Lisbon, Funchal (Madeira), Ponta Delgada, Halifax, Boston, New York

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on the southwest of the country, has been the main gateway for the rest of the planet for more than 19 centuries. Ships captained by Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan, skittered across the globe, hauling treasure home and making Lisbon a global capital. Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies, until 1755, when a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city, leaving intact only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas. Eternally linked to the sea, Lisbon's magnificent harbor is spanned by the longest suspension bridge in Europe. Among the city's landmarks are the iconic Castelo de São Jorge, the World Heritage Sites of Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, both built in Lisbon's native Manueline architectural style.

Madeira is located in the north Atlantic Ocean, 520 km from the African coast and 1.000 km from the European continent. Today, it is a popular year-round resort, noted for its wine, flowers, landscapes and embroidery artisans. Madeira's capital Funchal, on the island's south coast, rises straight up from the sea and enchants visitors, with its red roofs and hibiscus easing gently down the lower slopes of Pico do Arieiro to the ocean. Time given, take the cable car toMonte Palace, in a 15-minute ride up and over the old town of Funchal and the Ribeira de Joao Gomes valley. When in town, wander along the Old centre, with its port and promenade, quaint and narrow winding streets, shops, cafés, bars and restaurants and view "Worker's Market", the 15th-century cathedral, the Theatre, the Town Hall and the waterfront.

Ponta Delgada is the largest municipality and administrative capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal, lying around a natural bay on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the archipelago. Identified by its three arches known as the Portas da Cidade, it stands out for the large number of churches and other buildings, among which the baroque São Sebastião Church and the Todos os Santos Church. White-washed houses and buildings, 17th and 18th Century convents and churches decorate its rolling hills. Cobbled streets and small squares are found around the centre, where there is also a large boulevard, which is perfect for evening seaside walks. Visit Museu Carlos Machado (Carlos Machado Museum), the beautiful Praça 5 de Outubro (5th of October Square) which is dominated by a marvellous Renaissance Fortress, the Fortaleza de São Brás, the most romantic garden and most lush area in the city, Jardim António Borges (António Borges Gardens) or tour to the natural wonders of the island, such as the Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Seven Cities Lake), which is formed by two large lakes that fill the massive crater of a dormant volcano. From the Pico do Carvão one can enjoy fabulous panoramic views over the Lagoa das Sete Cidades.

The economic and cultural capital of eastern Canada, is an easygoing and hospitable metropolis, located on one of the planet's great natural harbors. The beautifully restored waterfront buildings of Halifax's Historic Properties recall the city's centuries-old maritime heritage and adorned with landmarks like the Citadel fortress, Pier 21 (Canada's Ellis Island) and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Outside the city, cruise visitors can discover the weatherbeaten landscape of Nova Scotia's south shore, including famous Peggy's Cove and the German village of Lunenburg, so meticulously restored it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Boston is the largest city of Massachusetts and New England, located in a natural harbour. The metropolis is showcasing significant historic sites, which you can visit by following The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile stretch hosting 16 sites pertaining to the Revolutionary War. Don't miss its interesting museums, the Museum of Science at Science Park, with more than 400 interactive exhibits, the Museum of Fine Arts, New England's largest art museum, known for its collection of works by Claude Monet. The Institute of Contemporary Art in South Boston, all glass and sharp angles, a stark departure from the city's presiding aesthetic as well as Boston Public Library are also interesting to have a look. Take a walk at the South End, street after tree-lined street of red-brick bow-front townhouses dating to the 1800s, along with some of Boston's best restaurants, design stores and boutiques. For shopping, choose the eight-block shopping stretch of Newbury Street in Back Bay, Quincy Market or Faneuil Hall Marketplace, an ιndoor-outdoor market great place for both shopping and dining. Enjoy nature at its best, by walking along the Boston side of the Charles River, which separates the city from Cambridge, a roughly three-mile leafy path known as the Charles River Esplanade or visit Boston Public Garden (Boston Common), the nation's oldest botanical garden (1634).

The "Big Apple", the bustling metropolis and worldwide centrre of commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment, is a wonderland for Museum hunters -, shoppacholics and show-holics... Take a walk through Times Square, catch a Broadway show, visit some of the 150 museums,- Metropolitan Museum, MoMA (Μuseum of Modern Art), Guggenheim, American Museum of Natural History- and see its different facets through an intricate patchwork of neighborhoods. Walk along Lower Manhattan, Chinatown, trendy SoHo, Greenwich Village, Little Italy... See the Statue of Liberty, climb up the Empire State Building and Ground Zero and then, relax at Central Park, one of the most famous sightseeing spots in New York, which covers 341 hectares of paths, ponds, artificial lakes and green space within the asphalt jungle.