17-Day Voyage Of The Vikings

There’s history and culture around every bend in Boston—skyscrapers nestle next to historic hotels while modern marketplaces line the antique cobblestone streets. But to Bostonians, living in a city that blends yesterday and today is just another day in beloved Beantown.

Portland, Maine The largest city in Maine, Portland was founded in 1632 on the Casco Bay Peninsula. It quickly prospered through shipbuilding and the export of inland pines which made excellent masts. A long line of wooden wharves stretched along the seafront, with the merchants' houses on the hillside above. From the earliest days it was a cosmopolitan city. When the railroads came, the Canada Trunk Line had its terminal right on Portland's quayside, bringing the produce of Canada and the Great Plains one hundred miles closer to Europe than any other major U.S. port. Some of the wharves are now occupied by new condominium developments, with the exception of the Customs House Wharf, which remains much as it used to be. Grand Trunk Station was torn down in 1966 and a revitalization program of this historic section was spearheaded by a group of committed residents. The result was the revival of the Old Port Exchange District with its redbrick streets built in the 1860s following a disastrous fire. The area today features a wide variety of restaurants, specialty and antique shops, and makes for a pleasant place for a stroll. Congress Street and its many side streets are an engaging mixture of culture, commerce and history. Art is everywhere, from the Portland Museum of Art to the many statues and monuments throughout the city. Other points of interest include the Portland Observatory, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's childhood home, several colonial mansions and Fort Williams Park, with the adjacent Portland Head Light. Farther afield one can visit the charming yachting and fishing village of Kennebunkport, also noted as the locale of the home and summer White House of former President George Bush. Going Ashore in Portland Pier Information The ship is scheduled to dock at the Portland Ocean Terminal, a very easy walk to the Old Port District located about two blocks away. Taxis are available at the pier. Shopping A wide range of Maine-made clothing, crafts and imported items can be found in shops along the cobblestone streets of the quaint Old Port Exchange. Small boutiques and numerous art galleries feature everything from paintings, crafts and furniture to prints and photographs. Antique lovers will enjoy browsing through area shops. Bargain hunters may want to visit the designer factory outlet shops in Freeport. On Sundays, most shops are open from 12:00 noon to 5:00-6:00 p.m. The local currency is the dollar. Cuisine Portland has the most restaurants per capita, second only to San Francisco. Eating establishments are as diverse as the menus they offer. The fresh catch of the day can be found on most menus, but seafood is only one of many culinary delights. From specialty coffee houses and ethnic restaurants to chowder and lobster houses to elegant dining rooms, Portland makes it easy to please every palate. Other Sights Longfellow's "City by the Sea" Portland is a walkable city, and a good place to start exploring is at the Old Port with its striking buildings comprising a bevy of architectural styles, ranging from Italianate to Mansard, Queen Anne to Greek Revival. The charming streets house an amazing collection of shops, galleries, bookstores and restaurants. Congress Street and the Arts District reflect the changes of 350 years of history, boasting an engaging mixture of culture and commerce. Portland Museum of Art The museum's award-winning building is a blend of 1911 Beaux Arts and 1983 post-modernism. It houses one of New England's finest art collections. Don't miss the museum's indoor Sculpture Garden. Portland Observatory Built in 1807, this is a rare example of a signal tower from which signal flags would be flown to identify incoming vessels. Factory Outlets of Freeport About a 25-minute drive north of Portland (approximately $35 one way for a taxi), this shopping mecca is crammed with serious shoppers who come from as far away as New York. Private arrangements for independent sightseeing may be requested through the Tour Office on board.

If you come directly to Cape Breton via plane, ferry, or cruise ship, Sydney is where you’ll land. If you’re seeking anything resembling an urban experience, it’s also where you’ll want to stay: after all, this is the island’s sole city. Admittedly, it is not the booming center it was a century ago when the continent’s largest steel plant was located here (that era is evoked in Fall on Your Knees, an Oprah Book Club pick penned by Cape Bretoner Anne-Marie MacDonald). However, Sydney has a revitalized waterfront and smattering of Loyalist-era buildings that appeal to visitors. Moreover, it offers convenient access to popular attractions in the region—like the Miner’s Museum in nearby Glace Bay (named for the glace, or ice, that filled its harbor in winter), the Fortress at Louisbourg, and beautiful Bras d'Or Lake.

Newfoundland's fourth-largest city, Corner Brook is the hub of the island's west coast. Hills fringe three sides of the city, which has dramatic views of the harbor and the Bay of Islands. The town is also home to a large paper mill and a branch of Memorial University. Captain James Cook, the British explorer, charted the coast in the 1760s, and a memorial to him overlooks the bay.The town enjoys more clearly defined seasons than most of the rest of the island, and in summer it has many pretty gardens. The nearby Humber River is the best-known salmon river in the province, and there are many kilometers of well-maintained walking trails in the community.

Nanortalik lies in a scenic area surrounded by steep mountainsides and is Greenland’s tenth-largest and most southerly town with less than 1500 inhabitants. The town’s name means the “place of polar bears”, which refers to the polar bears that used to be seen floating offshore on summer’s ice floes. Nanortalik has an excellent open-air museum that gives a broad picture of the region from Inuit times to today. Part of the exhibition is a summer hunting camp, where Inuit in traditional clothing describe aspects of their ancestor’s customs and lifestyle.

Two colossal terraces of sheer rock stand either side of this extraordinarily located town - which rides a jutting spit onto an immensity of black fjord water. Surprisingly, considering the remoteness of its location and its compact size, Isafjordur is a modern and lively place to visit, offering a great choice of cafes and delicious restaurants – which are well stocked to impress visitors. The town is a perfectly located base for adventures amongst Iceland's fantastic wilderness - with skiing, hiking and water-sports popular pursuits among visitors.

Akureyri, called the Capital of the North is the second largest urban area in Iceland, and a lively one at that. Hemmed by the 60-km (37-mile) long Eyjafjörður, Akureyri is sheltered from the ocean winds and embraced by mountains on three sides. Late 19th-century wooden houses impart a sense of history, and the twin spires of a modern Lutheran church rising on a green hill near the waterfront, provide a focal point. To the south of Akureyri is the pyramid-shape rhyolite mountain Súlur. Beyond it is Kerling, the highest peak in Eyjafjörður District.

Rotterdam is a city that's a long way removed from most people's stereotypical notion of the Netherlands. There are few, if any, canals to be found here nor are there any quaint windmills. There is, however, a thriving modern city which is one of the busiest ports in the entire world.