 Peggy's Cove near Halifax Cruising means going from port to port and getting off the boat to explore a given area for one or two days. The cruise line offers many excursions and I prefer booking through them because it guarantees that you will not miss the boat if your group is late. That is very important because the ship will not wait for you beyond their given departure time. I have seen and heard some horror stories. This is especially important when you embark on the boat for your cruise. My husband and I arrive at least two days ahead of time just in case the flight is canceled or delayed. I have talked to several disappointed people who have had family members miss their cruise. Enough of this, let's go to the fun part. We boarded the Queen Mary 2 in New York and spent the first day at sea. Read about it here. Our first stop was Rockland, Maine. We took a bus ride to Camden. The local library in Camden is worth a visit. The picturesque scenery of the Maine coastline always intrigues me. My husband and I had visited Bar Harbor several years ago and loved it. I hope to visit again and stay a little longer. We had a delicious lobster roll in Rockport. 
 Our next port was Halifax, Nova Scotia, it was here that Samuel Cunard was born. He later moved to the United Kingdom where he set up a joint venture with several other businessman to bid on the right to run a transatlantic shipping company between the UK and North America. These days, Cunard is owned by the Carnival group. We visited Peggy’s Cove, a magnificent lighthouse built on the rocky coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery was beautiful and the lobster delicious. The Queen Mary 2 anchored in Sept-Îlles in Quebec. It was raining that day and there was little to see. We took the HopOnHopOff bus, but never got off and returned to our cozy ship for tea time. Our next stop was Saguenay, a nice town in the province of Quebec. The city can be described as an isolated oasis in the middle of the vast remote wilderness of Northern Quebec. It was here that my husband and I flew in a helicopter for the first time. It was a great experience. I enjoyed walking through this small town and buying some handmade gifts We finally arrived in Quebec, the second most populous province after Ontario. Quebec City is the only fortified city north of Mexico and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985. Everybody in Quebec City speaks French and it feels a bit like Paris. Every cobblestone street, corner, and plaza tells a story. We visited the iconic Fairmont Hotel, Le Château Frontenac, and were able to enjoy the lobby. It is supposed to be the most photographed hotel in the world. The cobblestone streets have many restaurants, cafés, and stores. I was just glad I didn’t walk these steep streets during a rainstorm or in winter when it is icy. I asked myself, how do people do it? We found a little restaurant that served my husband‘s favorite dish, Foie Gras. The following day, we visited Montmorency Falls, located 8 miles from Quebec City, this waterfall is 30 meters higher than Niagara Falls, but not as impressive because it is much smaller. My favorite stop that day was visiting a place where we learned the history of maple syrup and how it is harvested. I loved the samples. After two days in Quebec City, we sailed away, which was quite an event. There is something about a ship leaving the harbor which always amazes me. Our last port before returning to New York was Sydney, Nova Scotia. There are many churches including St. Patrick's, the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Cape Breton. We opted to hire a taxi driver for a couple of hours to show us the area. He drove us along the Atlantic Coast and showed us a lighthouse and a museum from World War 2 where the Canadian military was sinking German U-boats. When we returned to town, three other boats had pulled in and the town was filling up. I visited a local store that had items made by local artists. There was some astonishing yarn and weaving work that I hadn't seen for decades. The tapestry was amazing. I bought some hand-knit socks and gloves.   And just like that, our 12-day cruise on the beautiful Queen Mary 2 was over. I would love to go on another trip with any of the Queens. 
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 The view of the Queen Mary 2 from our helicopter ride in Saguenay My husband and I celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary on the beautiful Queen Mary 2 on a 12-day cruise from New York to Quebec and back to New York. When we flew to New York, we spent three days before boarding the ship. New York did not disappoint, although I thought it had too many security guards standing in the hotels and stores. One evening, we enjoyed the musical Water for Elephants and another evening we ate at Bourbon Steak New York, one of Chef Micheal Mina's restaurants, located in the Essex House. We both loved our visit to the MOMA. Before we knew it, our three days were over and we boarded the beautiful Queen Mary 2. A few hours after boarding the ship, we sailed away under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with only 8 meters separating the top of the ship from the bridge. There is a pilot who guides the ship in and out of the harbor. I always love watching the pilots jumping off and onto the ship. I am amazed how skillful they are when maneuvering these large ships. This was the first time I sailed out of New York and seeing the Statue of Liberty is quite a moving experience. It is a touching and special moment that makes you wonder about all the people who came to this country to build a new life for themselves and their families. We returned to New York 12 days later. It was early in the morning and New York offered a great light show as the sun rose. I am happy I didn't miss this; it was worth getting up early in the morning.
Our first day on the Queen Mary was a sea day. I love these days. We explored the ship, from the incredible library (the largest library at sea), where my husband loved looking at old maps and atlases to the spectacular Queen's room. If you like ballroom dancing, you are on the right ship. For the young and young at heart, there is a late-night disco where you don't have to be a ballroom dancer. There was plenty to do and I enjoyed being on the high seas. I never got bored and was able to relax and enjoy all the different activities.
 The Queen's Room And then there is the food. It was amazing, as we were able to choose from a variety of different dishes. The portions were small , which I liked because it left some room for dessert. Having breakfast in our room was a special treat. Dinner in the different dining rooms was always an elegant affair. I was never a fan of scones until I had them for tea time on the Queen Mary 2. They were absolutely delicious and I could not resist them. When posting this article, I realized that I took too few photos of the food. I am sorry about that. The Queen Mary 2 is not a cruise ship, it is an ocean liner, built for trans-Atlantic crossings. It is a throw back to the 19th century ocean liners. It even has a kennel for 24 animals. It is one of my bucket list items . I hope I have the chance to do it.  I will write about our excursions in my next blog post.
The wind is blowing my hair all over my face while I am trying to write about my cruise on the Queen Elizabeth from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal. I am sitting on a balcony in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, sailing by the coastline of Colombia, passing the towns and cities of Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta before reaching the Guajira Peninsula. This peninsula is split between northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela and is the northernmost peninsula in South America. Every day of our cruise, we get a ship program with information like this from our navigator. It is an adventure but a comfortable one because I am on a beautiful ship with excellent food, exquisite surroundings, and British flair. Every night, I am entertained by different artists or favorite music and can dance the night away. The day is filled with dance classes, exercise, reading a book from the 3000-book library, or relaxing on a deck chair. I am ten days into my 15-day journey, and it has been wonderful. There are people on this ship who have gone around the world. Unfortunately, I didn't do much writing. I just had too much fun while cruising. Now, several months later, I have to rely on my memory. The highlight of this cruise was going through the Panama Canal, which was on my bucket list. Our speaker was Richard Wainio, who was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the canal and anything else you want to know about Panama. He had many personal stories to tell because he lived and worked as the director of the canal board during the transition from the American to the Panamanian government, which took many years. It was a privilege to transit the Panama Canal after a lifetime of hearing about it. We embarked in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, for the day. Even though I only saw it for one day, I got a feeling for the island. We hiked through the jungle, and I had a great conversation with an American who had lived in Costa Rica for many years and owned a botanical garden.
An earlier stop on our journey was Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. While, there we took a small boat ride through Lovers Beach and Los Arcos, a natural archway.
How can I describe the Queen Elizabeth? It is sassy, elegant and relaxing. I loved the daily talks, the food, the dress standards, the shows, and the service. I enjoyed mingling with different people from all around the world. I rarely, if ever, get to dress for special events at home, so on this ship, I finally had the opportunity. It was so much fun. I only wish I was a better dancer. I apologize to all the people that I stepped on. However, if you want to relax and unwind, this is the perfect way to do it. I fell in love with cruising, and I am fortunate that I am about to embark on another cruise on this beautiful boat. Stay tuned.  I have always wanted to go on a cruise. I had visions of floating down a staircase in a fancy dress with an elegant gentleman by my side. Think of the Titanic or imagine crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary. Over the decades nothing like this ever happened for many reasons, one of them was my husband being afraid of getting seasick and not liking the idea of cruising, and my wanting to visit friends and family in Germany on my vacations.  Our friends finally talked us into joining them on a cruise from Sydney Australia to Auckland New Zealand. I had my doubts when I checked in and saw what would be my new home for 12 days. The first day I felt a little wobbly being on a moving vessel. All my doubts, fears, and wobbliness were gone by the second day. I woke up in the morning having slept like a baby with pleasant dreams ( very unusual for me.) I watched the sun rise over the ocean and explored the ship. For the rest of the trip I felt well taken care of, everything was done for me. All I had to do was to enjoy the journey.There were incredible sunrises and sunsets, and then there was the beautiful sky in the middle of the Tasmanian Sea. My favorite cruising day was the day we spent at Milford Sound. The weather was great, which is very unusual.We missed two ports in New Zealand because of the Cyclone Gabriela and stayed at sea for 5 days, which was just fine with me. So now I have become a cruiser and hope to be able to do a few more of them.  The Island of Waiheke
After the cruise we stayed 4 days in Auckland. We had a good time eating and exploring the city and surrounding area. My favorite was the Island of Waiheke, a beautiful island with many wineries and beaches. The 40 minute ferry ride took us past Auckland’s stunning coastlines and beautiful islands.
In Auckland my favorite bar was Churchill on the top floor of the "Sheraton Four Points". The view is great, the drinks are out of this world and the food is good. We ate twice at the Bistro“Oyster and Chop” at the harbor.  I took this photo in Melbourne I would love to go back end explore Australia and New Zealand a little bit more. Who knows, maybe one day, but in the meantime I am thankful that I was able to experience this beautiful part of the world.
For Easter this year my girlfriend asked me to make my lemon pudding cake. This farro salad is great for potlucks and barbecues.
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WELCOME TO SUNNY COVE CHEFThank you for visiting my blog. My two passions are cooking and traveling. Traveling exposes me to a wide variety of food and experiences. I walk around cities looking for markets, restaurants, bakeries, shops, you name it, and if it is related to food you will find me there, tasting, smelling, talking to vendors, and having a great time. Categories
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