Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
We left our hotel in Charlottetown at 8:35 AM and 72 degrees and headed off to the east side of the island. As was the case in previous days, we had to navigate manually. I am not sure if the data base in the GPS is as bad as it seems or whether it is the satellite connection up here that is not good. But, for someone who made a career designing ways to use the newest computer technologies, it is hard for me to accept doing things the way things have been done for hundreds of years, but it is what it is.
So off we went, map on my lap. The weather today was wonderful, in the mid 70's and sunny. We chased the harbors along the coast following narrow and oft times bumpy and deteriorating roads, alternating through thickly forested areas and sprawling farmlands. And as we saw yesterday, many of the fields extended right down to kiss the shoreline. They were neatly planted in square and rectangular patches of yellow hay waiting to be baled, light green wheat still too young for harvest, leafy green corn waving in the breeze, low lying dark green potato plants often in full bloom with white or purple flowers, fluorescent yellow mustard, and a few other things we could not identify from the road. And all of these leading to the seaside coves and harbors of Northumberland Straight in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Oh, and we saw a few wineries along the way. No, we didn’t stop, which will surprise many of you, although perhaps we should have because I have no idea what kind of wine they are making up here. It would have been fun to do the research.
In Cape Bear, we got to chat with Ernie, who tends the museum by the old lighthouse and he was a fountain of information, and more than willing to share it, like the stories of how the buildings were moved to make way for new ones, and how his father participated in moving the oldest lighthouse back in the 1940’s and how he, in the early 2000’s, participated in the moving of the keepers house. He was a character.
Eventually we made it back to our hotel in time for Beamer’s dinner time. He was happy about that, because it is his favorite time of the day.
So, my impressions of Prince Edward Island…it reminds me of Maine in many ways. Both have a very similar climate. Both have long coastlines composed of many coves and harbors where lobster fishermen make their living on small boats. Both have massive fields of potatoes, and corn. Both have miles of mature trees…fir, spruce, maple, birch, and much of it is being harvested for heating homes, making paper, and other things. Both have the most friendly people in the world…you drive down the road and walkers and bikers wave to you as you pass in your car. Both have green, green grass and neatly mowed lawns. And both have a mixture of homes, from single and double-wides to Victorians, ranches, garrisons, capes, colonial and federal, and something I have not seen for many years, salt boxes. It all reminds me of home.
On the other hand, they could take a lesson in map making and signage. In Maine, when you come to a T in the road, there is a stand of route numbers and town names straight ahead indicating what is right and what is left. Here, there is nothing. You have to make a turn and drive down the road to find a sign, and then turn around if you chose the wrong one. And turn warnings come about ¼ to ½ mile before the turn, so you scratch your head wondering which opening in the side of the road is your road and not someone’s driveway. And one last thing…in Maine, when you give a road a route number, it remains the same town after town. Here, the route numbers change every 10 minutes even if you are on the same road. Confusing. You bet. It is no wonder the GPS is confused. But, all in all, we had a wonderful time here in PEI. The views were wonderful, the people were friendly, and that is what we are always looking for.
Tomorrow we head west to begin our trek across Canada.
- comments