In the glacial waters off Cavendish Beach, 20-month-old Maya says her very first swear word; she parrots the impressive three-syllable word uttered by her father as he plunges into the icy Atlantic. Despite the water temperature (a mere 14 degrees Celsius at the time), they both emerge with big smiles from their brief dip.

 

While they were braving the cold, I was listening to some of the conversations on the beach (which is spectacular, by the way). A teenager was casually inviting her pals to a barbecue with “hotdogs and shrimp.” Shrimp? This is definitely a seaside town.

 

***

 

The first thing you notice is the colour red, apparently, the result of grains of sand that solidified and were transformed into a layer of sedimentary rock (sandstone), containing iron (thanks 275-allô!). The soil of Prince Edward Island is rust-coloured because the iron contained in it oxidized in contact with the air. Maybe the red has something to do with Anne Shirley’s hair, but I suspect that Canada’s smallest province just blushes really easily. The Micmac have praised its beauty for thousands of years. They called it Abegweit, “Cradled on the Waves.” In 1534, Jacques Cartier described it as “the most beautiful place one can imagine,” according to Ulysse’s Fabuleuses Maritimes, published in 2007 (for an English guide, see Ulysse’s Atlantic Canada). Since then, visitors rediscovering the island have raved about its beaches, its charming fishing villages and the pure lines of its landscapes. With so many compliments, how could it help but blush?

 

Prince Edward Island is more than just the birthplace of Lucy Maud Montgomery and the setting for the adventures of her redhead character (although the sites related to the novelist and to Anne are well worth a visit). Through our excursions and random stops, Joseph, Maya and I discover the island and take in the landscape. I’m not surprised that so many artists have been inspired by these vistas.

 

I fall in love with the picturesque fishing villages, with their old-fashioned lobster traps and brightly coloured cabins. The sea lapping against the red sand, the pure green of the valleys, and the people themselves clinch the deal. I am mesmerized, and can tell that Joseph is too: just two days after our arrival, he starts noticing houses for sale!

 

***

 

Charlottetown. With its terraces, green spaces and various shops, the capital seems as idyllic as the countryside. There are 56 kilometres of paths for cyclists and pedestrians. A boardwalk, starting from Victoria Park, lets you walk along the water. And Peakes Wharf, by the waterfront, is full of charming little shops.

 

I treat myself to a double dip chocolate ice cream at Cows, the best ice cream parlour in Canada, according to Reader’s Digest (I do not need any more convincing). “Life seems good in PEI,” I think to myself as I wander through the bustling streets (and the ice cream is to die for).

 

***

 

While Maya takes a nap, Grant MacRae, our delightful guide/chauffeur/walking-encyclopaedia/entertainer (officially representing the tourist bureau for the project) and I (Joseph is with Maya), taste Isle Saint Jean red wine at the island’s first commercial winery, the Rossignol Estate Winery, located at Little Sands, a 70-km drive and 10-km ferry ride from Charlottetown. There are some sheep grazing blissfully around the estate, which overlooks the Northumberland Strait. The setting is as delicious as the contents of our glasses. I buy a bottle for my father and mail it quickly to avoid temptation. We don’t have the time to see more, but note that you can take a guided tour of the grounds, if you schedule it beforehand.

 

To end our visit, Grant takes us to Fisherman’s Wharf in Cavendish for a “World Famous Lobster Supper,” as described by our placemats. It will be the first of a long series of lobster dinners in the Maritimes.

P.S.: There are no bears in Prince Edward Island.

 

 

… Prince Edward Island has a potato museum (www.peipotatomuseum.com)?

… the island owes its name to the son of King George III, Prince Edward? From 1534 to 1758, it was called “St. John's Island.”

… golf has been increasing in popularity on the island for the last 15 years? A number of packages are available. According to the Université du Québec à Montréal Tourism Intelligence Network, the economic impact of golf on PEI amounts to $85 million CAD.

… At the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, Malpeque oysters from Prince Edward Island were named the world’s finest? The announcement brought on a craze for these crustaceans, but disease killed off almost 90% of the stocks in 1913. Today they have picked up again…to the delight of seafood lovers.

… the island constitutes only 0.1% of Canada’s total landmass? Only 44.8% of the population lives in an urban environment.

… the island has numerous campgrounds?

… in 1864, delegates from the British North American colonies met at Charlottetown to discuss the creation of the Dominion of Canada?

… potato production is the island’s main commercial activity? According to the PEI Potato Board (www.peipotato.org), potatoes have been grown on the island for an international clientele since 1790.

… PEI is nicknamed “Spud Island”?

… Cavendish has two fun parks: Sandspit Cavendish Beach (www.sandspit.com – the biggest fun park in PEI) and Shining Waters (www.shiningwaterspei.com)?

 

Official site of Prince Edward Island: www.gentleisland.com

Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/pe/pei-ipe/index_e.asp

Charlottetown: www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca

Rossignol Winery: www.rossignolwinery.com