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Quebec Delivers a Uniquely French Taste of Canada

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 2, 2023 East Coast Voyage Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, Quebec, Canada I’m adding Quebec to my list of stunning cities. The Zaandam docked this morning at the edge of the Place Royale, in the lower section of the Old Quebec City, with a commanding view of Le Château Frontenac.

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2023 East Coast Voyage
8 comments

Finally! After Two Months on Land, I’m Heading Back to Sea

Posted on September 24, 2023September 24, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day -1, 2023 East Coast Voyage Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, Montreal, Canada I was already on my flight this morning as the sun rose, heading for a Dallas connection from Fort Smith, Ark., to Montreal, Canada. Tomorrow I will board Holland America’s Zaandam for a 13-day sail up the Saint

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2023 East Coast Voyage
27 comments

One Final Shopping Spree as Another Cruise Ends

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 71, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure Friday, July 21, Portland, Maine, USA. On the 28th day of the first cruise during which I blogged, I wrote about the 28 things I never did once on the ship. Things like ice skate, inline skate, or get kidnapped by pirates off the

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2023 North Atlantic Adventure
27 comments

Halifax Boardwalk Has Something for Everyone, Especially Kids

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Days 69 and 70, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure Wednesday and Thursday, July 19-20, 2023; Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Let the packing begin. Yes, I broke down and started packing on Wednesday and found a surprise! In one of my suitcases was the duffel bag “pillow gift” from the

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2023 North Atlantic Adventure
6 comments

Lobster Rolls and Sailing School Welcome Us To Charlottetown

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 68, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure Tuesday, July 18, 2023; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. My love for sailing dates back to my junior high days, when I learned to sail at a camp in Arkansas. I loved the little Sunfish sailboats, with their single sail, and wooden centerboard, tiller

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2023 North Atlantic Adventure
6 comments

We Turn the Corner, Leaving Cold Behind for Heat

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 67, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure Monday, July 17, 2023; Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The temperature in my stateroom doesn’t vary much – hovering between 68- and 70-degrees F. I keep the thermostat on the lowest setting and adjust my clothes to match. So when I woke up

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2023 North Atlantic Adventure
4 comments

Watching an Arctic Iceberg Slowly Disintegrate and Die

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 63 and 64, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure Thursday and Friday, July 13-14, 2023; Qaqortoq and Nanortalik, Greenland. As we wove our way through a field of icebergs off the southwest coast of Greenland on Thursday, I heard a sudden loud crack. The closest iceberg slowly started rolling. By the

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2023 North Atlantic Adventure
17 comments

Sailing Through the Most Beautiful Places on Earth

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 62, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure Wednesday, July 12, 2023; Cruising Prins Christian Sund, Greenland. When it comes to scenery, I can’t think of any I love more than mountains and rocky coastlines. My love of mountains started in my teen years, when our family started spending vacations in the

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2023 North Atlantic Adventure
11 comments

Iceland Sends the Zuiderdam Off With a Volcanic Eruption

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Days 60 and 61, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure Monday and Tuesday, July 10 and 11, 2023; Grundarfjørður, Iceland, and at sea. Being a news hound from way back, on Monday I had one eye on the internet, watching for signs of a predicted volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula just

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2023 North Atlantic Adventure
14 comments

Two Glorious Days in Iceland’s Capital, Despite Missed Tour

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Days 58 and 59, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure Saturday and Sunday, July 8 and 9, 2023; Reykjavik, Iceland. You can’t cruise around Iceland and not realize the impact that movement of the earth’s crust has on this country. In fact, it is splitting the island apart by about two centimeters

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2023 North Atlantic Adventure
4 comments

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I’m a writer in love with the sea, sailing, travel and sketching.

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Recent Posts

  • Quebec Delivers a Uniquely French Taste of Canada
  • Finally! After Two Months on Land, I’m Heading Back to Sea
  • One Final Shopping Spree as Another Cruise Ends
  • Halifax Boardwalk Has Something for Everyone, Especially Kids
  • Lobster Rolls and Sailing School Welcome Us To Charlottetown

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