Although we are down to our last 10 days of this voyage, they will be very busy. We still have 6 ports to visit! So, only a few sea days to fit in all those final cocktail parties, Mariner Recognition events, farewell dinners, and perhaps tearful goodbyes to new friends.
Our final cocktail party for our Cruise Specialists guests was a lovely affair. About two thirds of the group attended and stayed more than an hour past the official end. They were really having a wonderful time and since it is our last party, perhaps the last chance for some of these people to easily get together. We love that they like spending time together!
St Anthony, Newfoundland
We arrived in St Anthony on a cold but sunny day. Some of you may remember our stories from past visits about the incredibly warm and welcoming residents of this small community - how they offered their cars and pickup trucks to take passengers out to the Viking historical site when we were late and the buses had left; how a tour guide trusted us enough to let us “rent” her personal vehicle for the day, so we could venture beyond the town; how residents stopped us while we were walking just to say hello and find out where we were from! We love visiting a place like this. But this is a tender port and not only is it a long ride, but we have a short day. So, we decided, since we have been here multiple times, to stay on board and do our part to help expedite the tender process - two fewer guests to transport out and back.
Great hiking opportunities are here out to the Fishing Point Municipal Park and up a challenging staircase for magnificent views. Or stay level and wander along the coastal trails.
There are lots of things dedicated to Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, the town's most famous citizen and a pioneer in medical work within the coastal communities. The most popular excursion is out to L’Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO Site, which is the first European settlement in North America. It shows what life was like here 1,000 years ago. You could attend a Viking Feast where you might get to taste moose stew or cod casserole. It's all fun and as we’ve said, the local people are wonderful.
St John’s, Newfoundland
We move on quickly to St John’s, the oldest and most easterly city in North America and Newfoundland’s capital. We are always happy to return here and watch the tense passage through the narrow entry channel to the inner harbor where we dock right downtown. Today’s windy conditions made it difficult, but we made it right on time without any issues.
SELECT & REPLACE WITH ANOTHER TEMPLATE
SELECT & REPLACE WITH ANOTHER TEMPLATE
There are so many places we love to visit here. Cape Spear is the easternmost point of Canada, with a beautiful lighthouse and windswept landscape. Cabot Tower, perched up on Signal Hill, the highest point over the harbor, provides a wonderful viewpoint, an interesting historic landmark, and a challenging hike if one chooses the cliffside trails. Quidi Vidi Lake and Quidi Vidi Village are fun places to walk to and feature artisan shops and local beer. And downtown is noted for George Street and its large number of bars - in the Guiness Book of World records for that.
Our path today didn’t go to any of those spots. We had an Uber take us a few miles out of town to a spot where three ponds, Long, Kent, and Kenny, are close together with lovely trails connecting them. We walked through the campus of Memorial University and explored the grounds of Confederation Hill, a large government complex for the province. Then, making our way back on foot to the city, we explored the Victorian style Bannerman Park and the grounds of the historic Government House. We met some friendly people who just stopped to welcome us to their city and to wish us a pleasant visit. It was a 12-mile walking and 45 geocache day and we’ve barely scratched the surface of what is available here.
The sail out in the afternoon was especially lovely - it was warm and without the winds that howled this morning. We enjoy watching the people up on Signal Hill and along the trail who were watching and waving to us.
St Pierre and Miquelon
It has been many years since we stopped at the islands of St Pierre and Miquelon, part of an 8-island archipelago. As the name suggests, it is French in language and culture, and although it is just south of Newfoundland, suggesting a connection with Canada, it is a self-governing overseas collectivity of France.
We docked over a mile from the actual town of St Pierre, so shuttles were provided - school bus style. The wind was impossible early in the morning - gusts over 50 mph. We bundled up, took the shuttle and walked a big loop around the harbor and out on a long sea wall. This was the flat part of our walk. Much of the town is built across the side of the hills that face the harbor, so getting anywhere is a steep uphill. Aside from neat and colorful houses on residential streets, there is not much to see. There is a lookout high on the hill, a war memorial, a lighthouse, several small parks, and a ferry ride out to Sailor’s Island to see the Museum, Church, and other remnants of this once busy fishing community.
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SELECT & REPLACE WITH ANOTHER TEMPLATE
The winds died down during the day, so we decided to walk back to the ship along the harborside walkway. We had a pleasant day, covering about 8 miles with a few geocaches along the way.
Halifax
Halifax is a city worthy of at least an overnight visit. But we have only about 8 hours and want to make the most of it. It’s also not the best weather day - very windy and hard to walk.
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SELECT & REPLACE WITH ANOTHER TEMPLATE
Wendy decided to take the day off, so Steve went off on his own to find some geocaches and get reacquainted with the city. The promenade along the harbor that we usually enjoy is deserted at the early hour as he raced to make the 8:15 am ferry over to Dartmouth. It’s the best bargain in town at $2.25 Canadian for a roundtrip ticket. Dartmouth is the bedroom community for Halifax, with a steady stream of commuters using this ferry to get to and from the city.
He visited a few parks, cemeteries, ponds, and trails in the two hours he stayed there. Back in Halifax, he covered a lot of places, from the beautiful Public Gardens to the grounds of the Citadel, and then back to the Promenade for the mandatory ice cream stop at Cows.
By the afternoon, the crowds had formed, many attending a local festival. He had a record-breaking day of 15 miles walked for 39 geocaches.
Portland, Maine
Our first port back in the U.S. and that requires that every person, passengers and crew alike, have a face-to-face meeting with Customs and Border Protection agents. It’s not a big deal, as it usually goes quickly, but it does complicate the departure for our last shore tour with our Cruise Specialists guests.
We managed to get out almost on time for our driving tour of Kennebunkport. Our guide had a wealth of information and told great stories about local legends and colorful characters. We saw the famous Wedding Cake House; the beautiful estate property that is still home to George, Laura and Jeb Bush; the beaches that fill in the space between the mansions; and lots of wonderful waterfront homes, each unique and so well kept.
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SELECT & REPLACE WITH ANOTHER TEMPLATE
Our lunch was in the historic Nonantum Resort Hotel, where we had the classic lobster roll with seafood chowder and an outrageously rich chocolate torte for dessert.
An hour of free time in the village of Kennebunkport gave everyone a chance for shopping, and a few even headed to the well-known Clam Shack for a taste of their iconic fried clams.
Our final stop was at the Portland Head Light, the famous lighthouse on Cape Elizabeth, located within Fort Williams Park. It’s a dramatic spot to watch waves crashing over the rocky shoreline. Just gorgeous today!
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SELECT & REPLACE WITH ANOTHER TEMPLATE
This was our final group event, and we were so pleased it was a wonderful weather day and a fun program.
Boston, Massachusetts
Our very last port, number 68 of the voyage, is Boston, and the weather more than cooperated again. With temps in the 70’s, we were glad to have a longer than usual stay from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. We wandered out relatively early and had an Uber take us to the Charles River Reservation, with plans to walk back through downtown, taking in parts of what is known as the Freedom Trail. This city is super rich with the history of early America and this trail, which is a walking tour connecting 16 sites, covers much of what anyone would want to know.
We spent some time in the Boston Public Garden first, beautifully maintained and rich with plants, monuments and statues. You can’t miss the huge tribute to Geoge Washington on horseback, looking very much the leader.
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SELECT & REPLACE WITH ANOTHER TEMPLATE
We saw many wonderful historic places: the Granary Burying Ground, where Paul Revere and John Hancock are laid to rest; the Soldiers and Sailors Monument; the Declaration of Independence Monument; the Boston Common, America’s oldest park; King’s Chapel; the Old North Church; the Ben Franklin Statue; the Old South Meeting House which was the organizing point for the Boston Tea Party and the list goes on.
It is officially the start of the summer season here, so the city was busy with tourists taking walking tours with costumed guides. It was so beautiful out, we decided to walk back to the port rather than take the shuttle. It was only an 8-mile walking day for us, but very scenic and a fitting final port to this unique adventure we have had.
We have three days at sea now to get to Ft Lauderdale. They promise to be very busy.
Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
Continue Reading:
A Bon Voyage! | Costa Rica & Panama | Ecuador and Northern Peru | Wendy's Adventures in Peru | Steve's Adventure in Machu Picchu | Arica and San Antonio, Chile | Robinson Crusoe & Southern Chile | More Chile & Argentina | Antarctica | Falkland Islands | Montevideo & Punta del Este | Brazil | The Amazon | Salvation Islands | Arriving in Africa | Canary Islands & Morocco | Gibraltar and Barcelona | Spain & Portugal | France, Belgium and The Netherlands | Scotland and Norway | More Norway | Iceland | Greenland | Canada & New England | Voyage Summary
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