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2011 The Nightingale's Oddessy Our exchange year in Canada.

Prince Edward Island

CANADA | Saturday, 9 July 2011 | Views [333]

The Grand Canadian/ American Adventure

 

Day Seven Anne of Green Gables Country, Prince Edward Island

 

PEI has been blessed in the last couple of weeks to have been visited by some couples of note. First Will and Kate and now us, mind you I am a little disappointed that there are still signs up that say “Welcome Will and Kate” but none that say “Welcome the Nightingales”

 

Day seven and a change of pace. Today we spent a relaxing day driving through the rolling hills and along the cost of Prince Edward Island. PEI as it’s known is Canada’s smallest province being only 224 Km long and ranging in width between 6 and 64 Km, we restricted ourselves to the central part of the island and more specifically the North. The reason for this being, that that is where the books Anne of Green Gables are set. These are favourites of Michelle’s since childhood, so she was keen to see the area. PEI is very different form the other provinces we have visited so far, it is a land of red soil and rolling green fields. Because of the soil it is a great location to grow vegetables, particularly potatoes. The other staple of PEI is seafood, lobster and clams; this is in evidence by the many small fishing hamlets that dot the coast and the smell in downtown Summerside.

 

We started the morning off by walking along the boardwalk at Summerside, here we finally got to put Ryan in stocks, but he somehow managed to escape. Leaving Summerside we ventured North.  First stop the Anne of Green Gables Museum. Here Chelle bought Tash an abridged version of “Anne of Green Gables” which she was to devour before we made it back to the farm tonight. Then an unusual sight, for those of you that believe in conspiracy theories and don’t believe the space shuttle “Columbia” disintegrated on re-entry. I can confirm it is still intact and that it landed at a secret landing site on Prince Edward Island and is now the star attraction at an adventure park and I have the photos to prove it.

 

Moving along the coast after lunch, we came across the Village of Green Gables or Avonlea as it is called in the books.  This is a collection of buildings, some preserved and some replica, that bring to life the spirit of the area the stories are set in. In the village is the original school house that Lucy Maud Montgomery taught at.  Chelle has decided she wants her room back at St Thomas’s set up the same way mind you I don’t think her two students would agree. Roaming the village were actors cast as characters from the book, who at times during the afternoon acted out set pieces from the stories. At this they were very good, Natasha particularly loved it.  We had only pulled over at the last minute to have a look at this place as, as we have found out on this trip attractions are not well sign posted in Canada and we nearly drove past it. Anyway we ended up spending the whole afternoon there even Ryan said he enjoyed himself.

 

From Green Gables Village we moved further along the coast to Charlotte town the provincial capital of PEI, we did a quick whirlwind tour of its downtown before heading back, again it looks an interesting place. Charlottetown is the birth place of the Confederation. It is the place were some prominent Canadian statesmen came together in 1864 to debate the proposed Canadian Federation. Wiki tells me that its population is only about 58,000, slightly half of the provinces total so as you can see not a very big place.

 

Anyway tomorrow from rolling hills to the rugged Nova Scotia coast.

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