On this low-key island chain, T+L uncovers stylish hotels and guesthouses, the best places to eat conch, an almost-forgotten dialect, and a warm welcome that’s hard to come by anywhere else. From June 2010 By Shane Mitchell In the spring of 1968, my father ran his sailboat onto a coral reef in the Bahamas. After swimming to shore from the half-sunken wreck, he wound up spending several weeks on Cat Island, in the Out Islands. My father—a marine artist—passed the time ashore sketching scenes of Bahamian life. My mother heard the news back home in South Carolina from our small town’s gossipy postmaster, who had a habit of reading other people’s mail, especially intriguingly stamped postcards requesting a wire transfer of funds from a remote island. Needless to say, both men got a wicked ... 05/25/2010

Summer means vacation, but it's also the season of high prices and big crowds. Choose wisely and shop smart, though, and you'll be able to take advantage of deals and discounts that put even popular destinations on the budget travel radar. I've monitored trends, industry news, and sale patterns to point you in the direction of places that offer the best bargain value for the coming season. Below you'll find examples of deals presently available for summer trips. Like all deals, these are sure to expire; however, a little research on your part can yield similar results when you're ready to book. California Turn that California dreamin' into a real vacation this summer with new low-cost carrier air service, hotel discounts up and down the state, and Disneyland offers. California has some ... 05/25/2010

Geneva--Two blue diamonds broke records Tuesday in Geneva at Sotheby's "Spring Sales of Magnificent and Noble Jewels" in yet another display of the strength of natural colored diamonds at auctions worldwide.In what Sotheby's terms the "standout moment of the day," a 7.64-carat, cushion-shaped fancy intense blue diamond mounted in a ring sold for $8.03 million, or $1.05 million per carat, following fierce competition from three buyers. According to a news release from Sotheby's, the sale sets a new record per-carat price for a fancy intense blue diamond sold at auction. The second blue diamond, a 5.02-carat fancy vivid stone set with a 5.42-carat white diamond in a toi et moi (you and me) ring from French jeweler Alexandre Reza, sold for $6.32 million. The sale set a new auction record ... 05/24/2010

  One of the world's richest hedge fund tycoons, Steven Cohen, is to auction one of the jewels in his art collection: a Manet self-portrait, of which there are only two in existence. Sotheby's announced over the weekend that it will sell Self-portrait With a Palette, painted by Edouard Manet in 1878, at its next London auction of impressionist and modern art. It comes in a year when the auction record for any work of art has been broken twice, first for a Giacometti Walking Man sculpture in London in February – sold for £65m ($104.3m) – and then last week Picasso's Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, which went for $106.4m in New York. Super-rich art collectors are, it seems, prepared to spend enormous amounts of money for the right works, and the Manet can be expected to attract huge bids. Ch... 05/24/2010

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to announce that Samira Coleby has joined its Nassau sales team.   Samira moved to the Bahamas from Paris in 1993 and began teaching French. For twelve years she ran the Alliance Française and received the prestigious Palmes Académiques from the French Government as a reward for her hard work and dedication.  For a number of years Samira has been 100% immersed in a real estate career – benefiting greatly from her contacts through the Alliance Française.  She is a hard working mother of two, fully committed to the wellbeing of her clients, local and foreign alike.  Over the years she has acquired extensive knowledge and understanding of the real estate market in the Bahamas and has been very successful in working with... 05/18/2010

As seen in Country Living! Bayroc, Cable Beach, Nassau Beachfront ground floor unit, luxury 3 bedroom 3 bath 2,200 sq ft apartment. Zero-entry pool, fitness center, tennis courts. Gated community. Contact Virginia Damianos for more information Virginia.Damianos@SothebysRealty.com or 242.322.2305 http://tiny.cc/alu37 05/17/2010

As seen in Country Living! Private Island Paradise: Exuma Cays, Bahamas Contact George Damianos for more information George.Damianos@SothebysRealty.com or 242.362.4211 SIRbahamas.com 05/17/2010

For team Day Money, day two of the Cape Eleuthera Championship showed that the 80 foot Merritt was appropriately named. Country music legend George Strait released two blue marlin and one white marlin on day two and Day Money coasted to a win at the second leg of the 2010 Bahamas Billfish Championship (BBC) with 1,400 points.Bill Gardner of Hartford, Wisconsin finished second based on time with a blue marlin release on day one aboard his 68 Hatteras, Our Dream. Gary Angel’s Sea Angel from Baytown, Texas finished third with a blue marlin release on the last day of the three-day event hosted by the Cape Eleuthera Resort & Yacht Club.For the win, George Strait and Day Money was awarded a Randy Rich designed trophy presented by the BBC and, as Top Release Team at the Cape Eleuthera Champio... 05/17/2010

  My experience with investors buying in Dubai extends since 2004 when one of my websites (Homesgofast.com) which promotes international real estate found that the property market had huge potential. Many of our UK based investors did not even hesitate to put a deposit down on a sure fire bet of an off plan property that was going to make them a fortune. Yes it worked many flipped got out and made a great deal of money. House prices seem to go up every year driven by hungry developers demanding more money from even more hungry investors. That Was Then I felt at the time that Dubai was different and the bubble would not burst , investors were no buying these luxury apartments with a mortgage but with their own money nothing could go wrong! Down payments followed by stage payments made i... 05/10/2010

What an amazing experience it was to feed the sharks and interact with them just like if they were little puppies ready to hug, kiss and play with us.   Of course we had special clothes, just in case :) 05/09/2010

A  client sent this to me...something circulating around the internet. Please read...it is a perfect analogy...... Heidi is the proprietor of a bar in Detroit. She realizes that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now, but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed in a ledger (thereby granting the customers loans).   Word gets around about Heidi's "drink now, pay later" marketing strategy and, as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Heidi's bar. Soon she has the largest sales volume for any bar in Detroit. By providing her customers freedom from immediate payment demands, Heidi gets no resis... 05/06/2010

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) Apr 27th 2010 at 4:03AM Looking to enjoy spring somewhere tropical? Atlantis Hotel and Resorts is offering a Spring Getaway Package that's good now through the end of June and includes over $650 in complimentary fun and dining experiences. Interact with the dolphins, play a round of golf at the Ocean Club Golf Course, enjoy free signature margaritas at celebrity-chef Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and sunset martinis at Jean George's Dune at One&Only Ocean Club, a Sushi and Sake Mini Tasting for two at the world-renowned Nobu restaurant, and one night access to the nightclub Aura. Rates start at $399 and if you book early you can even get additional goodies like free companion airfare and a fourth night free when you stay three. http://www.lu... 05/05/2010

Long Island, Bahamas - At 11:50am on the 19th April, in Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas New Zealander William Trubridge became the first man to pass the barrier of 300 feet (92 meters) freediving completely unassisted - a discipline called "constant weight no fins."  The dive time was 3:45. Constant Weight No Fins is the purest measure of human aquatic potential, and athletically the most demanding of the freediving disciplines. The dive took place during the Vertical Blue Suunto Dive-Off competition which runs from April 17-27 and sees the best freedivers in the world compete to extend the limits in this extreme sporting discipline.  Dean's Blue Hole is the deepest blue hole in the world, at 203 meters (660 feet). Day five at Vertical Blue 2010, and Long Island woke to one of t... 05/05/2010

As predicted, the 2010 Vertical Blue in the Bahamas was a competition full of record breaking dives. Their hard work and training seems to have paid off as the divers pushed their bodies to new limits. In just the first few days of the 2010 Vertical Blue both world and national freediving records have been shattered. The event was held at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas. New Zealander William Trubridge is now the first man to surpass 300 feet, freediving completely unassisted - which is known as constant weight no fins (CNF). Without the aid of fins, William Trubridge swam an adapted form of the breaststroke down a vertical line and snatched a tag from the bottom plate to prove his feat. He was able to swim all the way down and back to the surface within a total time of 3min 45sec. A re... 05/05/2010

Sale of Degas, Derain, Cézanne, Gaugin, Picasso and Renoir works hidden since 1939 then argued over for a generation A treasure trove of paintings, prints, books and drawings by some of the 20th century's greatest artists is to be sold after being stored largely unseen for 70 years. The works by artists such as Picasso, Derain, Cézanne, Gauguin and Renoir are being collected as the "Tresors du Coffre Vollard". They represent a remarkable story that includes some of the most important figures in modern art and some of the past century's momentous historical events. The 140 works were deposited in a Paris bank safety deposit box in 1939 and remained there for 40 years. They are to be offered for sale by Sotheby's in Paris and London, the auction house announced. Helena Newman, a vice-chai... 05/05/2010

05/05/2010

NASSAU, BAHAMAS (May 5, 2010) – Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, a luxury real estate firm based in the Bahamas, recently participated in the 2010 Sotheby’s International Realty® Global Networking Event. This dynamic, three-day event provided a unique opportunity for all sales associates, managers and owners who are members of the Sotheby’s International Realty network to connect, exchange ideas and forge relationships designed to help build their businesses and drive new leads to their listings. “The annual Global Networking Event provides a unique value to our firm and agents,” said George Damianos. “It allows our firm to share ideas and best practices with our fellow brand professionals from all over the world. We also had the opportunity to learn more about the real estate b... 05/04/2010

NASSAU, Bahamas (April 28, 2010) – Damianos Sotheby's International Realty today announced the opening of a new office to service Guana Cay and Man-o-War Cay, Abaco. George Damianos along with his sister and partner, Virginia Damianos, continue their roles as brokers and owners. The new office will operate under Damianos Sotheby's International Realty and is a member of the Sotheby's International Realty® global luxury real estate network. Located on Front Street, just steps from the Orchid Bay development on Guana Cay, Christopher Albury will oversee the operation and will focus on one of the most beautiful and fastest growing communities in The Abaco Cays. "The economy continues to present us with great opportunities,” said George Damianos, President, Damianos Sotheby's International... 05/02/2010

Fore more information on Sheryl Crown at Atlantis: http://www.atlantis.com/thingstodo/entertainment/atlantislive.aspx 05/02/2010

Field of 29 Compete in the Central Abaco ChampionshipThe Bahamas Billfish Championship (BBC) launched it’s 37th season with the Central Abaco Championship. With three days of perfect spring weather and ideal sea conditions, the fleet of twenty-nine of the world’s top sport fishing boats caught forty-one billfish during the three-day event at Treasure Cay Resort & Marina.The first leg of the five tournament series was won by Blue Heron, a Hatteras 50 based out of Key West, Florida. The Blue Heron team, led by Mark Knowles, gathered 1,400 points by catching and releasing two blue marlin and one white marlin on days one and two of the tournament. Team Blue Heron edged out defending BBC champion team Double Dog which also achieved 1,400 points catching and releasing five white marlin and f... 04/27/2010