Day 4 Kindred Spirits

Looking back at the Confederation Bridge. 10 miles of scariness.

Finally, we made it to Prince Edward Island. It was a cool day, the temperature never getting over 57.  It was still early when we drove over the Confederation Bridge. I managed to talk the whole time across the 10 mile bridge, keeping my hand ready to help Bob just in case he drove too close to the edge. Rebecca reminded me I should have brought my emergency windshield breaker (the kind that allows you to leap out of your drowning car…)

Freshly planted fields on PEI. Oyster beds are just to the right in the bay.

There is no way our pictures can do this beautiful island justice. It’s a patchwork quilt of little farms and rolling hills. And at the edge of the island the land suddenly cuts away to red clay cliffs into the ocean. They grow lots of potatoes and hay and we saw many cows. In the bays there were oyster farms. Interestingly, most of the gardens appeared just recently planted.

That reminds me; we discovered that up here it is not yet summer. Kids are still in school and while everything was open we were just on the cusp of their tourism season. So there were no crowds anywhere. The people told us that “in summer” all the streets and beaches were filled. 

Hey, there we are, looking up at a kindred spirit in Anne's bedroom.

For you Green Gables fans we found the Lake of Shining Water and visited one of the many museums dedicated to Anne and the author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Anne, of course, was a fictional character but the towns embrace her as their heroine. We could just imagine the little orphan Anne’s first impressions of ‘Avonlea’. The people we interacted with were all just as friendly as we would expect to find in the books. It’s easy to imagine finding kindred spirits.

Oh, I have to tell you about the museum we visited. It was filled with period pieces from the early 1900’s. That was interesting and all but there was a group of Japanese women touring ahead of us. Pamelasan gave them a very animated explanation of each room. The ladies were so intent, inspecting everything, touching every picture oohing and ahhing. Matthew and I had to leave half way through for the bathroom (which turned out to be filled with Japanese ladies who I don’t think like to close the toilet stall doors) so Bob and Rebecca waited for our return. As they were in one room a group a Japanese women came through and Bob thought they were so taken that they were touring again. But no, it was another bus load. There must have been 100 Japanese woman, 1 Japanese man and us touring at that time.

A real highlight of the day came when we found a British fish and chips restaurant that offered gluten free fried meal. No extra charge even! We ordered family style, an assortment of fried fish and then decided to try mashed peas just the fun of it. The fish was absolutely delicious. Matthew was so happy to be able to eat it, he loved it! The mashed peas were another story. They tasted like someone took dried peas, cooked them most of the way, then mashed them. No salt, no butter, nothing to give them any zip, except the chunky uncooked pieces… Those Brits, not very imaginative, at least with their peas. 

Matthew's first plate. Yum...well, except for those peas.

Before heading back to the hotel we visited the remnants of a pre-revolutionary fort. It was built by the English, taken over by the French and then retaken by the Brits. We also learned about the Acadians, who are not local Native Americans (or First Nation people, as they are called here). But the Acadians were pilgrims who landed in this area, figured out how to work the delta lands and then were deported during all that fighting. Many ended up in Louisiana—you know their relatives, the Cajuns. Oh, now it all makes sense, doesn’t it? Acadians—Cajuns…even sounds similar. I remembered from history that the Cajuns were French settlers now we know where they originated. We’re going to have to read up on them now.

Here’s my observation for the day. It seems legal for people to ride their ATV’s across the freeways. Yes, interstate big divided highways. We watched some riding in the median just zooming along and others waiting to cross the road headed to a trail on the far side. I also saw a sign indicating the same for snow mobile crossing. Rules are not the same here.

So, when you’re in Canada what do you call Canadian bacon? I don’t actually have the answer. But we did find a pizza place where we could get Hawaiian pizza and it was topped with Canadian Ham. In any case, Matthew again got a delicious gluten free meal. I don’t think Canadians are especially more aware of Celiac’s but maybe they are. Maybe it’s more prevalent here. Several of the gf foods we use are made in Canada. 

More than enough for one day. Tomorrow we are spending the day along the coast and hopefully will see the super high tides of the Bay of Fundy.