Bermuda gem

Bermuda does a lot of things well (think pink beaches, sunshine, golf courses, coral reefs, etc) and a lot of things badly which I suppose is common to most places. In Ipoh in Malaysia for example I was disappointed by what appears to be a throwaway attitude to the colonial past even though it is one of the few advertised things attracting you to visit the town. 12 time zones away, Bermuda does just as poorly with the Railway Trail.

Luckily some people do recognize how terrific this little gem is... here is the Smithsonian's take although don't necessarily believe it can or even should be done by bike as shown. Locally, an organization called the Friends of the Railway Trail are trying to put the dots back together again and reconnect the trail end to end. Check here for information. Thankfully back in 1984, the Bermuda government also stepped in to help although their help was restricted to the legal framework of allowing people to simply access the trail again which in intervening years had simply been absorbed into people's back gardens, driveways, etc.  Here is the official story. So plenty of information then but rather than just read about it, far better to put on some walking shoes and enjoy it.

Almost nowhere on the trail is there a bad photo opportunity

Viv and I have been doing that and it is amazing just how much things change. It has been a year since we last visited and in that time several bridges have been strategically placed to reconnect parts of the trail that were inaccessible before. These are in the main between Bailey's Bay down to Crawl. What has happened is stunning and shows what can be achieved by some simple will and desire to show off something that is really special.

Much of it is privately funded with construction crews often volunteers taking their own time to do something that is important to them.

I am perplexed as to why something that is relatively simple and cheap to do is not funded by government. The Railway Trail is a short railway line with a few bridges that need replacing with footpaths that have been put in place elsewhere along the trail already... technology has moved on so this is a relatively simple task. It may cost several million dollars to finance but when compared against the spending that takes place on other things with questionable benefit or which is wasted, this is a simple fix and an easy win. So why not do it?

Flatts Inlet site of new bridge under construction

In the meantime I am just going to enjoy walking the trail and take my hat off to the Friends of the Railway Trail and wish them well in their endeavors. I cannot wait to see the bridge over Flatts Inlet which is under construction right now. It should be spectacular. Next year... then the bridge over Ferry Reach and a boardwalk extending the Crawl section down to Shelly Bay, then...