Quebec
One night in Canada and I already feel that I understand the ways of this country just as little as America. In many ways it's more familiar - they use modern concepts like the metric system and healthcare, and the Queen is on the money (which has amazing see-through plastic windows - no wonder they're happier). But amongst this familiarity, everything is different and primarily in French even though the people speak English (after they greet you in French and quickly realize you're a tourist idiot, especially due to my tendency to forget I can't just talk to all non-English speakers in German). However, due to the nature of the public works here I am already fluent in terms like "Road closed" and "Stop, no entry".
We're docked in Quebec City today - we came up from the harbour area on a funiculaire, which is French for "absolutely bloody terrifying mountain rail car", and then wandered around the streets of the old city. In my mind I had pictured the province of Quebec as looking much like I'd seen in the rest of North America, but in at least the parts of Montreal and Quebec City I've seen, the environment and architecture are suddenly very European. I don't know whether this is something that happens when you go to all cities besides your home one or whether it's just that Boston is a bit of a dump, but the places we wandered around were full of beautifully architected fountains, staircases and roads winding around the city walls.
We arrived on the day of the city marathon, so the streets alternated between busy and completely empty - many of them are completely pedestrianized and cars wait patiently behind the walkers instead of blasting their horn and just ploughing through. We had a local delicacy, Poutaine, which no matter how much you ponce it up is still chips and cheese covered in gravy - a nice welcome as a very familiar Scottish style of cuisine.
Now we're at sea for a while, so I can sit in the ship's library and collect some pictures of water over the next 48 hours.