New England, Finale of our Autumn Cruise

 

Portland, Maine

We heard from family that Portland had a great food scene, so we signed up for a food tour. It seems, Portland’s waterfront was revitalized in the 1990’s which made it a tourist destination.  Now they have multiple James Beard award winning restaurants and bakeries.  We have done several food tours and this one from Maine Foodie Tours was very good because the food was great, and the guide gave us a great overview of the community and its history along with many stories regarding the local food scene. Besides the places below, we stopped at the Harbor Fish Market which is the source for many of the restaurants.  It had an amazing selection.  I had no idea how many different types of oysters there are either.

Maritime Provinces, Part 2 of our Autumn Cruise

 

  

Corner Brook, Newfoundland Island

We are now on the island of Newfoundland which is part of the Newfoundland and Labrador province of Canada.  It is supposed to be warming up some for us, but there is a steady rain outside that is ruining that fact.  On top of that, Jeff and I have an ATV adventure scheduled which warned us to dress warmly and in layers.  They are true ATVs so windshield and roof and holds 6 people but no doors so brr.  Happily, we dressed pretty well except we both had wet, cold hands at the end.  We also had helmets to wear which helped keep your head warm and dry.  Yes, I know that is not the reason for the helmet, but it was for our trip.  We drive around town some (town population 19,500) and see the James Cook monument.  Seems he first learned to navigate and became a cartographer here while mapping the area in much detail.  After a stop at the ATV shop for a comfort break, we are on our way to the trails.  

Quebec Provence, Part 1 of our Autumn Cruise

 Montreal

We got in on a Saturday afternoon after a taxi ride that took for EVER - longest ride in a long time due to traffic. Our hotel is kind of close to the old town and close to a food hall called Time Out Market which is part of an international chain we discovered in Capetown, SA.  We dump our luggage and headed for the food hall.  Turns out it is in a shopping mall called Eaton Center.  After a nice Spanish meal we wanderd the shopping center some and then headed out in the cold (40s and windy) to old town.  After a longer than expected walk we are in the old town area.  Unfortunately, some of the roads are being rebuilt so areas aren't that accessible, but we still find shops to explore.  Starts to look like rain so we head to a bar/restaurant for a drink while the rain passes.  It is now dark outside so time for another selfie!  Back to the hotel where we eat dinner and head to bed.  Next day we have a food tour with Secret Food Tours planned.