Atlantis - Day 3

Nice leisurely walk along the waterside paths for some panoramic vistas and photos to start our day.

After lunch we head to the Blues beach for some relaxation and great music, as well as the impromptu entertainment of what appears to be a wedding party.

On our way to the closest entrance to the lazy river rapids, we found another path we hadn't seen before. Did I say this place is big. Really!

Took a couple of turns on the lazy river rapids - about 20 minutes a circuit, then back to the other side of the Coral hotel for some time in the hot tub. Then through the tunnel and back to the Blues pool for a refreshing dip. 

A little stroll in the village, to pick up a cool Bahamas logo T-shirt, then dinner at Murphy's Deli. A great spot for a delicious meal, reasonably priced and reasonable portions (except for the huge slab of carrot cake - recommend you share dessert).

Set off to the far end of the resort to try out the margaritas at Mesa Grill and discovered yet another path we had not gone down before - really, we were sure that we had been over all the grounds by now. Loved the ambiance of Mesa Grill and the Cove.

The architecture, extensive aquariums and aquatic creatures, numerous pools and water activities are quite incredible. This is definitely a magnificent place.

Atlantis - Day 2

A great day in the Bahamas at Atlantis started off with an amazing breakfast buffet featuring an incredible array of local and traditional breakfast items, including an 'eggs your way' station - so hard to keep from over eating!

Another walk around the grounds, discovering more of the resort and surprising ourselves by how much we missed yesterday. This place is massive (did I say that already).

Spent the afternoon on the lazy river and water slides. This lazy river has rapids, tubes and drops - take the exciting or calm route, at your discretion. Coolest trip was the tube slide through the shark tank. You could move slowly and observe the sharks as they swum around you. Lots of different slides to choose from, with curves, black out or steep drops, depending on your courage.

Dinner at Virgil's, renowned for shared barbecued dishes. I recommend you do not go here unless you have a big group. We ate less than 30 percent of what we ordered - it was a ridiculous amount of food.

Finished the evening off with a martini on the upper porch of Cafe Martinique. Lovely view of the water in the marina and very pleasant spot to relax.

Atlantis - Day 1

Westjet was late once again, but at least not by much today. Took a while to figure out my headphones were working fine - its the seat jack that is defective. However, flight attendants are super friendly and nice, so was a good experience overall.

We booked the cheapest accommodation at Beach Terrace, but were upgraded to Coral - seems as though its a bit slow at this time of year. Several of the restaurants are also closed today and tomorrow.

Went for a walk around the grounds - its a massive place! Found the aquarium and the tunnels that are replicas of an ancient city, weaving around the aquarium. Lovely walk and lots of fascinating fish of all sizes, sharks and stingrays to enjoy.

Had an excellent meal at the Marketplace - fresh stir fry, rotis, blackened fish, lots of veggies and other sides, great antipasti and salad bar and, of course, great desserts. Also plenty that would appeal to children, so an excellent family choice.

CanStage - Yukon Style

Quite an interesting play - some slightly exaggerated flawed characters, each running from a past that is best left behind. Taking place amidst the Robert Picton trial, we learn a little about the anguish of some of those affected.

CMA Ontario Convocation

What a party! If you ever have an opportunity to join a loved one at his or her CMA convocation, I strongly recommend you attend. I won't give away any of the details, but this organization really knows how to celebrate its graduates and there is a lot of thought and attention that goes into making this a very special day. The pride and excitement of the graduates, as they receive their diplomas, was a joy to experience.

CMA Ontario Convocation - Chris Hadfield

The key note speaker this year was Chris Hadfield and he was every bit the engaging speaker, that we have heard about and come to appreciate via his social media links while in space. He expertly weaved together his leadership experiences with the business challenges the graduates would be facing, displaying a natural sense of humour and comfort with the audience. I got an opportunity to meet with him before the event and, it sounds cliche, but he is really down to earth. I hope he continues to make science accessible ....

TSO POPS - Cirque de la Symphonie

Awesome show. As my teen son says "you can't beat the combination of circus and great music". Some pretty incredible, flexible, nimble, comic and incredibly strong performers. I guess that could apply to the orchestra too, given the beautiful and challenging pieces they played. We really enjoyed this opening to the POPS season!