OCT 25: Charlottetown, PEI, Canada

After a calm night at sea rounding Cape Breton, under partly cloudy skies with an air temperature of 50°, we took on the Charlottetown pilot at 0830.

We were intrigued by the red color of the rocks along the shoreline.

Based on all the empty slips, the boating season here is most definitely over.

We were alongside the pier at 0940.

We were off the ship at 10:20. Walking into the terminal, there was a young girl in a straw hat, turn-of-the-century attire, and holding a basket, welcoming us. I confess to having no clue she was supposed to be Anne of Green Gables.

Today's tour was Anne of Green Gables & Island Drive. Yes, sirree, I was really excited about seeing the house that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery's most famous book and learning more about the author. I had not gotten a wink of sleep last night in breathless anticipation. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic.)

We got an abbreviated tour of Charlottetown on our way out of it.

St. Dunstan's Basilica

We noticed a lot of downed trees as we drove into the countryside. These were felled by Hurricane Fiona last year, which did a lot of damage throughout PEI. Our guide said that the island was still recovering. It was the first hurricane to hit PEI in anyone's memory.

Farming, particularly potatoes, is the primary industry of the island, followed by fishing and tourism.

The first stop was in Glasgow.  It was a tourist trap, but beside it was a pleasant garden. Pam & I ambled about in it until the shopping frenzy in the store had subsided, then gave it a quick look before reboarding the bus.

This picture does not adequately show the reddish color of these stones - probably the same type of stone with the same reddish color we saw on the banks of the channel when our ship arrived.

Back on the bus, it was a short ride to the Green Gables Heritage Place.

There it was, breathtaking to behold. 

Oops, sorry, that is the Lego one in the exhibition hall. Here it is, the actual one.

Okay, it's not quite breathtaking, but it's genuine. 

Oh, wait, it is not genuine, either. It and the furnishings were from when Montgomery lived there and wrote the book, but it was not the actual house. 

About now would be the time to apologize to any Lucy Maud Montgomery fans who were inspired by Anne of Green Gables. All kidding aside, Montgomery was a fantastic person who inspired many people through her publication right up to today. Coincidentally, my grandson Hank's 7th grade is currently reading it.  

We drove back to Charlottetown on a different route. Other than along the coast, the scenery was similar to our outbound drive. PEI is definitely a farm-centric island.

At the end of the tour, with insufficient time left to investigate Charlottetown on foot, we reboarded INSIGNIA. Good choice. A few minutes later, it started to drizzle.

The ship pulled away from the dock on schedule at 4:00. By 4:30, we had cleared the mouth of the harbor and were in Hillsboro Bay. Next stop, Corner Brook, Newfoundland.