It’s easy to see why Boston and fine food go together. In our three days in the city, we enjoyed excellent cuisine, often in a setting that reflected Boston’s rich history. The Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in the US. Another first. Serving diners since 1826, it was built in the 1740s as a dry goods shop but its speciality now, of course, is succulent seafood.

Sitting in my zero gravity chair in the back yard listening to the chirps and tweets of the birds, the rustling leaves on the trees and the distant barking of a dog it’s hard to believe that just a few short days ago I was in New York City. The tranquility of my back yard is the absolute opposite of the hustle factor of the greatest city on earth.

While awaiting your cruise from Vancouver at the opulent Fairmont Waterfront, you can start your sightseeing early with a complimentary bike ride along the scenic sea wall and the amazing Stanley Park.

New York seems to alternate between madness and brilliance.

The madness part is easy to spot. Eight million residents and more than 50 million visitors each year make for congestion and queues, occasional frayed tempers and a colourful cast of characters ranging from drag queens to buskers to illicit street vendors.