For several days we have been touring around the Island Province of Prince Edward. We have toured some museums, ate lunch in different towns and stopped at every information center we came across. The people we have talked to are quite friendly and helpful. They have been patient with us as we block the highway with our oversized RV’s when we get lost and have to turn around in the middle of an intersection. Several times I have observed other drivers anticipating that we will need part of their lane to get around a sharp corner. They stop short of the intersection and wave us through. The roads here on average are very narrow, and the island is laid out rather strangely. The early settlers were the French, Acadian people who were encouraged to emigrate to this new land by the French government in 1720. Unfortunately the British whupped the French in 1758 and the Acadians became long suffering and frequently displaced second class citizens for the next couple centuries. The British parceled the land out to absentee landlords back in England and the locals had to pay rent. For some reason which no one has been able to explain the logic to me, the blocks of land were laid out in long strips running from Southwest to Northeast. Therefore all of the roads run diagonally across the landscape. Driving a secondary road is a lot like sailing. You continually tack back and forth. First you turn left and drive three to four kilometers and then you turn right and do it again. It takes all four of us to follow a road back to camp at night. One driving, one navigating and two spotters to find the next turn sign.
Last evening we went to an Irish ceili, (pronounced like kay-lee,) in the town of Stanley Bridge. We arrived about five minutes late and it was already in full swing. Three musicians were on the stage of a building equivalent to a Grange Hall. The hall was packed, but helpful people pointed out four seats scattered around the hall. Shortly a dozen more people showed up even later than we were. The whole performance was stopped and the musicians and others drug a few chairs from the back room up to the stage and the late-comers were seated behind the musicians. They had us clapping and tapping to Irish jigs and ballads for nearly three hours. One musician, a young lady, 16 years old, played fiddle, mandolin and piano. The second musician a young man of perhaps 30 played accordion and guitar. The leader was probably in his 70’s and played concertinas, harmonica, and hand drum. They all sang and the whole performance was quite inspiring. At the break they had biscuits and jam for all to taste. At the end of the evening the fiddle player played a series of jigs and her mother came on stage and danced. Then the final act was an 83 year old man who came up and also danced for us. Wow!
With Al and Audrey we drove out to see two light houses on the tips of the island. (Yes, Sue Owen, There will be a photo of a lighthouse on our web page at www.dinsmore-enterprises.com ) This lighthouse is a museum, and also a working lighthouse. We were allowed to climb all the way to the light platform.
At North Cape we watched farmers with big draft horses drag baskets through the shallows harvesting Irish Moss, a seaweed used in food products. Judy and I then rode back on the bicycle for a total ride of 32 kilometers, (20 miles). We rode 20 kilometers of the Confederation Trail. This is the old island railway converted to bicycle/pedestrian trail, and runs the length of the island’s 140 kilometers. The bicycle is doing fine now, but boy are we out of shape.
We all send our love to friends and relations all over. Bye now, Gary and Judy.
