Fall In New England

Our New England itinerary included New York City (New York), Boston (Massachusetts), Newport (Rhode Island), and Bar Harbor (Maine). There was so much colonial history to discover in this beautiful area. I fell in love with the seaport living (and delicious seafood) of Newport and Bar Harbor. Boston became one of my favorite cities with its amazing food and live music scene in Quincy Market. Some of my favorite excursions along the Freedom Trail included walking Hanover Street (one of the oldest streets in Boston), touring Paul Revere's house and other aged architectural treasures like The Bell In Hand Tavern; established in 1795, it is America's oldest tavern!

                                                                          Paul Revere's House

Freedom Trail

                                   Jimmy Fallon!

Fall In Canada

September- October was our Canada/ New England itinerary. I wasn't too impressed with our Canadian ports; I definitely want to travel to the other side of the country to see the more mountainous parts rather than the sea towns. But I had a lot of fun exploring the towns with my friends. Some highlights include sightseeing at the citadel in Halifax with Erin's family, and hot yoga and delicious ice cream when Kevin came to cruise. Quebec was the one exception to these unimpressive locations, it was AMAZING.  I loved shopping and discovering the French quarter! We found PHENOMENAL pizza. I'm working on trying to remember the name of the restaurant!!!! I do however remember two great shops that I discovered-Roots and Simmons!!! :D

                               

From Holland To America!

September 8th we were ported in St. Johns, Newfoundland. This was a particularly exciting spot for me because I had chosen Newfoundland as my Canadian Province to study back in elementary school so I was stoked to have the opportunity to visit it! There was even a Newfoundland puppy to greet us on the pier, so I knew I would like Canada! :) We spent our day touring the port, and found George Street, the North Atlantic version of Bourbon Street. It was raining pretty heavily so we did a mini pub crawl, enjoying live music,drinks and food provided by the wonderful Canadian hospitality. After the rain ceased, we window shopped and strolled thru the rows of brightly colored houses that continued all the way down to the harbor.

"Eskimo Bells Up In.....Greenland...Are Ringing!!!"

After Iceland, we spent a day cruising the Prince Christian Sund of Greenland, translated to the Prince Christian Sound. I now know a sound is a large sea or ocean inlet that is larger than a bay, deeper and wider than a fjord. It's cool to sail on a ship thru all these types of bodies of water and landscapes and actually be able see the difference with my own eyes. The Eurodam, and ships of equal size, are the largest cruise ships that can make it on this voyage, if it's not blocked by icebergs.

The following day we docked in Nanortalik, Greenland. Cruise ship tourism to Greenland is still in its infancy so there's not much to take in but I really enjoyed people watching. The locals here reminded me so much of a typical Eskimo in Alaska, dark features and skin. We were told having a ship come to their shores is the highlight of their year, and I could see the excitement in the children’s eyes while they ran around us yelling “HI!!!! HI!!!!” We were all bundled up in giant coats and scarves, and while we walked around the small town, shivering, the natives’ fashioned shorts and t-shirts, apparently it was their summer! Our ship collected used clothes to donate to the Intuits’, since they don’t get a lot of imported goods. It must be a difficult way of living with the harsh weather and having limited resources delivered to help. I’m even more grateful for the convenience of America.

Aurora Borealis

September 1st and 2nd we had an overnight in Reykjavik, Iceland! On the first day we took a crew tour out to the Blue Lagoon, the volcanic hot springs. I felt a bit like the brave (but crazy) people who partake in the Polar Bear Plunge as I ran in my bathing suit thru the freezing wind to get to the water. Although the place smelt of sulfur (that pungent stench of rotten eggs), the water was amazing, warming our bodies from the cold air surrounding us. We even tried the natural mud cream facial scrub as we swam around the springs.

Oh Beautiful, NORWAY!

In August, we docked in Norwegian ports that were new for me: Flam, Eldfjord, and Stravanger. These days were spent hiking in the valleys and mountains, running thru the fields and strolling next to lakes. We were able to get very close to the wildlife; the yaks we happened upon on the trail and the sheep we chased on a farm. Even now, looking back at the pictures, I can remember how stunning every place was. The water was always so blue and the grass was a brilliant shade of green.