, but the recent spate of world activity is showing that someone down there, or up there for that matter, is not happy.

Mar 20

64 Degrees

We tried a new place to eat last night which is a rarity in Bermuda. 64 Degrees at the Port Royal Golf Club has been open for over a year but we hadn’t been anywhere near it despite the fact it is probably the closet restaurant to our house.

Named after one half of Bermuda’s co-ordinates (64W 32N), the simple but spacious restaurant forms part of the revitalised club house at Port Royal and is elevated perfectly to give panoramic views of the course and the south shore.
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Mar 16

Girls, goats and iPads

We are leaving Chicago first thing tomorrow after an enjoyable few days here. Without one shadow of a doubt, me and the other half will have the same conversation we always have when we leave Chicago during the journey back which will end in us categorically agreeing to move back as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

That of course doesn’t mean it will and we are happy in Bermuda, although we have had a couple of blips recently, namely having great difficulty in getting our daughter into a (decent) pre-school, which we have finally done for a start in September.

There are few places however that light me up more than when I’m walking the streets of Chicago, which I did a lot these last few days, mostly holding my daughter’s tiny hand as she explored every minute detail at an extremely slow pace as only 16-month olds can.
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Feb 27

Paco Peña Flamenco

Watching The Oscars has reminded me of something cultured I did last week. On Wednesday night we were invited to a flamenco show in Hamilton’s City Hall by Andulasian master Paco Peña as part of the Bermudian Festival.

I have never experienced a true live flamenco before, and after expecting to be able to catch up on a little sleep, I was instead in awe of the deceptively simplistic music and movement. How nine people on a plain stage could produce such drama and itensity was pretty clever.
Valley.
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Feb 13

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Further development at Tuckers Point

Last week my favourite hotel brand Rosewood officially took over the management of Tuckers Point. Interestingly at the same time Tuckers announced an agreement with the Bermudian Government to circumvent restrictions on building on prime open space. This has been met with outcry from the National Trust amongst many others as the land earmarked for development around Glebe Road and Paynter’s Hill (right) is currently a swarthe of open hills that are home to 17 of the last 19 Yellowwood trees in Bermuda, rock outcrops and also include a large network of ancient caves.

Tuckers Point’s viability has been a continual struggle and this expansion is believed to be the only way it can be financially successful. Rosewood and HSBC, who are reportedly owed $85m, are said to have insisted on the further development which will include 78 residences and another 70 hotel rooms. However the work will not be immediate as the hotel’s Bermudian owners look to weather the recession.
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Jan 29

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Frostdale

Well that came as a bit of a shock. I had no idea the weather was so bad up on the outskirts of Manchester. Minus 7 apparently this morning and the game was called off at 9.20am but still extremely disappointing to many Addicks that were on route or already searching out some warm hostelries in the land of Cyril Smith.

Disappointing and another game to add to later in an already busy schedule.

The weather’s a bit on the chipper side here, so instead of listening to the game we will do what everyone else does in Bermuda when it’s cold and dreary, we’re going to the aquarium.

Jan 19

Bermuda’s recession just starting

It was announced this week, to no great surprise that Bermudian Bank NT Butterfield has called in it’s loans to the Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort and Spa. The money owed to the bank, that is not doing too chipper itself, is thought to run into tens of millions of dollars.
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Dec 31

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Happy New Year

The bloody years disappear fast don’t they? A year ago we could hardly stay awake to welcome in a new decade and in fact we had given up on seeing in the new year until the baby demanded a timely midnight feed.

This year has gone quick though. Our lives were busy before but with a 14-month old and with both of us working, couch potato time is practically zero.

I’m not a big New Year’s Eve fan, and am fortunate that (where allowed) I can go out on the other 364 nights of the year, so I have never fully understood the fuss tonight, nor the pressure or the cost that goes with it. Nonetheless I always find myself in a very reflective mood.
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Dec 22

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Record low

I am coming back to London tomorrow to some severe weather and I am trying to find some of the warmer clothes I used to regularly wear in Chicago. But ever since I put the kybosh on the Bermudian winter, the island has had the worst December on record!

Yesterday temperatures plunged to a record low of 48F (9C) the coldest ever recorded day for December breaking the previous worst of 50F (10C). Bermuda’s coldest temperature on record is 44F (6.6C), from February of 1950.

Last night many of ferries were cancelled as winds got up to 75mph. At the aiprort by all accounts the winds are blowing up the runway as opposed to across it, which is a good thing!

Nov 30

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A no snow

While snow adorns pavements and trees, for which in some cases still have leaves on, in London and the south-east of England, and with snow forecast for my second home in Chicago later today I came to work this morning dressed in shorts.

It is December 1st tomorrow and the weather remains in the 70’s (22c) in Bermuda. Despite it’s latitude and longitude and it’s location over a 1,000 miles north of the Bahamas, the island is entirely frost-free with snow only ever seen on Christmas cards. The reason for this is the Gulf Stream that heats the waters around this middle of the Atlantic dormant volcano, home to 65,000 people.
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Nov 25

Turkey day

Happy Turkey Day to all of my American friends and readers. As my old boss used to say Thanksgiving is like a four-day Sunday. You just eat, drink and watch sport on the telly for four days without any of hassle of having to buy presents for each other.

In honour, apologies honor, of my American friends I took today off work to do some bits and bobs around the house and flop in front of the television. The famous Macy’s Parade starts in a minute.

As someone pointed out to me the other day Bermuda observes almost every UK and USA holiday and just for good measure throw in another fair few themselves. Our office is shut tomorrow so I have myself my very own four day weekend. Nice.
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Nov 19

Sad goodbyes

I was babysitting tonight. A welcome relief after three nights out on the toot. I was asked the other morning by the other half: “At what age do you think getting in at 3am is unacceptable?” I think it was a trick question.

Two nights were work related, that job will be the end of me, and last night was some leaving drinks for my best mate on the island. I was in before midnight so I woke up the other half just to make sure she didn’t make up stories about me this morning.

I have written before about living as an ex-pat, building friendships, investing in people and then, wham, losing them as people’s life’s move on in a different direction to ones own. To quote one of my bestest mates back at home “I have enough friends already, so I don’t need any more,” and I do have some great mates back at home but I don’t see them all the time and we have been lucky to meet some wonderful people in our years in both Chicago and Bermuda.

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Nov 18

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Restaurant review: The Point

Fresh from the announcement that the Rosewood Hotels Group will take over the operations of Tuckers Point Hotel, the first luxury hotel to be built in Bermuda for 40 years, we went with some friends to dinner at it’s flagship restaurant The Point on Saturday night for the first time and to see if the hotel’s service deficiences had improved.

The place was packed, which was great to see. Tables had plenty of space in between them and although the restaurant had a formal feel (a jacket was required), it was in no way stuffy.

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Nov 14

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Five star

Peterborough United 1 Charlton Athletic 5
Yesterday I spent the duration of the game sat poolside in the autumn sun sipping on a rum swizzle catching up with an old friend from Chicago. Across the glistening and heated pool was Castle Harbour and lush rolling hills and palm trees.

It’s easy to take Bermuda’s beauty for granted, and I often do, and it’s not very often that I wish I was in Peterborough instead but believe me I would have given anything yesterday to swap my lazy afternoon for standing behind the goal at London Road to witness with my own eyes what 1,358 other Addicks did, everyone of whom will justifiably be talking about this day for a long, long time.

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Nov 11

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Remembrance Day in Bermuda

The 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month. Bermuda takes today very seriously and the day is a national holiday with shops and businesses closed to remember those that were lost. The island lost 125 brave men and women during the World Wars fighting overseas on behalf of the Brits, Americans and Canadians protecting the freedom of those back home on a 21 sq. mile island in the middle of the Atlantic.

Also during those bleak years the Home Guard were joined by Bermudians in Royal Naval Dockyard who kept the Atlantic supply lines open, ensuring the British and Americans received essential supplies.
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Nov 10

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Bermuda Rugby Classic

In the 1970’s and early 1980’s Bermuda successfully invited a number of 1st class rugby union nations to play exhibition games here and some of the players liked the camaraderie and the rum cocktails so much they helped instigate a veteran’s tournament that came to fruition in 1988. Players such as Willie John McBride and JPR Williams were early guests as teams from all over the world came to contest the tournament. Wales won that first Classic in 1988 and a powerful All Blacks won last year’s title.

Bermuda Rugby Classic week is about the best week on the island. Held at the National Stadium, the night’s are drawing in but a fleece suffices while standing out in the open tucking away a few Heinekens and watching some of the world’s best rugby players (over the age of 33) battle it out for the for both pride and prize.
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Oct 29

Paula Cox to be Bermuda’s new Premier

Last night in Bermuda Paula Cox was voted in by fellow Progressive Labour Party (PLP) members as the countries new Premier and will take the place of Dr Ewart Brown, who is stepping down after an eventful four years. I will write more on Brown when I get a minute.

Cox is currently Deputy Premier and her winning was about as predictable as the rabbit winning a greyhound race. Cox strolled to victory with 124 votes with Terry Lister 39 and Dale Butler collecting a rather embarrassing 2. Derrick Burgess was voted in as Cox’s new Deputy narrowly defeating Lister.

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Oct 27

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Rosewood to take over Tucker’s Point Hotel

If you are a regular reader of mine you will know that I have long been in love with the Rosewood Hotel Group, in my humble opinion the best luxury brand hotels in the world.

There are only 19 owned and/or managed Rosewood Hotels, and I have on my bucket list to visit all of them. I am currently stuck on five but then completely out of the blue as we sat on the bed last night at the Tucker’s Point Hotel watching the local news, that increased to six!
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Oct 21

Who Els

A blustery day at Port Royal for the final round of the PGA Grand Slam yesterday. The conditions and the dramatic topography not only tested the four golfers but also my knee. I most definitely haven’t done that much walking in a while, thus making the easy decision to give my calf raises a miss last night.

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Oct 20

On a course

I’m off shortly to watch the final round of the PGA Grand Slam at Port Royal, which is about a 15 minute walk from the house, although there are showers in the air at the moment as I look out of the window.

David Toms leads after the first day firing a four-under-par 67, giving him a one-shot lead over three-time major champion Ernie Els. Sadly this year’s two actual major winners Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer trail behind with one-over and three-over respectively.

McDowell who overcame a triple-bogey on the par-four 11th yesterday, has just Tweeted: “Getting ready for round two of the PGA Grandslam here in Bermuda. Low number required. We play a little earlier to avoid some weather later.” Better take my umbrella.

Oct 18

Four!

The PGA Grand Slam returns to Bermuda this week, once again at the Port Royal Golf Club, which is now handily situated just around the corner from our house.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is designed for the season’s four major winners (the Masters, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship) but never have all four winners appeared for the season’s finale. This year sadly only two are here – Graham McDowell and Martin Kaymer, and they are joined by Ernie Els in for the otherwise engaged Phil Mickleson and David Toms, a late replacement for the injured South African Luis Oosthuizen.

Mickelson would have been a crowd puller and also I expect have attracted strong American interest but like Tiger before him he didn’t fancy it or the $1,350,000 of prize money for two rounds of golf.

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Oct 17

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The World cruise liner visits Bermuda

The World Cruise liner arrived in Bermuda on Friday for a weekend’s stay for it’s residents. As part of it’s 100-port tour residents strolled the streets of Hamilton this weekend before stopping in St George’s for a day Monday and then heading onto America’s east coast, the Carribean, South America and then Antarctica for Christmas.

Bermuda is a known cruise-liner destination but usually exclusively for weekenders or the mass American tourist market, but The World is different in that it is actually lived on by residents who have paid anything from $600,000 for a small apartment to $13,500,000 for a 6 bedroom, 6 bathroom 4,100 sq ft penthouse suite. For those of you with your eyebrows raised at how ridiculous that price sounds, then it has never been sold and is still on the market.

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Sep 23

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Hurricane Igor photos

Photos complimentary of the superb Bernews.com.

From top, left to right: Beach erosion afterwards at Elbow Beach; Power cables down on Monday morning; The South Shore as Igor approached; The ‘Bermudian’ ferry breaking free at St Georges; The square at historical St Georges flooded the night of the hurricane; The Causeway that leads from St Georges and the island’s airport to the rest of the country almost hidden by driving rain; The tide comes over high cliffs at Smiths Parish; The Pink Beach Club 6 hours before the hurricane passed.

Sep 20

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Hurricane Igor update – Monday evening

That was some night but Hurricane Igor eventually packed his huff and puff and headed back out to the Atlantic this morning leaving the island to lick it’s wounds.

There was a fair bit of damage such as at Hamilton’s main ferry terminal but most of it appears superficial although some areas were badly flooded including the historical town of St George’s. A lot of the south shore beaches will take a while to recover after suffering erosion due to the huge waves. We went along to Elbow Beach today, where the Weather Channel was reporting from, and the steps leading down to the beach had disappeared and the restaurants were closed.

The strongest measured wind gust was 94 mph and one can only imagine what a Category 4 or 5 storm would be like (Igor was officially a Cat 1). Personally I never want to find out and having ticked the box will take the family and bugger off island at the slightest sign of another one.
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Sep 20

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Hurricane Igor update – Monday 1.45am

We have just spent the last 90 minutes hanging onto a set of french doors in our living room as Hurricane Igor threatened to invade us. The wooden boarding that once protected the door was flying around the patio and it was scarying the shit out of me as it turned in every direction. Fortunately it settled at the foot of the door but I made damn sure I kept my flashlight on it.

The winds have subsided a bit now and I’m bloody hoping Igor has moved down the island to give someone else some fun and games.

By the sound of it the island has been banged up pretty good, although I am glad to hear there has been no casualties.

We’re now laying in bed listening to the wind whistling. That noise will stay with me for a while.

Sep 19

Hurricane Igor update – Sunday 11.10pm

We are now holed up in our front bedroom as Hurricane Igor moved to the south of us and our back garden around 10pm when the eastern part of the eye-wall hit the island. This is the most destructive part of the hurricane which measures an incredible 633 miles by diameter!

The power went out about an hour ago due I think to a lightning strike in the area. The howling of the burglar and smoke alarms was very eerie indeed.

Reports from the excellent Bernews.com are evidencing a lot of damage on the island including to the main ferry terminal in Hamilton. We are doing okay but the two french doors in our living room are squealing and bowing like crazy. Walking, sorry hobbling around downstairs a moment ago was quite scary.

It has been suggested that the eastern parishes (we are in the west) will suffer the storm a lot longer than we will as Igor slowly makes it way along the south of the island and back out into the Atlantic.

Our 10-month old daughter who has been fantastic all day has suddenly become like a frightened puppy at the onset of a thunderstorm. I suspect she senses our anxieties.

Hurricane force winds are expected for a couple of more hours yet, but by the early afternoon tomorrow we should be clear of Igor.

Thank you to all of you that have sent your thoughts and well wishes to us on here and on Twitter, they are much appreciated.

Sep 19

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Hurricane Igor update – Sunday 5.45pm

We have had power back for a few hours now, so thank you BELCO for that. 16,000 homes remain without though, which is about half of the island. The power returning caused a bit of a shock as we were all napping at the time and then the various smoke alarms around the house screeched into action. I am sure scurrying up a ladder to loosen wires in the upstairs hallway was not what the physio had in mind yesterday when he told me I could start to put some weight on my foot today!

The winds are now around 100 mph and as I look outside of the kitchen window the rain is coming down sideways and as I type the front door has just blown open and one of the wooden boards on the french doors has come off. We need to move that.

Igor is now just 25 miles from passing the south-west of the island, which should be within the next 2 hours.

Sep 19

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Hurricane Igor update – Sunday 9.30am

We lost power at around 3 this morning, which was strange as there really wasn’t much going on outside. It then came back intermittently but has now been off for about two hours.

According to reports 3,650 households in Bermuda are currently without power and BELCO are trying to restore it. I don’t hold out much hope.

The rain and winds are now lashing down outside and we have taped all of the windows. The good news is that Igor has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm, so winds will be at a maximum sustained strength of 90mph. Igor was once not long ago a Cat 4.

Igor is around 250 miles away and is travelling in this direction north-north west at 12mph.

Sep 18

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Hurricane Igor

On returning home from hospital this afternoon we were met by our landlord boarding up the windows and patio doors of our house in readiness for Hurricane Igor (photo) that is expected to deliver Bermuda a direct hit in the early hours of Monday morning.

Bermuda is taking no chances as Igor is expected to be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since 2003 when four people were killed during Fabian on the causeway that separates the airport from the main island. Total property damage was an estimated $300 million and it was widely considered Bermuda’s worst storm since 1926.

Igor has followed a similar path to Fabian and will have sustained winds of approximately 110 mph, with higher gusts when the eye comes closest at 3am on Monday. Tropical storm winds are expected tomorrow and up to eight inches of rain is predicted.

The whole thing with my right leg bandaged and in a brace is a bit of a nightmare to be honest. My Mum was supposed to be flying in on Monday to spend 10 days with us but all flights in and out of Bermuda have been cancelled until Tuesday and worse than the hurricane will be the unquestionable loss of power after the storm has passed.

All is quiet tonight though with Igor 363 miles away but the trees outside one of our unboarded windows are starting to sway gently. More is to come and I will try to blog on the storm as it approaches us.

Sep 17

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Right old knees up

This morning I had surgery to reconstruct my anterior cruciate ligament in my right knee, torn whilst playing indoor football earlier in the year.

Mistakenly the nurses appear to think I am some kind of sportsman. Those that know me will not read the rest of this post because they will be on the floor wetting themselves.

I should also refer the polite nurses to my physio who when discovering the extent of my injury asked me if I warmed up before playing football.
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Sep 3

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Mug

My first morning back at work has been spent packing my belongings into a few boxes. If it is not enough to keep moving house we are now moving office. An office move always presents an opportunity to lose a few things of course, I just hope it’s not my Charlton mug, which appallingly a bloke down the corridor has recently taken to use for his coffee.

Why would you use someone else’s coffee mug? There must be 50 mugs in the bloody kitchen. Worse is that I just give him a stare when I see him with it and don’t say anything? What should I say?

Some people I have noticed put a name sticker on their coffee mugs. I could do that but it reminds me of school. I’ll have the other half putting my name in the back of my shirt next.

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Aug 27

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A step in time

My son for many years, or as he might tell you 24,000 hours, is obsessed with time. How long will it take, how long will we stay when we get there, what time is it, what time is it in Russia, how many hours before I have to brush my teeth again…. you get the sketch and the little bugger won’t even wear a watch.

The minutes and the hours we have had together in Bermuda this time have flown by. We have crammed a lot of activities and fun in and spent some precious time with his baby sister but on Sunday night we head back to the UK.
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Aug 7

Colin

No, not Powell but Tropical Storm Colin, which by late tonight may progress into a hurricane as it brushes 20 miles of the coast of Bermuda. Incoming flights have been cancelled this afternoon as the island hunkers down. Our new house faces the ocean and we should get a good view of the approaching storm.

Before that we are off to a 1st birthday party, so hopefully the weather holds for that but I could do with some cloud cover as I am still very burnt from being out on a boat yesterday afternoon. It was our work team’s summer party and despite it being my 3rd seeing the whole team in their swimwear still takes some getting used to.
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