29th Day - Montreal

Up early so we could have our Brekky before leaving the ship - can't forego any of those meals! Because we were willing and able to carry all our own baggage, we were allowed off as soon as we docked. We caught a taxi about 7.30 for our hotel near the airport. This proved to be a $50 trip. Our room was ready to our surprise so we settled in and then had to get to the city for our tour. There was no shuttle bus or train from here so we had to call a cab again ($40). The first stop was the Grayline depot where we picked up our tour voucher and, as we were right in the city, we wandered around looking at the shops as well as having a coffee and finding an ATM. As our tour was to be 3 1/2hours, we had some soup and a drink before boarding. Just as well, as there wasn't anywhere to buy a snack at our tour stops. Our tour guide was a real mine of information and easy to listen to, making it very interesting with his little jokes etc. we really felt the tour was well worth it as we saw such a lot of the area. There are some 3million people with tourism and education some of the major income earners. Some of the highlights were the Olympic Stadium which has an "arm like" support 50stories high, the Casino, Notre Dame Cathedral (where Celine Dion got married with 3000 guests ), St. Joseph Oratory, the Royal Park, a massive bridge structure, a Fun Park, McGill University and lots of other landmarks It was hard to believe that the streets often are under 10ft of snow and the tourist season can be as short as May to September with snow in the streets in Sept. Summer, or spring, has come late this year and the tulips are just ready to open. The council workers can be seen planting out all the seedlings on the roundabouts and parkland. There should be a good showing in a few weeks. After the tour we found the entrance to the massive underground shopping centre and had a look around there and had a meal before getting a cab back to our hotel ($45). We have booked a cab for 5am tomorrow for airport. As I ( Eric) forgot his camera today ,no photos were taken so purchased a few post cards and these are attached .

28th Day - Quebec City pm

Well here we are in Quebec (pronounced K Beck by the Americans) waiting to go on our tour of Historic and Modern Quebec ( about $50 US) for 3 1/2 hours. After Eric did some IPad work earlier we went for a walk around the Old Town because we are docked right in the centre of it. The views of the very old buildings at the top of the very steep slope are spectacular to say the least. There was a Funicular up to the Chateau Frontenac but, like quite a few things here, it is not working till Summer (about the end of June) so we trudged up the slope zigzagging along looking at the old buildings along the way. The Chateau above was absolutely huge from every angle. I guess it is a hotel these days but, like a lot of this historic area, there are workmen everywhere sprucing everything up for the summer visitors.We were told it has 618 rooms! On the boardwalk there were glassed in areas where you could look down on to old fortress ruins. The Holy Trinity church was really stunning inside and we were told the main pipe organ was comprised of over 3,000 pipes. I couldn't find the Holy Water as we came out and then a lady told me it was an Anglican Cathedral, so there.The area really appealed to us. There were a few spits of rain but then it cleared while we had our Baked Spud for lunch but then another shower was coming through. This afternoon we had the tour but were somewhat disappointed with it and it was raining on and off. One of the main attractions was the Citadel and we were walking in the rain for about one hour and did not get any info from the guide, mainly because of the rain. We were taken to the 31st floor of a building where we walked around the Observation Deck to get a great over view of the city and also the city on the opposite bank of the river which rarely got a mention. Got back to the ship at 4.30 and sailed at 5.00pm. Had our " last supper " tonight, listened to cool music then retired to our stateroom for packing. We leave the ship in the morning at 7.15 in Montreal and have the day and night at our hotel near the Airport. We have booked a city tour again so hope the guide speaks English! In Quebec all children have to go to French speaking schools so the language will be preserved. Really we would have liked a few more days here to explore a bit more. It reminded us of some European cities. No wonder really as the British and French were the first rulers here. Oh well, the bag is packed but not closed yet - here's hoping the zips will do up!

27th day - Sailing

Last night we sailed from Charlottetown and into the Gulf of St.Laurence and this afternoon moved into St.Laurence River and heading for Quebec City. We will arrive in Quebec at 7.00am tomorrow and have a tour booked for the pm. This should give us a good overview of the old and new city. Today has been a "sea day" where we have been sailing all day. This means that it is busy everywhere with everyone aboard - and hard to find a good comfortable chair in a quiet spot. There have been auctions, trivia and numerous activities to keep us busy but I was more interested in finishing the book I got from the library so I could return it. I will have to remember the author , Jennifer Weiner. We received an invite to attend a luncheon today at the Captains request ( with just about everyone else) but it was very nice anyway. We had Corn Chowder Soup followed by baked glazed salmon and then a berry pie and cream for sweets.Dinner tonight is our second formal night so will have to put on the " glad rags ".Oh, and we did get to mass at 8am for Ascension Thursday. Tonight is titled Showtime in the theatre so I guess it will be very musical.

26th Day - Charlottetown

Today we arrived at Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island Canada. The Island is small and 280km in length with the population in the Capital about 22,000. Yesterday we decided we would do a coach tour on the Island of 3.5 hours at a cost of approx $60.00 each to see some of the area and glad we did because the countryside is beautiful with lots of cultivation and farms. The main crop grown is potatoes but they have to rotate crops every 3 years with grain, hay etc as potatoes take out a lot of nutrients from the soil. The tour took us along the Southern Coastal side of the Island to the Confederation Bridge - a huge bridge opened in 1997 and running a distance of 13km to the mainland of New Brunswick ,Canada. The toll for cars is $45.00 return. Also on the Island is the home of Anne of Green Gables and although we did not go there, we did visit one of their themed shops in Charlottetown in the morning,very briefly as we were running out of time. There was a Clam Bake on board but we decided to forego that as we needed to get ready for our afternoon tour. Our guide pointed out that PEI as the island is known, is often thought of as Potholes Every Inch when the roads are needing repair after winter. It was somewhat of a rush to dress for dinner in 15mins but we made it. After we were entertained by a comedian. We sat in the back row in case it was a bit trite but ended up really enjoying it and staying till the end. After we joined Jamm, The Piano Man where his show was highlighting Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack music. He is ever so talented and amazing to watch. How such a muscled guy can play and sing in such a sensitive way! If only we could stay awake till 11pm when he has another show - tonight Freddie Mercury and Queen. He is so diverse.

25th Day - Sydney ( Canada )

Today was very cold with a chilly wind and odd showers. We docked in Sydney at 10.00am and after checking emails and doing the Blog in the terminal , decided to walk uptown and check the place out. I guess it really is just a village. I wandered into a shoe shop but didn't find anything I really needed so off we went again. There were quite a few shops now empty and we were talking to a local who told us that 3 of the local Catholic Churches were closing down shortly even the main one here in town. It is a lovely building and very well maintained. She said as soon as the young ones graduate from school they have to leave to find work as the industries which were around, such as coal mining, have all closed down. It does seem familiar to home, doesn't it? There was a lady called Ruth McNeill singing (busking) on the dock and as I watched from the comfort of the ship (only about 14deg outside) I wondered if she might be related to Rita MacNeill but apparently not. However I did find out that Rita passed away about last November. Surprise surprise! I did go into an Op Shop type store and bought a jumper. Now I have washed it and finding it difficult to get dry! Oh well! When Eric was sitting with IPad he found some other Australians from Rocky. They were going for a walk up town also but when we came out of the terminal she was sitting in a wheel chair with medical and security people around as she had slipped and fallen on the steps and damaged her ankle. They were to take her for treatment so I don't know what resulted. They told Eric they had a Sunday Mail and would leave it at reception but haven't yet. The sun finally came out just before we pulled away. Our entertainment last night was titled Unforgettable and we heard lots of well known show time numbers which were really well presented by 6 very able singers. After we sat in the lounge and listened to the Jazz trio whom we really enjoy. In the next lounge a very talented song man was singing the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber - wow! He was to do Barbra Streisand from 11pm but we couldn't wait that long.

24th Day - Halifax

We were told to expect a cool and possibly windy day and when we went out about 9.30 we sure felt the chill. Luckily we were dressed warmly. After listening to some suggestions from a tourist ambassador, we decided we could easily walk around the area so off we went. My hands were a bit cold but we soon warmed up. We met an old lady who offered some advice and directions and then bit us for a "donation to clean up the city"?, whatever that meant. We made it to the shopping centre and had a look around before getting a coffee at Maccas while Eric tried to connect to wi-fi which proved to be hopeless.Also it seems that the cellular chip for the IPad purchased in USA will not work in Canada where we are now. So from now until we leave for home we will have to rely on just the Wi-Fi which can be very slow at times. The centre was looking less than prosperous with many closed businesses. It then started to rain so Eric had to buy an umbrella as there are no covered walkways. We paid a visit to the cathedral and then to the Farmers Market which had very few stalls - mainly fast food, jewellery etc. There were lots of people sitting around working on their computers and phones so we decided that might be a good spot to try again. While Eric did this I walked on and looked through all the shops in the terminal building and bought myself a pair of earrings. It was about 1.30 when we boarded again. Luckily we had our drivers licence with us as we saw we had to have photo ID to reboard! Up to the Buffet for lunch and that was it. Tonight our concert is supposed to be a bit Scottish to complement the area. There was to be music up around the pool but the rain has really set in now. As I sit here in the library I am looking out on an island where there is a lighthouse and 2 houses It makes you wonder how old the houses are and what vagaries of weather they have experienced over the May years as they seem quite exposed.
Tuesday morning - Still sailing between Halifax and Sydney ( Canada ) and raining and foggy with temp. expected to be 8oC so the warm clothing will come out today. We are due to arrive in Sydney at 10.00 am. Last night the Showtime was a trio of piano,pipes and violin playing Celtic jigs and reels for an hour and whilst they were very good they seem very repetitious .

24th Day - Halifax

We were told to expect a cool and possibly windy day and when we went out about 9.30 we sure felt the chill. Luckily we were dressed warmly. After listening to some suggestions from a tourist ambassador, we decided we could easily walk around the area so off we went. My hands were a bit cold but we soon warmed up. We met an old lady who offered some advice and directions and then bit us for a "donation to clean up the city"?, whatever that meant. We made it to the shopping centre and had a look around before getting a coffee at Maccas while Eric tried to connect to wi-fi which proved to be hopeless.Also it seems that the cellular chip for the IPad purchased in USA will not work in Canada where we are now. So from now until we leave for home we will have to rely on just the Wi-Fi which can be very slow at times. The centre was looking less than prosperous with many closed businesses. It then started to rain so Eric had to buy an umbrella as there are no covered walkways. We paid a visit to the cathedral and then to the Farmers Market which had very few stalls - mainly fast food, jewellery etc. There were lots of people sitting around working on their computers and phones so we decided that might be a good spot to try again. While Eric did this I walked on and looked through all the shops in the terminal building and bought myself a pair of earrings. It was about 1.30 when we boarded again. Luckily we had our drivers licence with us as we saw we had to have photo ID to reboard! Up to the Buffet for lunch and that was it. Tonight our concert is supposed to be a bit Scottish to complement the area. There was to be music up around the pool but the rain has really set in now. As I sit here in the library I am looking out on an island where there is a lighthouse and 2 houses It makes you wonder how old the houses are and what vagaries of weather they have experienced over the May years as they seem quite exposed.
Tuesday morning - Still sailing between Halifax and Sydney ( Canada ) and raining and foggy with temp. expected to be 8oC so the warm clothing will come out today. We are due to arrive in Sydney at 10.00 am. Last night the Showtime was a trio of piano,pipes and violin playing Celtic jigs and reels for an hour and whilst they were very good they seem very repetitious .

23rd Day - Bay Harbor

The day didn't look promising when it was predicted to be only 14deg but when we caught the tender to the shore the water was as smooth as and, while it was chilly, we did not need a heavy coat. There was no wind so that made it very pleasant. We were there about 9am and of course very few shops open and only cruise guests wandering around. We discovered the Hop on and Hop off buses won't be in operation till 23rd June so, as we knew the National Park, Acadia, was worth a visit so we were able to book a tour at $30 for 3 hours. We had a fabulous woman driver who was so very knowledgeable on many subjects as well as a bit of a comedian. The park land was actually donated to the community by the Rockafeller family and the last of those grandsons still summers here and he is (98). A lot of the big houses are only occupied for about a month a year and the house is just kept locked up for 11months. Not a lot of people can afford to stay the 12 months as they depend on tourism and there are no visitors when it is snowing etc. Only 2 stores stay open.Martha Stewart has a huge place here as well as the Fords and Bushes. We had a great view from Cadillac Mountain (all granite) and could see our cruise ship looking picturesque in the harbour. We were also treated to home made lemonade which was delicious. There were a couple of Beaver houses (lodges) being built by the very industrious little beavers where they dam up the river to flood the lower part and entrance to their home. The park got very busy as this is a long weekend (Memorial Day) and loads of cars and cyclists were out to enjoy the fine weather. We returned to the ship for a late lunch and vessel sailed at 3.30pm. Tonight the showroom presented a Broadway Special which was excellent. The vessel takes about 1200 passengers and 550 crew and is starting to show its age as built in 1993.

21st Day - Start of Cruise

We had a very leisurely morning as we did not have to leave the hotel till 11am and boarding wasn't till 1pm. We caught a taxi at midday and it only took 15 mins or so for $26. He brought us right to the spot and boarding had already started so it only took maybe 20mins which was a heck of a lot quicker than we have experienced before. We went straight to our room to check it out and are quite happy with it although it is an inside cabin. It seems there are only a few of these cabins squeezed in between the suites and penthouse and we have to pass by their exclusive lounge to join all the other average people!!!! Their lounge looks so nice with all sorts of goodies. After lunch we had our drill on deck and then I had a nap while Eric checked out the lay of the land (or ship). We received a special invite to eat in the Italian Restaurant (don't know why) so fronted up there at 7.30 thinking there must be some kind of presentation going on, but no, nothing. After our meal we went to the concert where the artists for the week gave us a preview and then we listened to a Jazz trio for a while. Oh, I forgot to say Eric won a bottle of champagne in a raffle. The other prizes were a lovely watch and a bracelet so it is a pity we did not win one of those as we won't drink the bubbly. We will give it to the steward if he is allowed to have it. Otherwise today is not much more to report on and we sailed at 4.00pm and anchor tomorrow morning at 7.00am in Bay Harbour.

21st Day - Boston

After Brekky at our favourite cafe we hit the road and walked to the Bunker Hill monument built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill fought on the 17th June, 1775. We found this a bit intriguing as the Colonists actually lost the battle to the British though both suffered horrendous casualties. The street lights in the area are gas and shine 24hours a day and have done for maybe hundreds of years(?). It must be difficult to find your way around in these areas as they are so exclusive as to not have a title like say Sapphire Gardens Apartments but only a number on the building - 196 or something. Then I don't know where you would park anyway. We then took a shuttle to North Station and walked to North End (Little Italy) and had lunch at the Florentine Cafe which was a lovely setting with spring flowers in the window boxes. I think I am changing my opinion of the first few days and really falling for this place. Oh, before that we had morning tea at a lovely pastry/bakery and I was blown away at the beautiful array of pastries on offer. We chose a French Horn and a Boston Cream Bun and just sat and ogled all the other goodies. Then a visit to The Old North Church where Paul Revere arranged for the 1or 2 lanterns to be lit to alert the troops to whichever route the British Soldiers were taking. This was built in 1770 and is still used each Sunday for services. The congregation (families) had their own little gated stalls and in winter they would bring heated foot warmers from home. Then we walked to Paul Revere's house, built c.1680 - very dark but the rooms seemed fairly large for the time but only 2 bedrooms for the family with 16children! We found our way to the Farmers Market where we bought a large punnet of huge strawberries for $2 - for afters tonight and then to Quincey Market again where the Cheers Bar was in full swing and packed out. We visited the monstrous Christmas Shop where they had everything from an Elvis tree decoration ($14) to dogs, cats, Spider-Man and anything else you could possibly think of but nothing I needed. We still wanted to visit the old ship The Constitution (built1797)for a tour so found the ferry again and back near "home" where we went on board and saw the cannons (40) and the narrow hammocks where the sailors slept. Too bad if someone snored as there was only about 10cms between. We then bought ourselves some Clam Chowder to heat up for our dinner-yum! Tomorrow we board the "Maasdam" for 7 day voyage north to Nova Scotia and ending at Montreal . We think we have just about seen all the tourist spots here in Boston after the 5 days.

20th Day Boston

Someone in lift today said there was 50% chance of rain pm so we thought we had better not mess around and get out early. However nothing opens before 10am so there isn't much accomplished early. Our mission was to visit Quincey Markets so were lucky that a lot of store holders, especially food were in a hall. It was great walking around looking all all the different styles of food presentation and combinations - a lot different to home. We also can't get over the portion sizes here - servings are so big! We also came across Cheers Bar (from TV show) but it wasn't opening till 11am. By this time it had turned quite chilly and Eric had worn shorts so he was not keen to wander in the open so we made our way to the waterfront where we were able to get a water taxi back. The sun came out and warmed us a little so when we got back to Constitution Dock we decided to look through the museum there before heading for "home". We also saw the Korean War Memorial which was quite impressive. It was opened in 1993, 40 years since the signing of the surrender. Off to our little eatery for a warming lunch before back to our room and a visit to the laundry to wash the jeans etc. The rain has arrived as promised and gets heavy at times so we were lucky. It is now 3.30pm and as it is showering, we will stay in our room and rest up.

19th Day - Boston

Another perfect day to sightsee. Off to our little cafe for Brekky before we headed out to our tour trolley for the second day of three. Our first stop was at a big shopping centre. The Galleria. This had a Macy's and a Sears but we only looked briefly in Sears where I bought 2 pairs of shoes and a black skivy which I might need further north as I did not bring much in winter clothes. So far we have only been wearing our summer things with a spray jacket or light cardie. Before the shops opened at 10 we saw that there was a boat cruise up the Charles R from the back of the S.Centre so we went on that for an hour ($13) and found it gave us a totally different perspective of the city of some 700,000. For lunch we finally came by a Cheesecake Factory restaurant at a time when we were hungry and enjoyed a pizza and a slice of Lemoncello cake (both shared) and was that cake something. Our next stop was the very tall Prudential Building where we took the lift to the 50th floor for yet another view of the city. It is really amazing to know how old these buildings are with some dating from the 1700's. The tour guides are so full of info on the history that it is mind boggling. After dinner last night we tried to follow the Freedom Trail back to our hotel but for some reason it petered out so we might do some of it tomorrow when we visit Bunker Hill. When we were looking at accommodation here about 6 months ago, we couldn't understand why a lot was booked out and also quite expensive. Someone told us today it is because of all the graduations taking place at all the Universities and Colleges as their semester goes from Sept. to May. We returned back to our accommodation at 5.00pm with no further plans for today. It is now nearly 7.00pm and sun is still high in the sky. Included in the attached photos from the high building is the Stadium of the Red Sox Baseball Team and they happen to be playing tonight but very difficult to get tickets.

18th Day- Boston

Well today we obtained a hop on hop off Trolley Bus ticket which lasts for 3 days. We rode round the whole circuit and a half - about 2 1/2 hours and then got off and did an Army Duck splash down tour of the harbour before rejoining the trolley and continuing on again. This time we got off onto another loop trolley and visited Harvard and their Museum of Natural History. So now we can say we both have been to Harvard ha ha! We found the exhibits on Africa and Asia and Sth America to be very interesting, esp the animals and birds that are now extinct. We even saw a rather angry looking koala and a Tasmanian Devil. Another botanical exhibit featuring myriad examples of flowers and plants which had been created out of glass by one man and his son over 100 years ago was just amazing in detail. We would have liked to spend more time there. We were back on the trolley by 3.30 but did not get back to our stop area till around 6pm because of heavy traffic. We got dropped off in the North End and found a little Italian restaurant where we had a lovely evening meal. It was called Maurizios. Another 2 eateries were recommended but one was a 20 min wait and the other had at least 30 people waiting in line outside! Obviously they both have a good reputation. We decided we would buy something in the pastry line from Mike's Pastry but when we came back there was a queue out the door there too so gave it a miss. We decided then to walk back as it was still light and made it by 7.45 so it was a long day but very enjoyable. Because it was perfect weather we did the outside things today. If things change we can always hop off at one of the big shopping centres and spend some time there.We had only booked in here for 2 nights but have extended to 5 now as we are getting to know our way around. Yesterday when we arrived I thought we were in the back of beyond but now realise this warehouse district has been preserved and there is lots going on inside that you don't see. Boston is like a lot of cities who now are realising the potential of their dock areas and turning them into all sorts of smart condos etc.Tomorrow we will be back on the trolley again. The drivers are very informative and terribly helpful, going out of their way in many ways to please.