Page 25 - quebec
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or some reason we had low-
ered our expectations for
our upcoming cruise from
Quebec City to New York.
We had recently experi-
enced three very enjoyable
Fcruises to the Baltic, San
Diego to England through the Panama
Canal and a transatlantic sail from Rome
to Rio. What could a leaf peeper cruise
in our own continent offer – I mean
contrary to popular belief, California
has pretty good peeper material in good
years. But our cruise buddy friends had
already booked The RCCL Explorer of the
Seas and we decided to tag along.
Boy, were we wrong. This cruise was fab-
ulous, full of fun, adventure and most of
all great food and drink. We saw a side
of Canada we didn’t know existed, and
reveled in casual sophistication that de-
fined the cities and the natural beauty
that marked the rugged coastlines of the
Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic
Ocean. In Canada we felt a comfortable
familiarity with the people and the land,
but, there was also a definite uniqueness
in culture and scenery here that made
for more of an exotic adventure.
The biggest surprise was our embarka-
tion port Quebec City. In retrospect, I
can’t figure out why all of my travel
friends aren’t raving about this won-
derful city. It is without a doubt one of
the most interesting, friendly and fun
metropolitan cities in the world. It’s like
being in France without the expense, jet
lag and attitude (although I’ve become
fond of French attitudes as I get older.)
Top: Mary James poses under a leaf peeper’s dream
tree. Middle: An ancient cannonball lodged in a
tree in Quebec City. Bottom: The Square in the
lower city. Opposite: The RCCL’s Explorer of the Seas
as seen from the upper city in Quebec City.
Wine Dine & Travel Summer 2014 25

