Cruise to Canada On Board the “Veendam”

June 1-15, 2013

Al and I board the “Veendam” in Boston Harbor along with our traveling friends Pete and Janet Glasz of South Carolina. Leaving our suitcases stacked and unpacked in our stateroom, we rush up to the 12th level to see the departure from the harbor. It is a beautiful day and Boston Harbor lies gleaming in sparkling waters as small boats of every kind dart and frolic in the waters surrounding us. It looks like we were moving through a water playground. Up ahead of us lay some small islands and a lighthouse while behind us stand the stately buildings of downtown Boston. We are on our way!

It is also the last we see of the sun practically until 2 weeks later on the day we return to Boston Harbor!

Ship life is fun with a full schedule of activity options. My favorite activities are the swim pool, ping pong games, reading in a cozy nook, walking along the outside promenade deck, fine dining, karaoke and line dancing in the “Crow’s Nest” lounge and nightly stage shows. Ever try to do a line dance with the roll of a ship?! Good for a lot of laughs. The stage shows were “top notch”!

Sunday June 2, 2013 Bar Harbor, Maine

“Do they think we don’t know the day of the week?!”

This morning on board I try taking a shower. This is not an easy task in such a small bathroom space. The step into the tub is huge. I manage fine, thankful for a shower! We step into the elevator for the ride to the 11th deck for the breakfast buffet restaurant. Wait…what is this? There on the floor of the elevator is a mat which reads, “Sunday.” Does that mean tomorrow the mat will read…Monday? What a unique idea. We have never seen mats like this. Do they think we don’t know the day of the week? I guess you can forget these things on a cruise ship. I climb up to the highest deck and drink in the sight of Bar Harbor. It brings back wonderful memories from the summers of 1999 and 2001…the summers Al and I sailed our own Sea Cup up to Maine and Canada. It looks just as I remember it and I can hardly wait to get on shore to walk around the town. It is not as easy to go ashore as it was from the Sea Cup. The “Veendam” is anchored a distance from shore and we passengers must pack into the small shuttle boat for the trip to town. That is a whole process and they tell us just when to line up and where. Al and I have tickets for the shore excursion with Captain John on his “Lu Lu” lobster boat.

Captain John is a big strapping fellow wearing his bright yellow oil skin overalls and shirt. He takes us out to nearby islands pointing out the mother seals and nursing “pups” lying about on the rocks. He also explains to us all about the lobster industry and the rules they have to follow. Pulling up one of his lobster traps he peers inside and says, “Yes!” I have a lobster to show you. The trap has some crabs and a young lobster in it which is undersized. He shows it to us and then throws it back into the water. “Where does the name ‘Lu Lu’ come from?” “Lu Lu is the name of my mother. It is her nick name.” We learn that the lobster boat has a cage built around the propeller! This is to prevent the propeller from cutting the lines leading to the lobster traps! Good idea.

When the boat comes to shore we thank Captain John and head into town to find some lunch. We do not have to look far. We find a corner pub facing the water with an outdoor patio. Lobster rolls are on the menu. That’s the place for us. After lunch I walk around town and take the walk along the shore. The sun is out and the harbor looks beautiful with a schooner in the distance sails set and other cruise ships off shore. Smaller lobster boats are in sight and a few sailboats. It feels good to be here again.

Monday, June 3 Halifax, Nova Scotia

“ Huh, where am I?”

The fog is so thick that we can’t see the shoreline of Nova Scotia. It’s out there somewhere. We hear the ship’s fog horn all night long.

The fog lifts and we are off on a bus trip from Halifax to the towns of Lunenburg and Mahone Bay. On the way down the gangplank we see a sleepy looking woman pulling open her stateroom curtain. There she is propped up on her pillows squinting her eyes and looking out at the long line of passengers passing by her bedroom window. She looks so perplexed; like “huh? where am I?!”

Lunenburg is a charming old town with brightly painted houses. It is built on a hill, so up and down we stomp walking through the streets. I am interested in seeing the old houses and churches. I hear a bagpipe playing and I look up just in time to see a high school graduation procession lead by a bagpiper! On the way out of town our bus driver takes us to the opposite side of the water so we can look at the town in full panoramic view. Mahone Bay is another stop at a small quaint village on the water. We enjoy walking around and peeking into shops.

Tuesday, June 4 Sydney, Nova Scotia

“Would you like my autograph?”

Sure enough the mat in the elevator says, “Tuesday.” Amazing.

This is a rainy foggy day on board, but not at all boring. Noticing the ping pong players “going at it” next to the swimming pool, I stroll over. Soon I find myself trying to deflect the ping pong serves from Carter, a young man traveling with his parents from California. Carter is very athletic is good at all kinds of sports. He has a wicked serve and if I can just get past that, I have a chance. We battle it out and I actually beat him….in one game. The rest…..

At lunchtime Al and I help ourselves to delicious salads from the Mexican salad bar. We find a table near the pool and sit down ready to dig in. But who is that about three tables away? He looks so familiar. Now, who is he???? Oh my gosh….it’s Juan Epstein from Welcome Back Kotter! From the James Buchanan High School in Brooklyn! Welcome Back Kotter was one of my favorite TV series. That’s him only older with a touch of gray in his hair. Epstein! In person! I have to be sure before I speak with him so I study him a few minutes and then I can’t stand it any longer. Before I know it I am standing next to him at his table. “Yes?” “My name is Maren…I am sitting over there with my husband…I hope you don’t mind my speaking to you….but you look so familiar to me. Are you Juan Epstein from Welcome Back Kotter?! Did you play in that TV series? “No. But I wish I did. Would you like my autograph?” We chat a little and then I go back to Al at the table, disappointed and a little embarrassed. Oh well this certainly gave me jolt! The rest of the day is dull compared to the thrill of talking with Epstein! I sit by the pool and enjoy a swim. Reading and swimming, and I finally calm down and relax. After dinner we enjoy a Las Vegas show in the theatre. We are surprised by the professionalism of the singers and dancers and costumes. Oooolala!

Wednesday, June 5 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

“That’s my husband! Was he here?!”

I part the curtains over our bed and peek out the window just in time to see Prince Edward Island sliding along with a lighthouse in view. Prince Edward Island! Land of Anne of Green Gables…here we are! I dress quickly and grab the elevator to the 12th deck, checking of course to see if the floor mat has the correct day on it. I wonder who changes the elevator floor mats and what time of night or day? I’ll never know.

From the 12th deck I can look down on Charlottetown. Wow. There is a huge cathedral in town with tall twin spires looking down on the sleepy village below. I determine to walk up there and check out the cathedral. After breakfast I do leave the boat to take a walk in town. Al tells me he will stay on the boat.

In the terminal stands a Canadian Rocky Mounty dressed to the hilt in his bright red and black uniform complete with tall hat, medals pinned to his jacket, shiny brass buttons, leather gloves and high boots. I have only seen Mounties in the pages of my high school history book! A ship photographer is standing by with her camera and in a split second I take the Mounty’s arm and we both “smile for the camera”! It turns out that the Mounty is retired after many years of active service. I am proud and happy to stand beside this smiling gentleman.

My walking tour takes me up to St. Dunstans’s Basilica on Great George St. This is the same cathedral I saw from the ship. I stand in awe and gaze on the great altar amidst striking stained glass windows. In the face of such religious splendor, I slip into the nearest pew and kneel down giving thanks to the Giver of all good things. The stained glass windows in this church are different than in most other churches in that they depict the life of the church members instead of the usual life of Christ scenes. In these colored windows you can see church members being baptized, confirmed, married, and taking Communion. One window shows a sick man receiving the anointing of oil by the priest at his bedside.

Continuing on my walk I come to St. Paul’s Anglican Church. I go inside and after gazing on the interior I chat with the attendant sitting near the entrance to the sanctuary. “Please sign the guest book, “she urges me. I pick up the pen and then look at amazement on the signature of Al Schober just above mine! “That’s my husband,” I tell the attendant. “Was he here?! He told me he didn’t want to walk to town!” You never know about Al. I think he is just checking up on me. He is always worried about when the boat is leaving.

That afternoon Al and I take a bus tour which is a photographic trip around the island. The sun comes out just in time for our stops at rustic fishing villages and the famous Cavendish Beach. I love these places and wish we could spend more time there. One of our stops was by a lighthouse in a tiny fishing village.

“There is Emmard,” our bus guide points out. “Good. He is home and you can shake his hand if you like. He is in his nineties and has been fishing here since he was 16 years old! We do shake his hands and he looks like the epitome of a weathered New England fisherman. Check out his photo. That is not a statue…that is a real person. That is Emmard.

We drive past Green Gables cottage which inspired author Lucy Maud Montgomery to write the Anne of Green Gables novel in 1904. This is the farmhouse on PEI where Montgomery grew up. We are told that many Japanese people are so taken with the fictional character of Anne that they save up their money for years just to come over to the cottage to see it and often to be married on the farmhouse grounds. Did you know that Montgomery wrote over 500 books and poems? Now that’s what I call prolific. I intend to read more of the writings of this native of Prince Edward Island. This island is so clean looking and I am impressed. I will long remember the lush green farmland stretching out to the deep blue sea.

Thursday, June 6 Quebec City, Canada

“I have something I want to tell you.”

We are underway all day. We are on our way to Quebec City!

What stands out the most for me about today is the spiritual experience I have. I take my morning spiritual reading to the ship library. Across from me sits a man who starts smiling knowingly at me. He finally walks over to me and says, “You’re a Christian, aren’t you?,” while indicating the “Our Daily Bread” booklet I am reading. I nod and smile. “Do you read this booklet also?” I ask him. “Yes,” he answers and goes back to his seat. At lunch that day I sit by myself at the table in the buffet restaurant. The next thing I know, this same man pulls out the chair opposite me and sits down. Staring right into my eyes he says, “I have something I want to tell you.” With no introduction of his name, with no polite talk and chatter, this man launches into two extraordinary very personal stories. In each story he talks about a personal friend of his who died and how before his death God showed him in a vision that he would die. In one case the friend who died came to him after he died smiling in a vision so he would know he was alive and happy in the afterlife. This stranger to me tells me these events have comforted him and strengthened his faith in God. He asks me for nothing more than a listening ear, and then he is gone. He gets up and walks away leaving me to wonder why this has happened to me. It so happens that one of the books I am reading now is called Heaven is for Real. This is a story about a 3 year old boy who dies on the operating table and then is resuscitated. He tells his father and mother the things he has seen in heaven, while he was there! The entertainment tonight is “Dancing With The Stars”, but it pales next to what I experienced this day with a total stranger.

Friday June 7 Quebec City Canada!

“I call this the ‘kissing city.“

From the 12th deck I can look down on this beautiful city, beautiful even in the rain. We never see the sun the entire three days we are here, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Awesome and imposing stands the grand and famous Chateau Frontenac looking down over the city of old government buildings, old and new towns, steep cobbled stoned streets and old European houses. Somebody pinch me! It feels like I am in a time warp. It is really exciting to walk the streets of a town that seems so ancient. I am in another world.

Al and I stroll through the old streets, turning down one lane after another. A teacher and school children are taking a walking tour. One child turn back and runs to the stocks. He shoves his arms through the holes and tries to imagine what it is like to be restrained like that. Lots of tourists are walking the narrow streets.

I call this city the “Kissing City” because in so many paintings and murals I see couples kissing! We hear music and at different times come across French Canadians sitting on a stone wall or under a plaza tree playing a harp, saxophone, violin, accordion, trumpet and guitar! Most of them are also selling CD’s of their music. The music is all romantic style..very dreamy. This goes along with the kissing theme I mentioned!

Al and I take the “funicular” (cable car) straight up to the upper city. We get off right in front of the Chatteau Frontenac. Walking across the street we enter the grand lobby of this old hotel and walk around admiring the dark rich interior and the indoor shops. As we leave the hotel my feet are hurting and I hobble alongside Al down the steep streets and stair cases and back to our ship for the night. Tired but happy.

That night on the ship we have a “Round The World” menu to choose from in the Rotterdam Dining room followed by a parade of chefs singing farewell to the passengers. Most passengers are leaving the trip in this city, but we are staying for the cruise back to Boston.

Saturday, June 8 Quebec City

Saturday turns out to be rainy all day, so we stay on the ship.

Sunday, June 9 Quebec City

Sunday morning we decide to go to church with Pete and Janet so the four of us hail a taxi off the ship and up we ride to Church Of The Holy Trinity Cathedral. We love worshipping inside this old church. After church we walk around and duck into a French restaurant for lunch. We get back to the ship in time for the lifeboat drill followed by departure from Quebec City.

Monday, June 10 Day At Sea

“Everyone knows it’s on the poop deck!”

Today finds us cruising back to Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island. We stay on the boat all day. In a conversation with Pete and Janet about one of the blind passengers who has a guide dog, Janet remarks,
        “I wonder where passengers who have a dog, walk their dog?”
        “Everyone knows it’s on the ‘poop’ deck,” I quickly reply.
Al likes this answer and laughs saying, “That’s a good one, Maren, a good one!”

Tuesday June 11 Charlottetown, PEI.

This time Al and I take a tour of the new beer brewery in town which is very impressive. Then we take a horse & buggy tour of the town admiring the old houses and streets. Spotting the Country Store, we head in there for lunch. This is a seafood restaurant and I have my favorite lobster roll.

Wednesday, June 12 Sydney, Nova Scotia

“ Are we crazy or what?!”

Last week when we were in this port, it rained all day. This time it has stopped raining! We take a long bus tour out to Cape Breton and follow the coast line. Our stop is in the town of Baddeck which houses the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. This is a fascinating museum where we learn a lot about this inventor of the telephone and his other inventions. Across from the museum sits a picturesque lighthouse. Picture perfect.

At night on the ship we are experiencing rolling seas as the Veendam heads to Halifax. Janet and I decide to try the line dancing in the Crow’s Nest after dinner. Are we crazy or what?! Line dancing when we can’t even walk a straight line out of the restaurant after dinner? We refuse to be thwarted. Determined we stand up with the others for the line dance, but I am reluctant to tell you we did not do well at all! We kind of staggered from side to side until we gave up and sat down before we fell down!!

Thursday June 13 Halifax, Nova Scotia

“What a treat for the eyes!”

This morning Janet and I venture off in a taxi to the Public Gardens in the middle of town. For the next two hours we stroll through these gardens filled with hydrangras, floral settings, ponds, past ducks, pavilions and water fountains. We are entranced in our own private wonderland of dark green and black tree trunks. The recent rain has brought out all the vibrant colors and we are mesmerized. This is a real highlight of our trip.

This afternoon we take a bus excursion to Peggy’s Cove. What a treat for the eyes this is. This tiny little fishing village sits among the rugged rocks and pounding surf. The lighthouse makes it all perfect looking; just like a postcard picture. We are delighted with this village and pour over its streets and rocks by the sea.

Friday, June 14 Bar Harbor, Maine

“Do you see the vase they are talking about?”

Today is dreary and dark looking. We remain on the boat where Janet and I decide to take the art tour using the headphones. We are both excited to think we are finally going to learn all about the extensive art collections on the boat worth more than a million dollars. We have trouble from the very start!
        “Do you see the vase they are talking about?” Janet asks.
        “No, I don’t see the vase.” We wander from room to room but can’t find it.
        “What about the silver collection? Do you see it?”
        “No….”

When we return the headphones to the librarian and mention our troubles finding the art treasures, she remarks,
“This tour needs to be updated. We have different art treasures now.”

Yeesh! Oh well, we had a good laugh over this. The music theme in the Crow’s Nest tonight is “Rock It Till We Dock It!” The dancing starts around 9:30 p.m. and continues until the wee hours…. Not for me. Sweet sleep here I come.

Saturday, June 15 Boston Harbor

“It might explode!”

The next morning the mat on the elevator floor says Saturday. It is so right. This day is sunny and bright. Welcome back, sun! Boston lays clean and shiny looking in the morning sun. The waters of Boston Harbor sparkle.

Passing through customs we are picked up by a van that brings us back to the Best Western Hotel in Quincy. This is where we left our car. There it sits all ready to take us back home to Uncasville, Conn. Confidently Al opens the car door, puts the key into the ignition and turns the key - Nothing!
Al tries again. Nothing! The car is dead.

A call to AAA brings help in the form of a jump start. They were supposed to bring us a new battery, but they did not.
“Oh dear, “says Janet. Just hope and pray you don’t have to stop before you get home!”
“We have to stop for gas,” I tell her.
“Oh no! You can’t put gas into a car when the motor is running. It might explode.”

With that happy thought we say our good-byes and we are off for home. At the gas station I remember what Janet said. “It might explode.” So the minute Al parks the car next to the gas pump, I leap out of the car and dash over to the gas station building. I stand there and pray while Al fills our gas tank with the motor going. When it doesn’t explode, I slowly get back into the car still praying (and thanking God we are still alive.)

We get home without incident and Al goes off to the Auto Parts store to buy a new battery. All is well.

All is well and very well. God has done it again. We have been on a fantastic trip and seen new and wondrous places and people. Thank You, God!