The Dolphin Experience At Atlantis Dubai

During our stay at Atlantis in Dubai we paid a visit to Dolphin Bay and had our very own Dolphin Experience.  It is an amazing experience, but one that is literally hard to fully appreciate while it is happening -because it is so un-real that you are really playing with a dolphin.  It's only when  you look back at it that you realise what a cool experience it really is.  We each got a chance to kiss our dolphin, play with her once, give her a hug and to touch her and learn about her for about half an hour.   Amazing.

Fiona gives Abbey a little kiss.  William was not interested in having his own kiss.

Chuck gives Abbey a little kiss too.

Lilian gives Abbey a kiss!

Abbey shows off behind us while we strike a pose.  (We don't know those other people either)

The Anderson Family gives a Dolphin a little hug

William really loved that he got to throw the ball for Abbey and that she brought it back to him.  Dolphin fetch is pretty fun.

Chuck did the ring toss version of fetch with Abbey.  It is an amazing experience.

Lilian wanted to dance with Abbey (naturally!)

Fiona had fun dancing with Abbey too

We got to touch Abbey and learn about her from her trainer

And we got to see Abbey strut her stuff up close.  It was simply a wonderful experience.

Pembrokeshire

Fiona, Lilian and William spent a week with her Aunt Penny & Uncle Geoff and her cousin Natasha and Natasha's husband Adam - and their children Henry and Zara in Pembrokeshire. I was supposed to be there too, but work kept me in Cobham. It looks like they had a lovely time!

Nice in June

In June we took a trip to Paris and Nice. Had a great time exploring France, if only for a few days.



This photo was one Fiona took after dinner on the pebble beach. Consensus favorite photo from the trip.




Photo of the beaches of Nice and the amazing azure blue. A guide on a boat cruise we took credits the color of the water to the mountain springs in the alps that run down into the sea here. That same spring water in your Evian bottle.





Riding the TGV from Paris to Nice was clearly one of the major highlights for William. It does not feel like it goes as fast as it does, but once in a while you see how cars on motorways just can't keep up and you realize just how fast these trains go!

Another 'highlight' was how we almost missed the train to Nice because the hotel front desk messed up getting a taxi for us in time to get to the train station! The children will probably remember running for the train with the luggage about as well as seeing the Eiffel Tower.



The iconic Hotel Negresco - it really is a beautiful place.







A shot of the rocks between the beach in Nice and the harbor.




This is an interesting metal sculpture in front of the Casino in Monte Carlo. It looks like a giant sphere, but it's not. You can see the casino in the refection (and me too -- if you look close enough!)

London: The Globe

On the Sunday of the Spring Bank Holiday (Memorial Day Weekend for the Americans) we headed into London to tour Shakespeare's Globe Theater.


Lilian's E-1 class at Lake Country School read and performed The Tempest this year. So Patricia suggested (and we agreed) that it would be fun for Lilian to take a tour of the Globe to report back.

And what fun it was! It is an amazing structure. All the wooden beams were built as it would have been -- interlocking wooden beams held together with pegs. Quite amazing really. There are a few modern touches -- lights that shine on the audience for nighttime performances. A sprinkler system on the thatch roof so this Globe doesn't burn down. But really quite true to the original.

Point To Point Race

Easter Egg Hunt

Bockets Farm

Last Sunday we took the kids to Bockets Farm, a working family farm (sounds like they raise families, doesn't it?) in Surrey near Leatherhead. In springtime they have lots of baby animals -- or very pregnant animals -- for the children to see. I think I'm glad we were not 'lucky' enough to see any animals born, but Fiona was a bit disappointed.

They also have a variety of indoor and outdoor play areas for children -- so it is fun for the whole family.

Lilian is feeding (trust me, that is her hand) a one day old lamb here. This lamb kept walking up onto it's mother's back. Funny.



Fiona holds William up for a better view of the barn, while Lilian feeds a goat. It's a BIG barn!





Lilian feeds another baby lamb with its mother watching. That mama sheep did not like when Lilian tried to touch the lamb. Angry sheep? Approach with caution!

Bockets has a big indoor slide for the kids. It's fun, rain or shine!





And as you can see the slide is fun for the whole family. Is anyone having more fun that Fiona?




William loves the pedal tractors, especially now that he can pedal fast!







There are big slides outdoors too in the 'Monkey House'.






Lilian slides down the biggest of the outdoor slides!




Bockets has a Giant Pillow too. It's basically like a huge bouncing platform -- limit 25 children at a time. Lilian and William had fun bouncing on it for a long time!










Lilian got some serious air when she jumped on the giant pillow.




Lilian just enjoyed playing outside and being Lilian at Bockets.





Getting ready to watch the Pig Race at Bockets. Yes, real live pig racing. Remember, it is an exhibition, not a competition, please no wagering.



We had a lovely (but tiring!) afternoon at Bockets. The clouds were quite interesting on the farm at times. But it didn't rain on us!