In the Pink

Everything is pastel in Bermuda. The houses (see the Bermuda pink moongate house, below), the churches, the businesses … even the charter fishing boats. Guys wear pink in Bermuda.

Bermuda’s overriding aesthetic can be traced to the 1930s and the work of the Trade Development Board, who tightly dictated the look and feel of the islands to try to regain what was at that time a lagging tourist trade. The TDB has very successfully created and maintained the “brand experience” of the island by tightly controlling building codes, zoning, even dress codes. Some tourist guides claim you can still be arrested for dressing too casually in Bermuda. Heavy-handed, but effective.

I found this boat docked in St. Georges harbor. The cheerfully compliant houses create a pleasant backdrop along with the Creator's water and sky. I don't believe God is required to meet code in Bermuda. More than likely He was grandfathered in.

Here’s one artist’s take on what could be the very same boat in the photograph above.

Click on image to enlarge. Copyright 2005 James Jordan