Walking-around...

Walking down Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan is like constantly playing dodge-ball, only you never get the ball. Forget about moving in from the curb to window shop or just stopping to look up in wonder. You do so at your own peril.

New York has always been a very hectic city, even when my office was at 48th Street between Fifth and Madison years ago. Now, as an out-of-towner, it seems even more so, or maybe it’s just me. Maybe I was more focused and went with the flow then. Still, New Yorkers should take lessons in chilling out from their neighbors further up the northeastern coast, in Boston, for example.

A perfect schoolhouse to begin such social decompression is the “autumn escape” provided on board the Queen Mary 2, which sails up the coast of New England, visiting such great walking-around towns as New Port, Rhode Island; Boston, Mass. and Bar Harbor, Maine, as well as Halifax, Nova Scotia and Quebec, Canada. The next nine-day cruise leaves Brooklyn’s Pier 12 on October 25, 2010 with some change in the ports of call, substituting Quebec with St. John on the Bay of Fundy in Canada. If you can’t make it, don’t fret. The Queen will be visiting New England and Canada again next September so plan ahead.

The minute you board this flagship of the Cunard Line your biological clock slows down and you know you’re in for a treat on this opulent vessel, built for transatlantic crossings. The ship accommodates nearly 3,000 passengers, who are served by a crew of 1,250. They anticipate and meet all the creature comforts associated with a luxury cruise.

In spite of the fact that this is one of the largest cruise ships on the seas, the level of service makes you feel as though the surroundings are more intimate. Even the large main dining room, the Britannia, is tiered for a more secluded feeling. If you’re lucky enough to get a corner table, you have no sense whatsoever that you are sharing dinner with hundreds of people, as you make selections from a varied menu of fine cuisine accompanied by an extensive wine list.

All this indulgence requires a strong dose of physical activity, which can be accomplished on the dance floor of one of the numerous entertainment salons or at the well-equipped gym and spa on board. Actually, just walking from your stateroom to the various dining venues can be enough exercise. The ship measures 1,132 feet in length. Back and forth for three meals and that’s more than a mile to walk off some calories. More energetic passengers also quick-step around the deck, braving sea sprays in brisk winds or do laps in the in-door swimming pool.

Sightseeing in the ports of call is another good way to shed the extra calories consumed. Having missed the first port, New Port, because Hurricane Earl kept us at sea for an extra day as it wound its way up the Atlantic coast in front of us, we especially needed the exercise of walking the streets of Boston.

It was a pleasure to once again stroll down Newberry Street, taking in the shops and galleries, and show the madness of Quincy Market with its crowded stalls to friends for the first time. Boston, like New York, is a major city of business and commerce, but the pace is less frenetic. You can enjoy what you see without being trampled, even around the Commons, the large park at the heart of the down town area, where every manner of human expression can be observed in the gardens.

Bar Harbor is a small fishing port that is even more laid back and while the “made-for-tourists” stamp is on almost everything in the shops, the town provides a quaint village atmosphere for the visitor to take in while browsing. Bar Harbor also is adjacent to Arcadia National Park, one of the natural wonders under the care of America’s Forest Service.

After that picturesque sojourn, Halifax is a disappointment. The dock area, like many cruise ports around the world, is drab industrial and quiet some distance from anything of interest, requiring some form of ground transportation. We opted for a bus-hopper, which was a mistake because there isn’t much to see in town. Halifax was the birth place of Sir Samuel Cunard, the founder of the transatlantic shipping company that now sails the three Queens on the Seven Seas. Interestingly, he is buried in the UK, where he established his shipping empire and was eventually knighted for his efforts. Obviously, he didn’t like Halifax either.

A day at sea enjoying the pleasures of the Queen, which is like being at a four-star resort, wiped Halifax from our memory and prepared us for the highlight of the cruise, a full day in Quebec, walking cobble-stoned streets and alleyways lined with bistros, boutiques, cafes and art galleries. You know they are there to cater to the visitors, but it all seems very authentic and charming, with a strong French favor that is friendly and welcoming.

Built into a steep hill, the walled upper old town of Quebec can be reached from the old lower town by climbing a long series of stairs or via an inexpensive cable car ride that opens onto the terrace of the Chateau Frontenac, a classic hotel that dates back to 1892 and dominates the cliff-top, providing a spectacular view of the St. Lawrence River, which opens to the seaway. Since it’s easier to walk down hill, we took the cable car up and descended the narrow, winding sidewalks, coming upon out-of-way places, like the Latin Quarter, where people actually live and go about their daily business.

In all, the “autumn escape” on the Queen Mary 2 was the ideal way to begin the autumn of life together after 50 years of martial bliss. We can’t wait for what the next 50 years have in store for us.

And, That’s That…