Charlottetown and Ann of Green Gables House on Prince Edward’s Island, Canada

 

Prince Edward Island’s motto is “parva sub ingenti.” It means the small under the protection of the great.

When we first got off the ship at Charlottetown, there was a local orchestra set up outside in the cold and they were playing beautiful music for the cruise passengers.  They were outstanding musicians and we stayed for a while to listen to their music.  What a wonderful greeting. Then we walked into the port building and walked around the shops.  

Prince Edward Island, PEI,  is the smallest of the Maritime Provinces of Canada in both land mass and population and is located just off New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This beautiful island is only 140 miles long. Prince Edward Island has beautiful red sand beaches, lots of lighthouses, beautiful farmlands, great golf courses, and the best fresh seafood including, lobster, mussels, and oysters. Because of this fresh seafood and farm crops, this island has been affectionately nicknamed, “Canada’s Food Island.” And last but not least, this is the island that is the setting for the novel, Anne of Green Gables, written by Lucy Maud Montgomery who was born here and is buried here.

On our back to back cruises in October and November, we were able to visit this province twice and so enjoyed both visits immensely. On our first visit, we took the ships excursion called The Island’s Finest Scenic Drive, Anne, and Lobster. We met our bus and excursion right at the port. At the bus, we met our tour guide, Kathy and her bus driver, Bush. Kathy gave us great information about the town of Charlottetown, the capital and largest city on Prince Edward Island as we drove through the town on the way out to the country. 

The countryside was gorgeous with large tracks of farm fields where they grow Russet potatoes as well as other crops. They grow over 100 varieties of potatoes on this island which are shipped all over the world. The soil is iron rich which makes PEI the perfect place for growing the potatoes. PEI is the third largest area to grow potatoes in North America with only Idaho and one other state in the US having more. We passed many cattle farms of varying sizes. Many farms had Llamas in their fields. We found out Llamas were popular on farms because they keep the coyotes away from their cattle. As we drove through the countryside, we noticed some of the trees still had fall leaves on them.

The Province House in Charlottetown is the place where the Fathers of Confederation met in 1864 at a conference to join the British colonies which would later become Canada.  The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island has met there since 1847.  This is Canada's second oldest seat of government.  It is closed now for renovations. 

PEI boasts about the Confederation Trail which is a 279 miles long trail system used for hikers, pedestrians, cyclist and nature enthusiasts. It is the longest multi- use trail in the world. PEI also has the longest bridge in Canada and the longest bridge in the world that goes over frozen water leads to this island called the Confederation Bridge which is 8 miles long and costs a whooping $50.25 to cross round trip. There is a ferry as well you can take to get to the island, but that costs even more. This bridge was opened on May 31, 1997 and connects New Brunswick to the island. They must really have to think about leaving the island with an expense like that. Since we didn't see either, I have no pictures.

Our first stop on this tour was at Prince Edward Island Preserve Company in New Glasgow for lunch. This building was a renovated butter factory built in 1913 and is known for their great food for a great price. We exited the bus and walked up the walk adorned with lovely flowers. We were guided to a table with other people from the excursion with a great view of the river. The staff was ready for our large group and were wonderful. Right after sitting down, they brought us out a flavorful tomato soup for an appetizer and our drinks. Then came the main meal which was a good size Lobster, coleslaw, and potato salad. Our meal ended with scrumptious cheese cake topped with a delicious raspberry topping. Everything was perfect and delicious.

After lunch, we walked around the shop and got to watch them making fresh salsa. They were making a huge batch. The gift shop was interesting as they sold some unique items like chocolate covered potato chips, specialty foods, many unique flavors of jellies, salsa, candies, gifts, mugs, and more. After spending some time looking around the shop, we walked out into the gardens on the side of the building up next to the Hunter River. Even with it being the end of the season, the garden and scenery were still beautiful.

Next on our tour was the Anne of Green Gables House, a 19th century farm and landmark for the town of Cavenish. This was where the author of the story, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s cousin lived and was the inspiration for her books. There was a museum that had a lot of  information about the house and area, how Anne was created, and great historical pictures. They even had a buggy in the barn, maybe one like the one Anne’s father picked her up when she first arrived in Cavenish.

As I walked around, I could imagine Anne being here and being a mischievous little girl. Anne of Green Gables was first published in 1908. I read this book as a child and recently reread the book and I must say, I enjoyed it just as much as an adult. I was really thrilled going through the two story house white house with green shutters that was built in the 1830’s, the Haunted Woods, and the beautiful property that inspired Lucy to write such a sweet book.

We got back on the bus and on we went to the town of Acadia which was where the French people settled. It was a quaint fishing village where we saw loads of lobster traps and lobster boats. We found out to get a lobster license here costs about a million dollars and that is why most lobster businesses are passed down through their family. We passed oyster and mussel farms. It was interesting to see and only wish we had more time to see more on the island. All to soon we were back and the ship. This was a great tour.

The next time we stopped here, we did not book an excursion so we could have time to explore Charlottetown. On that visit it was quite a bit colder than the week before and when we were walking around town, we walked through slushy snow and it was about 37 degrees but the sun was shining.  There had been a snow the day before our visit. 

We headed out and walked up to Saint Dunstan’s Basilica which is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Charlottetown. It is a huge cathedral that stands out in this city and is the largest and most fire proof cathedral in the Maritime’s. This beautiful cathedral was built in Gothic style architecture and was visited by Pope Pius XI in 1929. The original church burnt down in 1913 and this church was completed in 1919. We walked up the steps and entered the church. It was gorgeous inside and the stained glass windows were stunning. In 1990, this Basilica was designated as a National Historic Site.

Afterwards we stopped at the Old Dublin Pub, Charlottetown’s only authentic Irish Pub. It is located upstairs from Claddagh Oyster House on Sydney Street. We entered the building and walked up the stairs and came to a lovely pub with Irish music playing in the background. They were selling regular pub food and seafood dishes but when Joe heard they were selling oysters for a dollar a piece, he was thrilled. He said they were amazing. I ordered a margarita and Joe got a local beer. That was a nice stop.

Then we walked passed the impressive Governors House which is a huge white wooden shingled building that stand on a hill with a great view of the Charlottetown Harbour. It is referred to Fanningbank and is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island. This home was built in 1834 and is Canada’s second-oldest seat of government. What a gorgeous property.

Nearby is the Beaconsfield Historic House which is a gorgeous gold colored three story Victorian home that was designed and built by W. C. Harris in 1877.  He built it for James and Edith Peake and at one time was the most elegant home in Charlottetown. James was a shipbuilder and merchant.   It is now a museum.

Victoria Park, a waterfront park and the boardwalk are nearby.   This is a great place to take a walk or a bike ride. Along this path  there is a tennis court, playground, pool, and ball fields.  There is also a historic battery with plaques about the history of Charlottetown.  There are great views of the Charlottetown Harbour from here. 

Afterwards, we headed to John Brown Richmond Street Grille, a gastropub right in downtown Charlottetown in the historic Victoria Row which is a street mall that has shops and restaurants. The architecture dates back to the Victorian era. Joe got mussels there and we shared another drink. It was a great relaxing day and we really enjoyed our time in this charming town.

And another beautiful day ends on Prince Edward Island.   We will be back as this island is a gem.  

Till next time. Bye for now.