The amazing Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to PEI
is the longest in the world (being 12.9 kilometres in length) and was opened in
1997. Driving across it seems to take
forever but eventually, of course, it ends and leads us onto the most delightful
island imaginable. Prince Edward Island at various times was under the French, the Scottish and the English (the American colonial English), but the Island seems to
us to have a very Scottish flavour about it although the earlier Acadian settlers (of
French and native Mi'kmaq origin) also gives it a most appealing feeling.
The landscape is just so pretty – quite hilly and in between
farmlands there are many forests. The nearby sea and the coastal roads nearby are
just breathtaking. I can imagine it picture perfect in the snow with scenes
that would go well on Christmas cards.
On our first afternoon there, our B&B hostess at New
Glasgow suggested a local ceilidh was to be held that night just 10 minutes up
the road in Stanley Bridge, but said that although it would start at 7.30, we
should be there by 7 o’clock as it was very popular. She was right but we got
good seats and then enjoyed several hours of wonderful Scottish/Irish/Acadian
fiddle, guitar and keyboard music by two
sisters and their brother (the Ross family). As usual, the audience were asked
where they had come from. I think we two Aussies just won the longest distance
travellers award beating a couple from Finland. Half way through was an
interval and we were invited down into the basement of the hall where the local
Women’s Institute offered bowls of strawberries and icecream for $3. How could
we refuse?
The concert was a wonderful start to our time on Prince
Edward Island – and next day we decided to drive along the northern coast to
the far eastern tip where there is a lighthouse and the obligatory gift shop and
café where we had lunch. On the way back we stopped at a railway museum but
Peter’s verdict – disappointing. We also had a day visiting the capital – pretty
Charlottetown with a small but interesting city centre right by the harbour.
Of course we had to visit Green Gables. The series of books
about Anne of Green Gables are loved worldwide, and the island attracts many
tourists with ‘Anne’ themed attractions including TWO musicals in
Charlottestown continually playing to devotees of the books AND a recreated
version of the village of Avonlea. We just visited the house on which the books were based and it
was actually the farmhouse of relatives of the author, LM Montgomery when she
was growing up.
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| Anne's Room |
Her precise descriptions of the house, the immediate surroundings (the Haunted Wood and Lovers' Lane) fit
perfectly, although the wider agricultural district has largely disappeared
due to development. However a golf course now surrounds the few acres around the
house so all seems still quite rural and exactly as the author described it in 1908 when the first book was published.
Prince Edward Island really is picture perfect and the
descriptions of the countryside in the LM Montgomery books of early last
century still ring true today. Just a very, very beautiful island – and we are
not surprised it is much loved by its people.
We had absolutely gorgeous weather for our stay and it was
only when we were leaving that the weather turned to rain and fogginess. We
left via a ferry at the other end of the island and arrived an hour or so
after sailing, in Nova Scotia.
This really did seem a little part of Scotland with
buildings and landscape very similar to what we have seen in the lowlands of
Scotland. We had several WW1 graves to photograph here (in Pictou) and although
we found one reasonably easy, the other was not in St. James’ churchyard where
it was listed to be. We eventually found the Pictou County Genealogy &
Heritage Society in the town and had a lovely time there chatting with the
volunteers who investigated and found out that there was another newer St.
James’ cemetery just outside of town. Following their directions we easily
found the right cemetery and soon photographed the sad but interesting
headstone of AB Colin W Forward.
After an overnight stop we travelled to North Sydney to
board a very large ferry for the 15 hour trip to Newfoundland. We embarked at
4.30pm for a scheduled 5.30pm departure, but due to hurricane winds in the
Atlantic Ocean near Newfoundland, we didn’t leave port until 11.30pm. We had a
lovely (but comfortable enough) six hour wait.
As a result Peter has decided 'The Atlantic Vision' must be operated by ViaRail trains!
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