Prince Edward Island - Part 1

We've arrived on Prince Edward Island via the Confederation Bridge. 

It opened in 1997 and is approximately 8 miles long.  It's quite an engineering marvel. 

We arrived on the island for free, but we will pay about $65 in tolls to get off.

Checked into New Glasgow Highlands Campground

and found our campsite.  What a beautiful and immaculate place this is!

This is what the surrounding area looks like:

Ed's birthday was on June 22nd.  The campgound owners baked him a 

chocolate cake.  There's that Canadian hospitality again...

This is how Finn and I helped him celebrate.  We also

provided one his favorite dinners.  I think he is a happy 67 yr. old.

PEI is rolling hills, pristine  and manicured, red dirt (they even sell t-shirts

dyed in the red dirt.  I'm considering one that reads,  "older than dirt.")

So picturesque...

The country is peppered with craft people and artists.

This is just an example.  Signage warns they are just ahead.

I've been taken by the lupin.  It's everywhere, in pinks, yellows, and mostly blues.

A perfect place for lunch along one of the coves.  Lobster rolls, chowder, salads...

It's fun to be traveling with friends Jean and Ken MacLean from Scarborough, ME.

They met us here and will tour much of Nova Scotia with us.

Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of the Anne of Green Gables series, 

grew up on PEI.  Anne is spoken of as though she was a real person
and not a fictional character.  The Green Gables house is a national park.  The stories are based on this house.

Touring the house:

Me as a "mature" Anne:

The coastline is also a national park.  It was cloudy this day which

makes for a wonderful sky. 

Dalway-by-the-Sea

This lovely hotel is a pre-1900 Queen Ann Revival.

It's inside and owned by the national park.

We were warmly welcomed when we entered,...

 ...and spoke with the the couple who

are managing the hotel.
 Kinda didn't want to leave..

The big city and capitol of the province is Charlottetown. 

It boasts 35,000 people and all the chain stores one could desire.

The is the harbor.  There was a cruise ship in today full of Americans.   

St. Dunstan's Basilica

A gothic Catholic church near the harbor.

Province House, built in 1847

It accommodates the provincial legislature and administrative offices.

This very special room is the Council Chamber Room.

It's the very room where 150 years ago this year a vote was taken making

the decision to consolidate all the British independent colonies 

into the Dominion of Canada.  It took 3 more years to work a constitution.

There's a huge celebration planned for this summer.  We saw some of the preparation.

The PEI representatives meet twice each year in this room,

The House of Representatives.

The National Park guides are all bilingual high school students working a summer job.

We were greeted with "bonjour" or "welcome."

They had all studied their facts very well.

We are halfway through our visit on PEI.  We needed this time to relax, enjoy and 

explore the beautiful surroundings.  We are in the midst of several days of rain (and mosquitoes) so have opted to have a day of music and wine at "home."

More on PEI later...