From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
"Have you ever been to Bermuda?" Herb Simmons asked me as I was helping him put together a photo album to write the story of the Sea and Surf Anglers Club of Boston and the Blue Waters Anglers Club of Bermuda.
Herb was the first person of color to be named Chief of Pharmacy at Boston City Hospital when, at the age of 49, he suffered a massive stroke. Initially he was totally blind and then regained some vision. He could see with his eyes but had difficulty processing what he saw as a result of the stroke. I was the Visual Impairment Services Team Coordinator charged with providing social work intervention to the visually impaired veterans at the VA. Herb made it very clear from the beginning he did not want to be a patient. He quickly transitioned from patient to invaluable volunteer. Through the Telefriend Program, Herb kept in touch with other legally blind veterans who were housebound, elderly veterans and veterans considered at risk due to their mental health diagnoses. Together we were blessed to literally save lives. I told Herb we had never been to Bermuda; we hadn't been on a vacation since the twins were born 12 years ago in 1987. He told me we must go to Bermuda for our first after twins vacation. We would take care of the airfare and our stay at the Grotto Bay, a family friendly resort, and he would make sure that his Bermudian friend and fellow angler, Lovintz Cann would be our host.
We immediately fell in love with Bermuda after our first trip to the Island in the 90's. Herb and his Bermudian friends taught me about the food, the drink and the culture.
On Friday we walked to The Swizzle Inn. Although we'd visited Bermuda many many times through the years, we somehow missed eating at The Swizzle as it's called.
The only time I eat Wahoo is when we are in Bermuda. I had a grilled wahoo sandwich on Friday. When we returned after Tom's triumphant 10K run I had a wahoo burger with sweet potato fries (because after all spectators need to refuel along with runners) and Tom had a repeat of the Bailey Bay Fish Sandwich (fried haddock with seasoned fries):
Our go to place in Hamilton is The Pickled Onion. In 2016 we met one of the managers, Samantha Maguire. We became "regulars" that Bermuda Marathon Weekend. We hadn't seen Sam since 2016 as she returned to her home of Toronto for a few years but she's back! Dion was one of the servers that we met in 2017. We kept in touch on Facebook and were so surprised to see him back at The Pickled Onion this year. Once you make a friend in Bermuda, you have a friend for life!
Tom dined on their Cioppino and I savored succulent salmon with orange and balsamic glaze, jasmine rice and string beans:
While savoring the flavors of a Bermudian meal, we are always treated to sunset over Hamilton Harbor as the Bermuda Marathon Weekend kicks off with the Front Street Mile:
We asked the Concierge for a restaurant suggestion in St. George's for Saturday evening since we were staying at the East End of the Island at Grotto Bay.
Wahoo's was a short cab ride away from Grotto Bay and we were treated to Barbeque Rib of Rockfish and the Bermuda Triangle: mahi mahi, rockfish and wahoo each prepared in uniquely Bermudian fashion.
While Tom and I do not usually partake of alcoholic beverages, no trip to Bermuda would be complete without a Dark 'n Story or a Rum Punch which we had poolside on Sunday:
The Royal Palm Court restaurant had a variety of casual dinner and light fare menu items to choose from when we stayed at Grotto for dinner. We loved their linguini with clams in a light butter garlic sauce and a chicken stuffed with wild rice and a red wine sauce.
We rarely eat dessert but being on vacation, we treated ourselves to Bermudian ice cream; a unique experience of a smooth creamy texture with deep rich chocolate and vanilla flavors.
Dining out and savoring local foods is one of the best parts of being on vacation. When you're in Bermuda, there are so many flavors to savor. We had a wonderful adventure savoring the flavors of Bermuda during the 2019 Bermuda Marathon Weekend that were a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary
My healing journey using the power of visualization is featured in David R. Hamilton's book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body-Anniversary Edition." It's available on Amazon.
Be sure to visit my website by following this link.
My books are available on Amazon.
Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life
Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:
Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):
***Coming Soon - The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953***
“The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” takes you on Mary McManus’ healing odyssey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December 2006, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance tapping into the powerful connection she experienced to the Divine from an early age. She harnessed the power of her mind to heal her body, feverishly writing poetry in which she imagined herself healthy, whole and free from the shackles of her youth. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running. Her story is one that will leave you cheering for the underdog, discovering the meaning of different ability and experiencing the stunning view from the back of the pack of a race. You will have the privilege of bearing witness to how Mary overcame every challenge that life presented to her. The sport of running provides the backdrop for her journey of transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience. Running became a way of life for Mary that tested her mettle while forging friendships to last a lifetime. As you’ll discover in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” nothing, not even a serious knee injury in December of 2014 could stop her on the roads or in her life.
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