2012 - NORWEGIAN DAWN - QUEBEC TO TAMPA

THIS TRIP STARTED WITH A PLEASANT TRAIN RIDE TO QUEBEC CITY, VIA MONTREAL

WHERE IT WAS STILL QUITE COLD. KIDS OUT AT NIGHT, ICE SKATING OUTSIDE THE THEATER WHERE I SAW A RATHER STRANGE, BUT VERY ENTERTAINING SINGER..

I HAD A DAY TO STROLL AROUND QUEBEC WHIICH IS ABOUT THE MOST SCENIC CITY IN CANADA.

NOT MY BOAT & NOT MY HOTEL EITHER

IT'S VERY HILLY WITH SOME LOVELY LITTLE SIDE STREETS...

I TOOK THE FERRY OVER TO LEVI & BACK. DID NOT BOTHER GETTING OFF IN LEVI

IN THE EVENING I TOOK A GHOST WALK ... VERY SPOOKY. THE GUIDE HAD A LANTERN AND TOLD SCARY STORIES AT EACH LOCATION.

OUR LAST STOP WAS INSIDE A LOCKED CHURCH, WITH THE LIGHTS OUT AND JUST THE LANTERN ON.

SHE TOLD THE STORY OF A COUPLE OF KIDS WHO GOT THEMSELVES LOCKED IN ON PURPOSE & WERE THEN SCREAMING TO GET OUT..

ONTO THE SHIP NOW & LEAVING QUEBEC CITY.

OMINOUS LOOKING CLOUDS IN THE DISTANCE ...

& OMINOUS THEY WERE .. HURRICANE SANDY FORCED US TO HIDE OVERNIGHT IN HALIFAX INSTEAD OF GOING TO PORTLAND IN MAINE. IT WAS VERY WINDY AND NOT TOO PLEASANT EVEN IN HALIFAX, SO I JUST WENT FOR A WALK & HAD SOME FISH & CHIPS AND A BUS BACK TO THE SHIP.

SKIPPING PORTLAND & TWO FOOD TOURS I HAD PLANNED WITH PAT & HER FAMILY, WE STOPPED AS SCHEDULED IN BOSTON WHICH ESCAPED SANDY SOMEHOW.

I LEFT THE SHIP & ASKED SOMEONE THE BEST ROUTE TO DOWNTOWN & HE SAID 'END OF THE STREET, TURN LEFT'.

WELL DOWNTOWN BOSTON IS ABOUT THREE HOURS GOING LEFT AS I FOUND OUT .. AND ABOUT TEN MINUTES TURNING RIGHT.

ANYWAY - I HAD NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN HAVE A STROLL AROUND SOME LESS TOURISTIC PARTS OF BOSTON..

WE WERE ALSO SUPPOSED TO STOP IN NEW YORK BUT SANDY HAD CREATED TOO MUCH DEBRIS IN THE HARBOUR SO WE SKIPPED THAT TOO .. I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE MET SANDY & KEN & SONNY HERE BUT THAT WAS A WASHOUT.

THIS IS A PIECE OF ART ON BOARD - NEW YORK I THINK.

NCL HAS SOME OF THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT AFLOAT. THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE SINGERS...

AND THE USS WISCONSIN IN NORFOLK ON THE WAY TO WILLIAMSBURG ...

AND YORKTOWN ...

BEFORE LANDING IN BALTIMORE FOR THE RIDE INTO WASHINGTON...

THE VIETNAM WALL & THE IMPRESSIVE NURSES MEMORIAL..

A HOUSE IN THE HILLS OPPOSITE WASHINGTON. I FORGET THE NAME BUT SOMEONE FAMOUS LIVED THERE.

& SOMEONE FAMOUS IS STILL LIVING HERE...

SOME FUTURE VOTERS BEING LED BY THE NOSE?

A QUICK FLIT AROUND THE SPACE MUSEUM....

AND WE MOVE ON TO CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE I DO ACTUALLY MEET SOMEONE I HAD PLANNED TO.

BJ & JACK, FROM NORTH CAROLINA. DOWN HERE TO JOIN ME FOR A FOOD TOUR, WHERE WE HAVE GRITS. HMMMM! MY FAVOURITE..

WELL THERE'S JACK, BUT WHERE'S BJ?

THERE SHE IS. BUYING ME LUNCH. MORE GRITS.

NOW WE ARE INTO MIAMI AND THAT WAS NEIL WHO, WITH RACHELLE HAS BEEN ON THE SHIP WITH ME SINCE QUEBEC.

ON THE HOHO THROUGH LITTLE HAVANA...

AND TO THE BEACH FOR A LOOK AT THE ART DECO BUILDINGS. VERY PASTEL...

OFF THE BUS AND WE MOVE ON TO KEY WEST...

.... I THINK THIS MAY BE THE QUEEN ... YOU DON'T OFTEN SEE HER DOING THE GROCERIES THOUGH

PASS ON THE ...ASS BOTTOM BOAT & TAKE ANOTHER FOOD TOUR INSTEAD.

I AM GETTING TO LIKE THEM.
I DOUBT I WOULD HAVE FOUND THIS LITTLE SPOT ON MY OWN.

THIS IS ALL HOT PEPPERS - SOME OF IT VERY HOT...

A STROLL AROUND KEY WEST .. A PASSING WEDDING...

AND POSERS AT THE END OF THE ROAD..

THIS IS NENETTE FROM THE PHILIPPINES. THE THIRD CRUISE I HAVE BEEN ON WITH HER.

AND NOW WE HAVE REACHED TAMPA & ARE OFF THE SHIP WHERE RACHELLE, NEIL & I ARE GONG TO TAKE A CONDO FOR A FEW DAYS ON THE BEACH AT TREASURE ISLAND..

WE RENT A CAR & RACHELLE DRIVES US DOWN FLORIDA A LITTLE BIT TO GO VISIT MARTHA AT HER QUITE WONDERFUL, VILLA..

WHERE WE GET THE TOUR ...

MARTHA PAINTS BUT I DON'T THINK THIS IS ONE OF HERS..

MARTHA THEN TAKES US FOR A SPIN AROUND HER TOWN WHERE THE AVERAGE AGE IS 80 & THERE ARE LOTS OF PLACES TO SIT DOWN BUT I DON'T SEE ANY DIAPER CHANGING STATIONS

THIS GUY IS PROSPECTING FOR SHARKS TEETH. REALLY - THERE ARE LOTS ALONG THE SHORE HERE.

WE SAY GOODBY TO MARTHA & HER CAT ....

& MOVE ON TO WALK ALONG A BEACH WITH A RANGER GUIDING US, FOR FREE,,,

THEN ITS' GOODBYE TO THE BIRDS ON THE BEACH & BACK TO OTTAWA AFTER A GREAT BREAK.

SANDY GOT IN THE WAY A BIT BUT WE NEVER HAD ANY BAD WAVES & THE ONLY WIND WAS THE DAY IN HALIFAX, WHERE I HAD THE BONUS OF SOME EXCELLENT FISH & CHIPS