Island Weekend

North Rustico Harbour, Prince Edward Island

On Friday morning we set off in the pouring rain to spend a few days on lovely Prince Edward Island. Kevin and I talked about the many times we have visited PEI and all the wonderful memories we have of that special place. I travelled there with his family before we were married, as it had been a yearly tradition for them to go to the Island, back to his mother Miriam's roots. Her mother's family, the Worth's, were true Islanders, the rest of us were "from away". We spent our honeymoon there, and many summers we took our children there for at least a weekend. This time, it was another generation who went with us. Maeve and her Mummy and Daddy had their first experience of PEI together, and Papa and I were so happy to be a part of it. The day turned out sunny and warm, so we spent the afternoon at Cavendish, the largest and probably most popular of PEI's beaches. Maeve loved it, and the rest of us enjoyed the warm sunshine and fresh air too. The water was nice to splash in, and there were lots of people there.

The next morning was rainy so we headed for Charlottetown to see the sights and get some Cows ice cream. We shopped at the mall a bit, then the sun came out so we went downtown and happened to catch a musical production depicting the French history of PEI and its connection to Quebec. We all enjoyed the energetic dancing and singing of the young actors - a very well-done presentation. We had lunch at a sidewalk cafe then made our way to the big cow on the boardwalk. Maeve said to Kevin, "I want to whisper something in your ear, Papa." What she whispered, of course, was that she wanted some ice cream! None of us would turn down Cows ice cream - what a treat! After that, we were ready to hit the beach again and this time we went to Brackley, another place to spend a wonderful afternoon.

Maeve and Papa enjoying their ice cream

Sunday morning Maeve and I stayed at our cottage while the others went to church, then I rested in the afternoon (I had picked up a cold) and the rest went to Cavendish Boardwalk to look for some bargains and some treats, then found another beach to build sandcastles on, this time at North Rustico. After that we visited with Kevin's Aunt Delys, Uncle Al and Uncle Orville, then we all went to New Glasgow to feast at the Lobster Supper that is held there daily throughout the summer. What a spread they put on! All the chowder, mussels, salads, rolls and desserts you can hold, plus whatever main dish you order - if you don't like lobster there are other choices. It is an experience we always include in our plans when we visit the Island.

Maeve isn't quite sure about eating this thing, is she?

We stayed at Orchard View Cottages, a great spot to call home while we were there. It had everything we needed, and Kevin even discovered on the last night that there was satellite TV! Monday morning Kevin and Richard rented kayaks and paddled out around the harbour at North Rustico. It turned wet and windy, but they had a great time anyway. They met us for lunch, and our time on PEI came to an end for this year. More wonderful memories to treasure!

This is how being on PEI makes us all feel!