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The 30th Anniversary of the MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
 Experience Quebec's Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM), also called the Jazz Fest, the largest jazz festival in the world.
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FEATURE BOOK
‘Red, White and Drunk All Over–a Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass'
By Natalie MacLean
Natalie MacLean’s award winning book ‘Red, White and Drunk All Over’ is an informative, often hilarious trip through wine cellars and vineyards around the globe.Read more |
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Island Hopping in the Bahamas - Nassau, Paradise Island, Grand Bahamas
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Posted by: Publisheron Monday, June 18, 2007 - 01:18 PM |
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By Kris King
 With 700 islands and 2,400 cays, the Bahamas is THE place to go island hopping. Surrounded by 100,000 square miles of clear turquoise waters teaming with abundant marine life, no matter what your island vacation preference, you are sure to find it on one of the thirty inhabited islands that make up the Bahamas. Island hopping is easy and accessible by way of numerous scheduled flights, private charters, or planes and boats for hire. A relaxing way to get into the slower pace of island life is to take an inter-island mailboat, and if you just cannot let go of the pace of the city and you just have to get there, the fast ferry is the way to go.
 The Bahamas have boasting rights to the clearest waters in the world, with visibility over two hundred feet, making cruising the Bahamas a must. Secluded islands beckon you to sail away and enjoy a very private paradise. You can also bring your own yacht; Nassau has seven Marina’s with 347 slips. Sailing and cruising options include, sunset dinner dance cruises, kayaking, scuba/deep-sea diving and snorkeling. Fishing tours run big game, deep sea, lobster, white and blue marlin, giant tuna, stone crabs and of course, bonefish expeditions. If you posses a good sense of balance, a few hours spent parasailing or windsurfing is also an excellent way to get in some sun, swimming and exercise. Or just relax; settle in with a good book, a cold beverage and fall asleep under the shade of a palm tree.
 On the inaugural WestJet flight out of Toronto to Nassau, we enjoyed the hospitality of not only the crew but also WestJet executives who jumped in to help serve refreshments and play a few games with passengers. When we arrived in Nassau three hours later, a costumed Junkanoo Band and Bahamian dignitaries met us on the tarmac in a parade that lead us to a welcoming party before we eventually boarded a bus to our hotel.
Nassau, capitol of the Bahamas, with a population of 172,000, is located on New Providence Island, 179 miles off the east coast of Florida. In Nassau, you will find an exciting nightlife, entertainment and shopping, top international designer stores such as Versace, Gucci, Fendi, and Ferragamo along with jewelry shops, Cartier, the Original Colombian, Jeweller’s Warehouse, and Crown Jewelers can all be found on Bay St.
 A large variety of locally produced products are sold at stalls in the Straw Market, also on Bay St., everything from fresh fruits and vegetables, to hand-trimmed natural sea sponges harvested in local waters, woven baskets, handbags, hats, brooms and more. A plethora of seashells finds their way onto brooches, bracelets, mirrors, flowerpots and other ornaments. Local jams and jellies made from mangos, guava, tamarind, and papayas are in demand as is their hot pepper sauces and Rum cakes.
For sightseeing, you won’t want to miss the view from atop the 18th century Queen’s Staircase, be sure to bring comfortable shoes to climb the 66 steps to the summit. This architectural wonder is carved out of a coral-based sandstone called calcareous.
Fort Charlotte will bring you in to a piece of history as the largest fort in the Bahamas. Built in1788, it features the requisite moat and dungeons along with excellent views of Nassau.
There are several massive Casinos in Nassau; the 50,000 sq. ft. Atlantis, Paradise Island Casino, is the largest Casino in the Caribbean. Paradise Island linked to Nassau by bridge, offers a rare Casino highlight with daylight brought in via skylights and large panoramic windows that overlook a lagoon and the ocean. In May 2007, two additional areas reserved exclusively for high rollers with high-limit slot machines and a private bar for their guests opened. You do not need to be a guest to play your hand at Atlantis gaming tables or slots.
The Crystal Palace Casino located in the Wyndham Nassau Resort boasts 35,000 sq. ft. of gaming tables that are open twenty-four hours a day on weekends and holidays. For those looking to up the ante, gaming lessons are offered daily, bets can be as low as five dollars or as high as five thousand dollars.
 One of the most memorable experiences I had on my trip to the Bahamas was my first encounter with dolphins on a visit to the Atlantis Dolphin Cay, one of the largest man-made, island habitats in the world. The Dolphin Cay habitat, now a permanent home to seventeen displaced Katrina Dolphins and seals rescued from Gulfport, Mississippi opened its doors to the public in February 2007. Displaced to four locations after the hurricane, these dolphins and seals were reunited with their original trainers who worked with them to overcome the trauma of Katrina’s fury.
Dolphin Cay at Atlantis is also an interaction and education center where visitors can learn about dolphin behavior, physiology and marine life conservation. Each dolphin has over 250,000 gallons of Bahamian ocean water to live in. Two dolphin interaction programs features a shallow-water experience that has the visitor stand in waist-deep water with one dolphin and two trainers and approximately ten guests. The deep-water interactions involve only six guests who swim with the dolphins in the center of the lagoon where they will have close contact in a natural habitat for thirty minutes. Interactions last 30 minutes, but the complete experience lasts two hours. Photos and videos of guest’s dolphin experience are available in the gift shop for those who want to take a memento home.
 The playful dolphins looked like they were smiling as they jumped high into the air doing flips and dives, darting and dashing around each other, showing off for visitors. However, the habitat is more than a place to watch and interact while dolphins do tricks for humans; it is also the first marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation facility in the Bahamas. Seven inter-connected pools provide enough space for dolphins that have been stranded or need to be quarantined to be treated; medical procedures can be performed as needed and it also provides nursing mothers with the relaxed atmosphere they need to bond with their offspring.
After several days in Nassau, I hopped on a short, early morning flight to Grand Bahamas Island via Western Air and checked into the Westin/Sheraton Our Lucaya. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, I headed out for a tour of the island with David Rolle from H. Forbes charter, Grand Bahamas oldest and largest ground tour operators for over 35 years.
 Grand Bahamas Island, fourth largest island of the Bahamas, just 55 miles east of the Florida coast, has three national parks; Lucayan National Park features the world’s longest underwater cave system. The Rand Nature Center is home to thousands of the West Indian Flamingos the islands national bird. The smallest national park in the Bahamas is accessible only by boat. Peterson Cay National Park is a windswept limestone cay located one mile off the southern shore of Grand Bahamas Island. Law protects all plant and animal life within park boundaries. Fishing, shelling and damage to or removal of any coral or plant life -- live or dead -- is strictly prohibited due to the sensitive nature of the island’s natural resources and ecological systems.
Though I only spent a day and an evening on Grand Bahamas Island, I was able to enjoy many memorable moments during my short stay. I stopped in for lunch at the casual waterfront La Med Restaurant where I enjoyed a fresh crab salad and took a moment to relax while watching the parade of boats in the busy harbour.
 After lunch, I changed into a bathing suit, grabbed a towel and my camera and headed over to UNEXSO Grand Bahamas site by boat for my second dolphin experience. We were told to find a place to sit around the pool with our feet in the water. As soon as I stuck my foot in there was a playful nibble on my toes by one of the young males. I pulled my feet up and when I put them back in he gently nibbled again as he caroused in the pool with the other dolphins, a mischievous gleam in his eye.
 As I entered the water with the dolphins, they positioned us four at a time, back to back with one couple facing each other. Once everyone was in position, the trainers motioned to the dolphins to move between those of us who were facing each other while we gently glided our hands across their smooth skin and patted their bellies. We had significant time with ‘our’ dolphin and at the end he gave us each a kiss on the cheek, a moment captured on camera by the staff photographer who will have your photo printed and ready for you to see and purchase along the wall by the time you return to the dock. Each 5X7 photo comes with a 5X7 photo of the dolphin included on the other side of the cardboard frame. All the money raised from the sale of photographs goes back into UNEXSO to maintain the dolphin facility.
 The horseshoe shaped infinity pool that surrounded the pool bar beckoned as I walked towards my room, it was late afternoon, and the warmth of the sun was fading as the wind picked up. I went over and slid my feet into the shallow end to test the temperature; it was warm and welcoming. I couldn’t resist the urge to merge and slid all the way in. It was glorious, alone in the scenic infinity pool on Grand Bahamas Island, swimming, floating, gazing out over the Atlantic – it was the perfect de-stressor for this city girl.
‘Happy hour’ kept the pool bar busy, noisy with the chatter of excited vacationers, I wrapped up in the towel, and headed over for a fruity tropical drink to sip while twilight settled over the island.
 Back in my room, I fell into the Westin’s signature ‘Heaven Bed’ and into a deep sleep. I woke with only five minutes before I was to meet friends for dinner at Luciano’s; fortunately, it was a short walk across the street from the Westin at the Port Lucaya Marketplace & Marina.
A sumptuous bouquet wafted from the kitchen as we stepped inside the romantic setting of Luciano’s cozy dinning room. I could not resist trying one of their signature recipes, Veal Luciano. To this day, my mouth waters just thinking about it so I wrote to Luciano and asked him to share his recipe with me and now I share it with you.
 Veal Luciano – Luciano’s restaurant in Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.
Use boneless veal loin cut thin, lobster tail and large shrimp.
Sauté the veal in a very hot pan with butter and a little oil.
Then sauté the lobster and shrimp which have been cut in 1" pieces this process is very quick.
Then flambé the seafood with Cognac.
Remove the seafood and reserve; add the heavy cream and let that reduce until the sauce has thickened to the right consistency.
The veal is seasoned with salt and pepper as well as the seafood and the sauce.
To serve - place the veal on a hot plate set the pieces of lobster and shrimp on the top and cover with the sauce. French chef Francis Marque created this recipe.
In the morning, I bid farewell to Grand Bahama Island, flew back to Nassau, and checked into the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.
The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island is an all encompassing destination rather than just a place to rest your head, stay tuned for my next feature: The Bahamas – Part 2: Atlantis Found on Paradise Island.
For more information visit:
www.bahamas.com
www.westjet.com
www.unexso.com
www.ourlucaya.com
www.forbescharter.com
www.atlantis.com
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