“Youre cruising where？ The Caribbean？” “No mom，” I reply again into the phone. “Quebec， Canada. You know， that huge French-speaking province in the north.” “I didnt know you could cruise in Quebec，” she replies. “What a great way to see Montreal！” A good way indeed. Due to the deep， wide waters of the St. Lawrence River， cruise ships can reach far into eastern North America to Montreal and other ports of Quebec， Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Cruise ships offer an easy way to see a lot of Canada with little effort. Weve chosen a seven-day Holland America Line cruise， and the comfortable fall weather is the perfect backdrop for such a journey.

Our cruise starts in Montreal， and my family and I have spent the day exploring the capital of Frenchspeaking Canada. Though its my first visit to the city， already Im smitten. Montreal is clean and stunningly beautiful. This city of 1.6 million is very modern， yet its obvious that they cherish their historic roots. That European heritage is still alive and well in Old Montreal.

With its cobblestone streets， historic architecture and patio-lined alleyways， Old Montreal has the feel of Paris. Only this is much， much better， for Im surrounded by Canadians. Everyone we meet is friendly and welcoming. French speaking or not， the majority of Montrealers are bilingual， and communication is no problem.

The early fall weather is beautiful， so we head over to the Quays of the Old Port for a picnic lunch. The harbor front is filled with bikers， pedestrians and people out soaking up the sun.

Further out， we can see our ship， the MS Maasdam， waiting patiently for us.

Our cruise will take us to some of the top port towns in Eastern Canada. Well stop in Quebec City， at Prince Edward Island， in Sydney and Halifax， Nova Scotia， and then end our journey in Bar Harbor， Maine. Canada is a large country， and driving to these places would take days， while flying to these cities would cost a fortune. But cruising makes it easy. We see the best of each destination， and then hop onboard to be wined and dined while we sail to the next location—travel doesnt get much easier than that.

Though shore time in each port is short， we cram in a lot of sightseeing. In Montreal， we spend an hour exploring the Montreal Biodome， a nature center that allows visitors to walk through replicas of four ecosystems found in the Americas.

Then we stop for a famous Montreal bagel at Saint-Viateur Bagel & Café. This local favorite has been serving up oven-baked bagels since 1957. However， my two favorite stops are the Atwater Market and the Underground City.

The Atwater is a farmersmarket located in the Saint-Henri neighborhood. Established in 1933， the market is filled with bakeries， butchers， and specialty cheese， wine and produce shops. The folks in Montreal love fine dining—and it shows. I find food items at the market that Ive never seen elsewhere.

The Underground City is also filled with life. Some 20 miles of connecting passageways wind beneath the city， filled with restaurants， stores， and professional offices. The whole thing has the feel of a huge mall， and its easy to get lost. The Underground City is especially wonderful in the winter， when temperatures average below zero. You can do just about everything in the Underground City.

We could spend a whole week here in Montreal. But its time to board our ship and begin our cruise adventure. Tonight well relax on board with an excellent dinner， and then have a restful night in our cabin. Tomorrow， well wake up in Quebec City for a whole new adventure.

Ah， Canada. Whats there not to love？

“你正在哪里巡游来着？加勒比海？”“不是的，妈妈，”我再次在电话里回答。“是加拿大的魁北克。你知道，就是北边那个讲法语的大省。”“我不知道可以在魁北克坐游轮呢，”她答道。“这真是游览蒙特利尔的好方法！”确实是一个好方法。由于圣劳伦斯河水深，河面宽广，游船能够深入北美洲东部，直达蒙特利尔和魁北克的其他港口、新斯科舍省以及爱德华王子岛。游轮为人们提供一种轻轻松松就能欣赏到加拿大各地风光的便利方式。我们选择了荷美航运一个为期七天的游轮项目，舒适怡人的秋天正是衬托此行的绝妙背景。

我们的航程从蒙特利尔开始。我和家人利用白天探索这座加拿大法语区的首府。尽管这是我第一次探访这座城市，但我已被它彻底征服。蒙特利尔不仅洁净，而且美得让人惊叹。这座拥有160万人口的城市十分现代，然而它显然十分珍视自己的历史根基。欧洲的传统在蒙特利尔旧城区依旧鲜活完好。

蒙特利尔旧城区有着鹅卵石铺就的街道、各种历史建筑以及布满天井的小巷，有种巴黎的味道。不过这里比法国好多了，因为我周围都是加拿大人。我们见到的每一个人都热情好客。无论你是否讲法语，大多数蒙特利尔人都能讲两种语言，所以沟通不是问题。

初秋的天气如此美妙，于是我们中午前往旧港码头野餐。海港前面熙熙攘攘，有骑车的，有走路的，还有出来晒日光浴的。

在远处能看到我们的船——马士丹号正在耐心地等候我们。

我们的游轮之旅将带我们到访加拿大东部的一些顶级港口城镇。我们会在魁北克市、爱德华王子岛、新斯科舍省的悉尼和哈利法克斯停留，然后在（美国）缅因州的巴尔港结束我们的旅程。加拿大是一个幅员辽阔的国家，驱车前往这些地方要花费数天时间，坐飞机去又要花上一大笔钱。乘坐游轮则使旅行变得简单。在欣赏完各个目的地最美的风光之后，我们便跳上船享用美酒佳肴，同时驶往下一个地方——最轻松的旅游方式莫过于此吧。

尽管在每个港口的岸上时间很短，我们还是把观光行程排得满满的。在蒙特利尔，我们花了一个小时参观蒙特利尔生态馆。在这个自然中心，游客可以穿越四种美洲生态系统的模拟观赏区。

随后，我们在圣韦亚特百吉圈与咖啡店品尝了远近闻名的蒙特利尔百吉面包圈。这家当地最受欢迎的店自1957年起便供应百吉圈。但我最喜欢的两个地方则是埃特沃特市场和地下城。

埃特沃特市场是一个位于圣亨利附近的农贸市场，建于1933年，里面有许多出售烘焙食品、肉类、特色奶酪、酒以及农产品的店铺。蒙特利尔人喜爱精致的美食——这一点不言而喻。我在市场里发现了在其他地方从未见过的食品。

地下城同样充满生活气息。长约20英里（32千米）的走廊在这座城市的地下连接交错，城内有许多餐馆、商店和办公室。整个地下城犹如一座大型购物中心，很容易让人迷失其中。在平均气温低于零度的冬天，地下城是一个极好的去处。那里几乎可以满足你的一切需求。

我们可以在蒙特利尔呆上整整一星期，但已经要上船了，是时候开始我们的游轮之旅。今晚我们会在船上放松自己，享用美味晚餐，然后在船舱里睡上一顿好觉。明天，我们将在魁北克市醒来，迎接一段新的旅程。

啊，加拿大，让我如何不爱你！