Nov 7 & 8 Newport RI and NYC

 A reason for this cruise was a visit to Newport RI which we last visited about 40 years ago. We opted for the Cliff Walk with a visit to the Breakers mansion.

The Cliff Walk begins with a bus ride to the walk, and we pass by Salve Regina University which owns a bunch of land and several of the mansions on the island. I am not surprised that some high school seniors choose their institutions of higher learning based on the prevalence of surfing at the school.

One of Salve Regina's buildings, Ochre Court

A washed out section of the Cliff Walk. Although the walkway is protected land, the mansion owners always tried to move it down and away from their dwellings. Here they got it just far enough.

McAuley Hall, other Salve Regina building. Also very near a favored surfing spot. Although it was about 40F today, a not many surfers (ie, 0) were out.

The Breakers, a Gilded Age "cottage" built by Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Our excursion included a tour of the building.

As befits its "cottage" designation, it actually wasn't that big. Only 62,000 sq ft, although the huge rooms reduced the room count -- only four bedrooms on the tour route.

Let's paint the ceiling like the sky so we don't have to actually go outdoors.

The fireplace is about the size of an NYC studio apartment

The music room being prepared for Christmas

Although barely seen on the tour route, the house has ingenious fittings to separate the servant areas from the residents. Back staircases and closets are accessed through these doors that disappear when closed.

Touro Synagogue National Historic Site, the oldest existing US synagogue

Next, we return to NYC. It was a beautiful, clear and cool day. And it was a Saturday so all of the locals were out, along with people coming in from the suburbs. And, it's the beginning of the Christmas Season -- this was the first weekend of the Rockette Christmas show. So it was crowded, but we walked around.

This building was across the street from the Cruise Terminal. 

There was a big line of people going in for the 10am Rockette show.

St Patricks Cathedral

We made the mistake of walking through the Rockefeller Center area. Long lines of people waiting to get into the Lego Store and FAO Schwartz.

They were putting up the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center. 

The longest lines appeared to be for the Build A Bear attraction at FAO Schwartz. And once you buy the bear, you can add all sorts of clothing and accessories. It's like Barbie, but plusher.

 

 

 

 

Nov 5&6 Boston

 No Canadian stops after Quebec on this segment. We had already lost Saguenay and Sydney due to the delay in Montreal. Then, just as we were an hour from Halifax, the captain announced we weren't going there due to high winds. Fortunately we had visited them on the way up, but a loss for the people who had joined in Montreal hoping to visit some Canadian ports. I guess November in the northeast is not a good time. On the plus side, skipping Halifax put us into Boston earlier than planned.

A shuttle bus took us from the port to Quincy Market, in the middle of historic Boston. 

 Since we arrived about noon, we took advantage of the food court in the market. Oceania doesn't believe in chicken tenders, but Quincy Market does.

Faneuil Hall is right next door

Samuel Adams oversees the market area.

 

 

Boston has a Freedom Trail that visits many of the Revolutionary sites. The path is well marked.

The Old State House

 The Boston Massacre occurred right in front of the Old State House

The Old South Meeting House, the gathering point for the Tea Party demonstration. 

The Old City Hall

Ben Franklin

 

Granary Burying Ground

Famous internee

Massachusetts State House

And that's the end of our first day in Boston. We trudge back in the twilight to the shuttle bus stop.

 We're back bright and early the next morning. Quincy Market is about the midpoint of the Freedom Trail -- we went backwards to the beginning yesterday. Today we cover the second half.

 Paul Revere's home.  Perhaps the Midnight Ride was to get the contractors to come to his house, and they've finally arrived.

Not historic, just pretty

Paul Revere statue and Old North Church

Copp's Hill Burying Ground

Not willing to walk another mile across the river to the Bunker Hill Monument, we settled for a picture from a distance. The battlefield is now residential, with just the monument noting the spot.

Nearby is Boston Garden where the Celtics and Bruins play.

In the alcove for the Garden (and a large grocery store) is a statue commemorating Bobby Orr's famous Stanley Cup goal. Not part of the Freedom Trail, but probably more important to modern Bostonians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

Nov 2 Quebec Quebec

 We finally broke free of Montreal and went down the river to Quebec. No excursion this time, we'll explore on foot. We've never spent much time in the lower city until our first visit here a week ago, so there's lots to see.

There's a shuttle from the ship that drops us off only 1km from the city.

I guess we're in Quebec

 

Here's a closeup of the center bottom portion of the mural I posted earlier so you can see Champlain and hockey playing children.

  Notre-Dame des Victoires church at the location of Champlain's first habitation. 

 

Shopping street in lower city. Empty early on a Sunday morning. 

 I'm not coming back in January.

 

Even the fire escapes are pretty 

 We took the funicular to the upper city

 Once again on the upper boardwalk in front of the Hotel Frontenac

 

We hiked further into the upper city. This is Chalmers-Wesley United Church

Just some old houses, still occupied, in Quebec

As we walk back to the shuttle bus stop we pass some of the fortifications along the river. Here the cannon is protecting the funicular.