From Québec to the Big Apple: nature & remarkable cities

Québec City’s alluring setting atop Cape Diamond (Cap Diamant) evokes a past of high adventure, military history, and exploration. This French-speaking capital city is the only walled city north of Mexico. Visitors come for the delicious and inventive cuisine, the remarkable historical continuity, and to share in the seasonal exuberance of the largest Francophone population outside France.The historic heart of this community is the Old City (Vieux-Québec), comprising the part of Upper Town (Haute-Ville) surrounded by walls and Lower Town (Basse-Ville), which spreads out at the base of the hill from Place Royale. Many sets of staircases and the popular funicular link the top of the hill with the bottom. Cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and elaborate cathedrals here are charming in all seasons. The Old City earned recognition as an official UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, thanks largely to city planners who managed to update and preserve the 400-year-old buildings and attractions without destroying what made them worth preserving. The most familiar icon of the city, Fairmont Château Frontenac, is set on the highest point in Upper Town, where it holds court over the entire city.Sitting proudly above the confluence of the St. Lawrence and St. Charles rivers, the city’s famous military fortification, La Citadelle, built in the early 19th century, remains the largest of its kind in North America. In summer, visitors should try to catch the Changing of the Guard, held every morning at 10 am; you can get much closer to the guards here than at Buckingham Palace in London.Enchanting as it is, the Old City is just a small part of the true Québec City experience. Think outside the walls and explore St-Roch, a downtown hot spot, which has artsy galleries, foodie haunts, and a bustling square. Cruise the Grande-Allée and avenue Cartier to find a livelier part of town dotted with nightclubs and fun eateries. Or while away the hours in St-Jean-Baptiste, a neighborhood with trendy shops and hipster hangouts.

Sitting on the natural junction where the River Saguenay unloads into the massive Saint Lawrence, a visit to strategically located Tadoussac leaves you fantastically placed to explore some of Quebec’s finest history, wildlife and scenery. Sail a little further up the Saguenay, and you’ll be confronted by the glorious Saguenay Fjord, as you cruise through verdant hills of dense forestry, and steep cliffs. Or, alternatively, voyage out onto the deep waters of the Saint Lawrence river, where you can spot the surface parting, as the world’s largest animals – blue whales – slowly emerge from the depths to gulp in air. With a fantastic supply of krill to tempt the whales, you can even spot the various species that visit from Tadoussac’s shoreline – just make sure you brush up on your whale knowledge beforehand, at the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre.The town was the first trading post established by the French when they landed here, and it remains the oldest of the settlements still in existence. As the name suggests, Tadoussac’s Old Chapel, has an impressive history, and is North America’s oldest wooden chapel. You wouldn’t necessarily know it from the outside, however, as the charming little church gleams tidily with a fresh lick of cherry red and white paint.

The discovery of these parts of Canada, inhabited at one time by Micmac Indians, by French explorers made Percé a stop-off point between Québec City and France. In the 17th century Percé developed into a bustling port with hundreds of boats anchored in the summer season. During the English campaign against Québec, the small village was burned down by the English. Afterwards, Percé was forgotten for almost half a century. Following the Treaty of Versailles, reconstruction began; by 1777 Percé addedl 400 seasonal fishermen to its year-round population of 300. In 1781 Charles Robin founded a fishing business that prospered rapidly and generated new interest in Percé.Today this charming fishing village is as a prime holiday spot, thanks to its gargantuan limestone rock which rears up from the sea just a stone’s throw off the coast. The Roche Percé”measures 1,545 feet in length and 288 feet in height and stands as a protector against wind and ocean forces. It originally featured two holes. One of them disappeared when a part of the rock crumbled in 1845, giving way to its present shape. The rock is considered one of Canada’s most celebrated natural phenomena; it presents an almost surreal sight at dawn.Little remains of the original buildings of the 17th-century fishing village due to the long, harsh winter weather. Charles Robin’s house survived and serves as a guest house. Now the village features a number of craft shops, art galleries, and a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere endearing to visitors. Outside of town visit isolated lighthouses and enjoy a drive through bucolic countryside dotted with small farms and pastures.Bonaventure Island, renowned as a bird sanctuary, is two miles from the mainland. The high cliffs of the 1.6-square-mile island teem with bird colonies, including the world’s largest and most accessible colony of gannets. Other species include puffins, cormorants, kittiwakes and razorbills who come here to nest in this preservation area. Walking trails lead around the island for a closer look at this fascinating bird sanctuary. Pier Information The ship will be anchored off Percé and guests will be taken ashore via the ship’s tenders. The jetty is within close walking distance to the village. There are a limited number of taxis available for trips farther afield. Shopping Several small souvenir shops and art galleries offer a nice selection of local handicrafts and artwork. Hand-knit sweaters and woolen items may also be of interest. The local currency is the Canadian dollar. Cuisine Several rustic eateries throughout the village offer fresh seafood and typical hearty fare. If you are looking for a first-class restaurant try the Auberge du Gargantua, about a mile west of town. Other Sites Visitors can take local boat trips around Bonaventure Island. Stroll through this charming village and along its seaside boardwalk. Gaspésian LighthousesOnly two of the many lighthouses scattered along the coast of the Gaspé peninsula are still in use today. One of them stands at Cap d’Espoir some eight miles from Percé. It was built of wood in 1874; the present structure dates from 1939. It is 48 feet high and is open for visitors. The second lighthouse is located at Cap Blanc. It was also installed in 1874 and rebuilt in 1959.

Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, is a thriving seaport located on the eastern tip of Cape Breton Island. French settlers first arrived in Louisbourg in 1713, using the island as a base for their lucrative cod fishery. Soon, the town became one of the busiest harbours in North America and an important trading outpost and military hub. They named it Louisbourg, in honour of King Louis XIV. The fortress was built to defend against the threat of a British invasion. After two major attacks, the fortress was destroyed in the 1760’s. In 1961 the Canadian Government commenced a $25 million reconstruction project to restore portions of the fortress to its pre-siege glory of the 1740’s. It was the largest reconstruction project in North America. The lighthouse was Canada’s first, constructed in 1734, but was severely damaged during the last siege and was abandoned in 1758. The existing lighthouse was built in 1923.

Surrounded by natural treasures and glorious seascapes, Halifax is an attractive and vibrant hub with noteworthy historic and modern architecture, great dining and shopping, and a lively nightlife and festival scene. The old city manages to feel both hip and historic. Previous generations had the foresight to preserve the cultural and architectural integrity of the city, yet students from five local universities keep it lively and current. It’s a perfect starting point to any tour of the Atlantic provinces, but even if you don’t venture beyond its boundaries, you will get a real taste of the region.It was Halifax’s natural harbor—the second largest in the world after Sydney, Australia’s—that first drew the British here in 1749, and today most major sites are conveniently located either along it or on the Citadel-crowned hill overlooking it. That’s good news for visitors because this city actually covers quite a bit of ground.Since amalgamating with Dartmouth (directly across the harbor) and several suburbs in 1996, Halifax has been absorbed into the Halifax Regional Municipality, and the HRM, as it is known, has around 415,000 residents. That may not sound like a lot by U.S. standards, but it makes Nova Scotia’s capital the most significant Canadian urban center east of Montréal.There’s easy access to the water, and despite being the focal point of a busy commercial port, Halifax Harbour doubles as a playground, with one of the world’s longest downtown boardwalks. It’s a place where container ships, commuter ferries, cruise ships, and tour boats compete for space, and where workaday tugs and fishing vessels tie up beside glitzy yachts. Like Halifax as a whole, the harbor represents a blend of the traditional and the contemporary.

There’s history and culture around every bend in Boston—skyscrapers nestle next to historic hotels while modern marketplaces line the antique cobblestone streets. But to Bostonians, living in a city that blends yesterday and today is just another day in beloved Beantown.

From Wall Street’s skyscrapers to the neon of Times Square to Central Park’s leafy paths, New York City pulses with an irrepressible energy. History meets hipness in this global center of entertainment, fashion, media, and finance. World-class museums like MoMA and unforgettable icons like the Statue of Liberty beckon, but discovering the subtler strains of New York’s vast ambition is equally rewarding: ethnic enclaves and shops, historic streets of dignified brownstones, and trendy bars and eateries all add to the urban buzz.