All Things EARTH... part 2

[MJC]

Getting around Boston:

There was a taxi dispatcher at the cruise terminal and he got us a taxi really quickly, there was a stream of them entering the port (huge NCL in port with us). Then from the museum to the garden we called an Uber because it wasn't a neighborhood where there were taxis driving around. 

 

From the Public Garden we could see taxis whizzing by but we didn't know how to hail one. We asked the doorman at the Four Seasons hotel how it worked, and he suggested we go the Park Lane hotel where there was a taxi stand (one block away). There was a line of cabs there, we hopped in one, and were back at the terminal in 15 minutes. Super easy.

 

Taxi tips: always go by the meter, and listen to your gut. Our first driver didn't seem to understand us or where we wanted to go. We got out and asked for a different one. That's exactly what we would have done if we were at home in NYC.

 

 

 

 

 

[awhfy]

Great pictures Margaret. I especially like the plum dress & the masquerade picture

[laurspag]

I'm back!  I just got home last night, around 8 PM.  I have been following along here but I opted for the Surf package, instead of Surf and Stream, and it was very slow at times.  We had great access in our ports of call, with Mexico being a part of our regular plan at no extra cost.  However, we were so active during our port days, we only used our phones to take photos.

 

I will post more, as I organize our photos and the details.  In the meantime, I am loving your pictures and cruise info, Margaret!  When you are done, I would really like your thoughts on Cunard.  I'm always interested in learning about the different cruise lines.

[MJC]

I was up early on our first sea day and walked around a bit. It was like the ship was empty! Loved the peace and quiet.

 

The decor is very elegant and there are flowers everywhere. Every evening where the piano is there would be music. Sometimes a harp, sometimes a trio, sometimes just the pianist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by MJC

[MJC]

Quebec City was so beautiful and we had so much fun. I highly recommend a visit there. On our way up the St. Lawrence River, we did get to see the Montmorency Falls, which is one of the excursions people take.

 

 

The port area is really nicely done, with a fountain, a park with benches, and an easy terminal to navigate. We were headed up the cliff, though, to the Old City.

 

 

 

 

You get there by funicular:

 

 

And arrive at a big plaza honoring Champlain.

 

 

We sort of followed a self-guided history walk that I had downloaded onto my phone. We didn't visit the Chateau Frontenac yet since we would be having lunch there later in the Bistro Sam. You can see the glass-windowed bistro in this photo near the bottom, to the left of the main turret. It is very popular and I had made our lunch reservations back in May using Open Table.

 

 

 

[MJC]

We wandered along reading the plaques and things that came up on our walking tour. Eventually we got to the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec, which is the oldest church in Canada (although it has had two major fires and needed significant restoration).  It isn't hugely impressive from the outside like a gothic cathedral would be.

 

 

The inside was a beautiful surprise.

 

I lit a candle in honor of my mother and we sat a bit to look around because there was so much detail to enjoy.

 

 

 

When noon came the bells rang and an organist began to play... really well!  What a treat.

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by MJC

[MJC]

The Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so just walking around and looking at the architecture is an enjoyable thing to do. We headed to a section of the old wall.

 

 

Then started to  make our way back to the Chateau for our lunch reservation at 1:30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MJC]

Welcome home Laurie! I look forward to hearing about your trip!  I almost missed your post because I was putting together my pictures.

 

Have you been to Quebec City? You are so close compared to us.

 

Looking forward to your photos. 🙂

[laurspag]

I have not been to Quebec City, but we talk all the time about visiting Canada in general, as there are so many places I want to see.  Quebec City definitely sounds like something my husband and I would enjoy immensely. 

 

I just had a co-worker come back from Toronto, and she said it was a lot of fun, but definitely  a city - very busy with a ton of people.  

 

I'm going to put together my trip in a word doc, so I can copy and paste.  I tend to rush too much sometimes when posting directly.  Remember when Cruise Critic would lose our posts before we hit send and we would have to start all over again?  Lol.  I still type posts like they're going to be lost before I finish.

 

I am really enjoying your review.  

[MJC]

Fashion interlude... some really pretty colors from jjill right now.

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/saguaro-maxi-dress-247461s-1?searchTerm=

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/embroidered-mixed-media-flutter-sleeve-t-247171s-1?searchTerm=

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/pure-jill-ikat-a-line-maxi-dress-248101s-1?color=4ZD&searchTerm=ikat

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/pure-jill-folkloric-stamped-tunic-248031s-1?color=50Y&searchTerm=folkloric

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/soft-cord-shirtdress?color=035

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/hand-stitched-diamond-medallions-jacquar?color=5QL

[MJC]

Flipping through my last two Vogues and this coat keeps popping up. It looks so cozy!

 

 

https://www.nordstrom.com/s/max-mara-teddy-bear-icon-faux-fur-coat/5717083?color=CAMEL&utm_content=1264438534153860&utm_term=pla-4582627027258106&utm_channel=low_nd_shopping_standard&utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=291444851&adpos=&creative=&device=c&matchtype=e&network=s&acctid=21700000001689570&dskeywordid=92700049874835012&lid=92700049874835012&ds_s_kwgid=58700005465397958&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000007631122&ds_a_cid=593274227&ds_a_caid=11578124841&ds_a_agid=109666609901&ds_a_lid=pla-1042719657004&dsproductgroupid=4582627027258106&product_id=31319919&merchid=452&prodctry=US&prodlang=EN&channel=Online&storeid=&locationid=&targetid=pla-4582627027258106&campaignid=291444851&adgroupid=1264438534153860&msclkid=882ab2aa16941b002600d1e4dc8590c2&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=882ab2aa16941b002600d1e4dc8590c2&gclsrc=3p.ds

[awhfy]

I had that coat in the mid 60s!!!  Mine was cream. I loved that coat!!  Melody

[laurspag]

That looks really nice and warm! It's kinda pricey though!  I would love to find a knockoff version.

 

The JJill items look really nice. I love the scarf, especially.

[MJC]

It is quite pricey. But I expect that we'll be seeing knockoffs this winter given how often it's showing up in fashion mags.

 

Whenever I like a scarf, I think Laurie will like this too. 🙂

 

[MJC]

The Chateau Frontenac was busy with tourists. We waited 7 or 8 minutes to be seated because there was a line, and about half didn't have a reservation and were turned away. All the window tables had been booked. They are popular because they look out over the Terrasse Dufferin and the harbor. We had a nice view of the Queen Mary and enjoyed people-watching from our window:

 

 

Mark had the fish & chips, and I had beef cheeks bourguignonne. We shared black forest cake with cherries for dessert. Everything was so tasty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[laurspag]

That looks like such a nice place to eat!  It makes me think of The Keg in Niagara Falls, for some reason.  MYbe because there is such a pretty view, right outside your window.

[laurspag]

Lol, I definitely love scarves! 

 

I got a bunch of catalogs in the mail that were waiting for me when I returned from vacation.  JJill had a similar style of coat in olive green. 

 

I actually marked all sorts of things in the Chadwicks, JJill and Coldwater Creek catalogs.  Including the green coat...and a scarf. 😁

[laurspag]

https://www.jjill.com/product/long-teddy-jacket?color=58F

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/textured-fall-florals-infinity-scarf?color=0NO

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/textured-tweed-scarf?color=1UG

[MJC]

I like that teal scarf and top combo. Natch. 🙂

 

[MJC]

After lunch we retraced our steps to visit the Citadel. We had just missed a tour, so we decided to walk around and head back to the ship. The boardwalk extends all the way up here, but there are a lot of steps. Since we had taken the streets, we had a more gradual ascent. The views were great.

 

 

 

Eventually we were back on the boardwalk, and took the funicular back down to the ship.

 

 

That night we had a beautiful moonrise over the city.

 

 

 

 

 

[laurspag]

I'm so fascinated with your cruise, Margaret.  I recall your husband had his hips replaced.  Does the walking  bother him at all?

[MJC]

Hey Laurie, it was a very interesting cruise and we hadn't done one like this in a long time (longer cruise, more city and history stuff than nature,  cool to cold weather). I'm working on another post but I'll answer you first. 🙂

 

He has had both hips replaced, one in 2015 and the second right before the pandemic hit NYC in 2020. It improved his ability to walk so much, in fact some knee issues went away after he had the second one (I think because the pain changes your stride so much). Also, even though I had arthroscopy on both knees in my mid 40s, I don't have problems with them unless we do a lot of stairs or climbing. So we are still pretty good walkers, knock on wood.

[MJC]

Our second full day in Quebec City, we had purchased tickets to a special exhibit called Mosaicultures in one of the parks. I posted the link earlier. There were taxis at the port, so we grabbed one and headed to Le Parc due Bois-de-Coulonge. It was about a fifteen minute drive to the west, upriver from where we had been at the Citadel. Our driver spoke English too and it was very easy to get there.

 

We took a gazillion pictures, so I'll try to only post some highlights here. We had a beautiful, warm, sunny day for a park visit!

 

 

There was so much detail in the plantings, even in areas where there weren't animals in tableau.

 

 

This area for the whales and other ocean creatures was designed to look like water, and the humpback whale in the foreground even spouted water every five minutes or so.

 

 

Everything that was in the exhibit that wasn't plant material was recyclable, like the glass used in this clownfish one. I love how the plants mimic coral.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MJC]

Just a few more.

 

Some animals were featured with informational signs because they are endangered, like this white lion.

 

 

Mother Earth was very beautiful.

 

 

We joked that we got to meet the beekeeper. I love how the mums are supposed to be balls of pollen.

 

 

We left the garden and crossed the street to a corner with a gas station. We called an Uber to pick us up there. It took about 15 minutes for our driver to arrive, in the tiniest car!  He was very nice and we had a nice chat during our 20 minute ride back to the ship. He took us a different way back so we got to see some pretty residential streets and another part of the historic area along the way.

 

After all that walking, we were starving and headed right to the buffet where we just made the lunch cutoff. Then we really needed a nap!

 

I did find a picture of the Citadel which shows our route the day before. We had walked up the from the grassy area to the right of the structure, then around behind it where there is a nice view of the Plains of Abraham, then took all those stairs down.  There was a pretty gazebo up there to sit and admire the view.

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by MJC

[awhfy]

I’m thinking I’m going to take both of these toppers to wear with my red dress (I get so cold in dining rooms). Melody

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by awhfy
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