Old Town Montreal in Quebec, located adjacent to the Old Port of Montreal, is one of the most charming adventures travelers will experience in Canada. The historic architecture in the Old Port area has such an attractive order to the eye and creates its own historical and fascinating story of the original settlers. French wooden structures were destroyed by fire and were eventually replaced with the stone structures visitors associate with the city today. The statues and city buildings offer an interesting and inviting view as they lead the way to the port, where a park and impressive Ferris Wheel offer endless views of the St. Lawrence.
The nearby exquisite Notre Dame Basilica featuring the Casavant Organ is a staple of Old Montreal history and was dedicated in July of 1829. It is a national historic site of Canada, and always a centering point for historic curiosities when visiting. The Gothic Revival architecture is stunning, and the interior of the church is amongst the most dramatic in the world with vaults of deep blue featuring gold stars. The sanctuary is done in blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold. The stain glass windows depict scenes from Montreal history, not religious scenes, and it is no small wonder approximately 11 million people visit this Basilica each year. During my visit recently, there were so many visitors it was difficult to find a place to sit or stand.
The design style of this wonderful city is renowned, andthe venerable stores and boutiques on Sherbrooke, along with other boulevards, are a go-to for serious shoppers passing through. Mount Royal and McGill University both offer breathtaking views of Montreal and provide visitors a general feel for the people living in the Montreal area. I also highly recommend taking a lovely afternoon break to savor the extraordinary high tea in the Pam Court at the Ritz Carleton on Sherbrooke.
Dining in Old Town Quebec is such fun, and I love The Crez Suzette at 3 St Paul East, where every possible crepe desire imaginable can be met, in style. The historic three-story building provides comfortable seating and is terribly warm and inviting after trudging around shopping on a cold fall or winter day. The waiters at Chez Suzette are efficient but have a nonchalance about them that I personally found rather amusing. The restaurant was jammed and included large family groups, tour groups and everything in between, but they all seemed as happy to be there as we were. From the chicken supreme crepe entrée to the Sundae Suzette dessert, it is all authentic and luscious. I so enjoyed our family lunch there and the goodness that just kept on coming, washed down with a delicious fresh lemonade. Also, worth a try are the lobster bisque with cognac, and the escargot in garlic butter sauce.
The winding streets filled with interesting shops, museums, and restaurants in Old Town Montreal are simply charming, and offer a very enjoyable opportunity to spend a few hours gathering historical information and collecting fun keepsakes to take home.
As a devotee of fine photography, I found a visit to the World Press Photo Exhibition showcasing the annual World Press Photo Global winners an amazing opportunity to experience the best of visual journalism chosen from thousands of entrants, that highlighted the climate crisis, community, war’s impact on civilians, and the importance of press photography around the world. The photo of the year went to Mads Nissen, featuring nine photos of Afghan people living under the Taliban without international aid. This exhibition of the World Press Photo Foundation was held across the street from the entrance to the Port in Montreal, but the exhibitions are themed shows, and the locations vary. For inquiries or to donate visit www.worldpressphoto.org.
My hasty adventure through the Old Port of Montreal ended rather reluctantly as I returned to my Viking ship docked in the Port to begin a trip up the Canadian coast to visit Quebec City and other intriguing destinations like Saguenay, where I had a date with a seaplane to see the Fjords. My beautiful view of the Montreal Old Port and skyline as the sun was setting will forever remain in my memory and my photos, as one of the most memorable visits I’ve shared with my family in their homeland, and I am looking forward to my next delicious and interesting visit with great anticipation. Oh, Canada!
For Montreal tourism information visit www.mtl.org.
Stazione Marittima is on the western side of Venice's historic center, near Piazzale Roma and the Tronchetto parking island. It's used as both a home port and a port of call for smaller cruise ships and river cruise vessels, including Seabourn, Windstar Cruises, Ponant Cruises and Viking.
Larger cruise lines that home port in Venice now dock at nearby Marghera or other regional ports like Ravenna or Trieste. From there, passengers take a shuttle service to Stazione Marittima. The port has modern facilities, including terminals, shuttle services, and amenities such as cafes and shops. Upon arrival, passengers can easily access Venice's main attractions by foot, water taxi or the city's famous Vaporetto (water bus) system.
On several occasions I have had friends or writing associates call to tell me to share how freaked out they were because they had booked a cruise and suddenly realized their passport had expired, or was soon expiring and they needed to quickly renew it. Many destinations require more than six months from expiration date to enter their ports or airports.
It has become easier to renew a passport and you can now actually renew your passport online. It was announced recently that Android users can store a digital passport in Google Wallet for use at select U.S. Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
Below is US Passport Information link to find answers and solutions regarding passport renewals, lost passports, etc. Good luck!
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architecture in the Old Port area has such an attractive order to the eye and creates its own historical and fascinating story of the original settlers. French wooden structures were destroyed by fire and were eventually replaced with the stone structures visitors associate with the city today. The statues and city buildings offer an interesting and inviting view as they lead the way to the port, where a park and impressive Ferris Wheel offer endless views of the St. Lawrence. 
Casavant Organ is a staple of Old Montreal history and was dedicated in July of 1829. It is a national historic site of Canada, and always a centering point for historic curiosities when visiting. The Gothic Revival architecture is stunning, and the interior of the church
is amongst the most dramatic in the world with vaults of deep blue featuring gold stars. The sanctuary is done in blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold. The stain glass windows depict scenes from Montreal history, not religious scenes, and it is no small wonder approximately 11 million people visit this Basilica each year. During my visit recently, there were so many visitors it was difficult to find a place to sit or stand. 
The design style of this wonderful city is renowned, andthe venerable stores and boutiques on Sherbrooke, along with other
boulevards, are a go-to for serious shoppers passing through. Mount Royal and McGill University both offer breathtaking views of Montreal and provide visitors a general feel for the people living in the Montreal area. I also highly recommend taking a lovely afternoon break to savor the extraordinary high tea in the Pam Court at the Ritz Carleton on Sherbrooke.
Dining in Old Town Quebec is such fun, and I love The Crez Suzette at 3 St Paul East,
where every possible crepe desire imaginable can be met, in style. The historic three-story building provides comfortable seating and is terribly warm and inviting after trudging around shopping on a cold fall or winter day. The waiters at Chez 
Suzette are efficient but have a nonchalance about them that I
personally found rather amusing. The restaurant was jammed and included large family groups, tour groups and everything in 
between, but they all seemed as happy to be there as we were. From the chicken supreme crepe entrée to the Sundae Suzette dessert, it is all authentic and luscious. I so enjoyed our family lunch there and the goodness that just kept on coming, washed down with a delicious fresh lemonade. Also, worth a try are the lobster bisque with cognac, and the escargot in garlic butter sauce.
As a devotee of fine photography, I found a visit to the World Press Photo Exhibition showcasing the annual World Press Photo Global winners an amazing opportunity to experience the best of visual journalism chosen from thousands of entrants, that highlighted the climate crisis, community, war’s impact on civilians, and the importance of press photography around the
world. The photo of the year went to Mads Nissen, featuring nine photos of Afghan people living under the Taliban without international aid. This exhibition of the World Press Photo Foundation was held across the street from the entrance to the Port in Montreal, but the exhibitions are themed shows, and the locations vary. For inquiries or to donate visit 
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