Thirty years after their first visit to Bermuda, Richard and Trudie Suabedissens of Middlesex, New Jersey still find the Island beautiful enough to be rated as one of their favourite vacation destinations.

Last week on their 22nd visit to the Island since 1972, the Suabedissens finally got to experience the Island during peak tourist season, after 21 previous trips during the occasion of their wedding anniversary... December 26

The Suabedissens would fly into the Island on Boxing Day and bring in the New Year here. They did that during nine of their 10 visits when they stayed at Castle Harbour (one year was at Grotto Bay) and for 11 more visits between 1982 and ‘95 when they stayed at Belmont.

Both hotels are now closed and set for redevelopment, but that did not stop the couple from simply changing their accommodation plans and making a pre-60th anniversary trip on board the cruise ship Zenith last week.

They were here for their 30th anniversary in 1972, the 35th in ‘77, the 40th in ‘82, 45th in ‘87 and the most significant of milestones - the 50th in ‘92. Health permitting - he is 85 and she is 80 - they plan to celebrate their 65th anniversary here, too!

Last week's first trip in five years was both their first cruise - the couple admit it may be her last as they don't care too much for cruises - and the first time they had seen Bermuda at any time other than December. The first thing her husband had to go out and buy was a pair of shorts as he hadn't packed any!

“Our anniversary is December 26 and we are always here for our anniversary,” explained Mrs. Suabedissens.

“We planned on doing that again this year, however when we learned the hotels were no longer in operation we checked around and found other places we could go.

“We decided if we were going to try something new lets make it all new and take a cruise. The only time we could cruise out of New York was now, not at Christmas time, so we just changed our celebration to October.

“We found it very hot, he had to buy a pair of shorts.”

“I was used to dressing here for winter time,” said Mr. Suabedissens in his defence.

On the 21 previous visits, the couple played golf each time, which was easier to manage as they were staying at a hotel with a golf course. This time they didn't even bother to bring clubs with them on the short trip.

“Usually we came here nine to 10 days over the new year and by the time we left almost everybody else was gone already,” explained Mrs. Suabedissens of the other guests they met during their annual visits.

They were sold on Bermuda from their first visit in 1972 and have enjoyed each of the 21 visits that followed.

“We couldn't believe what a great time we had at Castle Harbour and the following year we thought ‘maybe we should go again, just to make sure',” explained Mrs ‘We.

“Well, it was just as good and each year it was ‘what are we going to do, lets go again'. We always went to Castle Harbour until one year they were closed and we stayed at Grotto Bay, but they took us to the golf course.

“A few years later they were closed again and that's when we went to the Belmont and continued to go to the Belmont. Marriott ruined the charm as far as we were concerned.”

While coming to Bermuda on a cruise ship did not allow the couple to stay as long as they usually do, they were still able to observe that the Island doesn't appear to have changed much over the years.

“I don't think I see many changes, it's still beautiful, still clean and everything is so immaculate,” said Mrs. Suabedissens.

“As far as going out at night we never did, we're not night people. We would see many of the same guests year after year at the hotels and we would never see them other than that.”

Said Mr. Suabedissens: “When we went back to visit Castle Harbour after Marriott took over we didn't care for it at all, we didn't like the changes. It was no longer an old, quaint place and wasn't as nice as it was previously.”

Airline prices - long a major issue in the tourism industry - have risen steadily since the Suabedissens first began visiting Bermuda. They can remember when they could fly to Bermuda for just over $200 a ticket but now can pay easily twice that amount.

“The first year was about two-and-a-quarter and the final year we paid about $600,” explained Mr. Suabedissens.

“The whole thing was a super bargain,” his wife added.

‘Everybody is so nice, that's what impresses us, which is very different from home.

“We have not travelled to any other islands other than Puerto Rico in a long time ago. We've been going to Hilton Head, South Carolina for about six weeks from mid-January to February and we have already arranged to do that again this coming year. We play golf there.

“Maybe in five years we will come back again for our 65th anniversary.”

The couple made their first trip here after hearing a friend who came several times a year “raving about it”.

“One couple came with us five or six times and then he became ill and died,” explained Mrs. Suabedissens.

“After that she came with us once by herself, but it brought back memories that she didn't want to remember and she never came back again. Bermuda has fond memories for her but also very sad ones.”

The Suabedissens met many years ago when, as a ballet teacher, Mrs. Suabedissens taught her husband's parents before she met him. After a quick romance of less than a year they were married on Boxing Day, 1942. A former engineer who is still handy with his hands and has a passion for wood working and a basement full of power tools, Mr. Suabedissens had the misfortune of losing two fingers on his left hand during an accident in his workshop a few years ago.

However, it hasn't affected his golf game or dampened his enthusiasm for life, and he is looking forward to another visit to Bermuda.

“My father lived to be over 90 so I have the right genes if I take care of myself,” he explained as his wife also pointed out that both his father and grandfather also began losing their hearing in their later years as he is also doing.

So what is the key to a long and productive marriage?

“I think it is tolerance,” the wife explained.

“She tolerates my bad habits and I do the same with her,” said Mr. Suabedissens.

“We never have any violent quarrels or fights and if we get impatient with each other we get over it in a hurry.”

Added Mrs. Suabedissens: ‘We have the same likes, whether we've grown to like them together or whether they were there already, I don't know. A couple of his hobbies I don't care about, one of them is woodworking, and I won't allow him to use them after dark.”

Mr. Suabedissens' main regret was not be able to continue playing the clarinet after the accident in which he lost his forefinger and part of his thumb on his left hand.

“I had been a clarinet player since I was six years old and played in a school band and orchestra and college band and orchestra and this just stopped my playing completely,” he revealed.

“I had hardly picked up the clarinet once or twice a year anyway so it was no great thing.”