Monday, September 1
Prince Edward Island: Anne of Green Gables house, Prince Edward Island Preserve Company, Acadian Village of Rustico, Charlottetown

By Katharine Kleinke

On Monday morning a blowing gale force rainstorm accompanied us as we departed at 8 am with our morning guide, Elizabeth, who was decked out in the PEI plaid. Our first stop was a rain soaked beach with wind blown surf. Those who braved the weather had a personal experience with the seashore. The next stop was Anne of Green Gables House where we saw a couple of interpretive videos and toured through the actual house upon which the story was based. Alas, the gardens and haunted woods were left for a sunnier day. 

Our tour director Deborah arranged a treat for us at Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. The charming kilt-clad owner of the company, Bruce, explained how he parlayed some quickly aging berries and a large glass of Grand Marnier into a 21 year going strong business. We were invited to taste the wares. 

The last stop of the morning was at the Acadian Village of Rustico where we were treated to juice and cookies with live musical accompaniment. Teresa, a local resident, explained through family anecdotes how the people in the community are interrelated and have similar names. Many are known by nicknames which can also be confusing, especially to outsiders. We had time to walk through the historical displays but not to see the other buildings especially the restored original house. Walking around outside in a rainstorm was not tempting. We drove back to the hotel to say good bye to Elizabeth. She had filled our morning with information, personal opinion, song and even prizes! There was time for a quick turn around and back on the bus to Charlottetown. 

As we entered the town Deborah gave a running commentary on any building, park or site worthy of note. Lunch was on our own. I enjoyed PEI mussels. Those who wished to go were invited to the local historical museum which told the history of the Canadian confederation through visual and audio displays. The first confederation meeting was in Charlottetown. Before dinner we had a welcome rest time in our comfortable rooms at North Wind Hotel. The evening was topped off by the lobster supper. Dave Fortmeier declared it was the best meal he’d ever had on a tour. Twinkling stars gave promise of a beautiful day tomorrow.
 

Monday, September 1
(second entry)

By Darlene Boyanich

We drove over the Confederation Bridge, which is approximately  8 miles across the Northumberland Strait. Not a very clear day into Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province. Charlottetown is the Capital City of PEI which is where we stayed two nights.

PEI is known for its fishing, tourism, and farming of barley, wheat, oats, canola, soybean and potatoes which there are 96 acres of. The dairy cattle are Holstein. The cruise ships dock in Charlottetown. In July there is no fishing because of molt season. Mussels have to be 3 to 4”, which are also exported. The lobster legal size is 2 ¾”. They also fish tuna.

Summer temperatures vary from 45 to 90 degrees. Winter low of 6 degrees. They can get 110” of snow and 142” of rain in any given year.

The capitol city is 39,000 population. PEI is 139,000, Nigmal is 1,000, and there are 14,000 French speaking. Tim Horton’s is the largest coffee chain, like Starbucks here, and they say they are coming to the States now. The gas price was $1.28.6 per liter.

The Island is full of trees, trees everywhere you look. They also export lumber to USA. The Mountain Ash tree is very popular. It has clumps of red berries all over it like ornaments and very beautiful. We watched for red fox and great blue heron. The Blue Heron live in Charlottetown.

During our drive thru the island we visited Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site of Canada. Although L. M. Montgomery never lived at Green Gables, she grew up nearby with her grandparents. Many places within this landscape held special meaning for the author, and gave inspiration for her writing. We visited the homestead of her grandparents where she lived half her life. We drove by Rustico, one of the oldest communities. It is the oldest Acadian settlement in Prince Edward Island. 

Our next stop before dinner was at Prince Edward Island Preserve Company, which is located in a restored 1913 butter factory. A guy that didn’t know anything about cooking started up this business of making jam and jellies with liquor. For instance, Strawberry & Grand Marnier, Wild Blueberry and Raspberry with Champagne. We were able to taste many of his creations. YUM! He also had syrup with Napoleon Brandy or Port which would be excellent on ice cream cake or alone. It was a fun stop.

We then had a wonderful lobster dinner with a 60’ salad bar, and a dessert bar. It was a great time had by all!
 

Tuesday, September 2–3
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

By Janis Maurry

We took the ferry from Prince Edward Island back to Nova Scotia and then over the causeway to Cape Breton Island. We had a beautiful drive along the huge cliffs that fell down into the ocean—somewhat like Big Sur. Lots of flowers along the way—goldenrod (Dee identified that for me), gladiolus, marigolds, and petunias, etc. planted in window boxes and at restaurants and hotels, most of them spring and summer bloomers in our area.

We learned that Ann Murray and her songwriter Gen McClelland live on this island. The road signs are written in Gaelic and French—so we hoped our guide could read at least one of those languages. Forty-three per cent of blue herons live here, and the tamarack trees turn gold in the fall and lose their needles. I didn’t know that. Probably those of you who have lived in other states already do.

We visited Pictou, a town that decided to build a replica of the sailing ship “Hector” that had sunk off shore. It was built by volunteers only and has taken many years to build. It’s still being worked on. It was launched on September 17, 2000, and the launch was delayed by bad weather. Thousands of people came to see it and the launch was accomplished the next day.

We stopped at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck and learned that he worked with the deaf and invented many things to help with their hearing. I was amazed at his many other inventions.

We had a chance to go on a motorboat ride around a small island and saw an eagle’s nest with babies and an eagle perched on top of a dead tree. We also got a good view of Bell’s mansion that sat on the point of an island that he once owned and now his family owns. The house is used on occasion for charity fundraisers.

We spent two nights in the town of Baddeck at a beautiful resort hotel with lots of ambiance and great food.

This part of the world is truly beautiful. Lots of wild open land and each place had its own character.
 

Thursday, September 4 
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

By Julice Winter

We left Ceilidah Country Lodge in Baddeck at 8:30 am. The sky was overcast and the air misty and warm. On the way out of Baddeck we passed the cast figures of A. G. and Mabel Bell on a park bench looking toward their home across the water. The drive through green pastures next to the Bras d’Or channel offered picture opportunities. We crossed a blue-green painted bridge over the channel on the way to Sydney. Sydney is the largest city in Cape Breton Island but we drove right through on our way to the Fortress of Louisbourg.

We arrived at the Fortress at 11:30 and were greeted by the Parks Canada guide, Beryl. Beryl lectured us on the history of the area and lead us through the streets and into the administration building and the Governor’s quarters. In the solon we saw a young women enacting the role of governor’s hostess. She discussed the life of aristocratic women of the day including the restrictive garments that they wore.

Lunch was on our own, most of us found our way to the working people’s restaurant. In the afternoon we looked into the chief engineer’s home and kitchen where the cook showed off the marvels of her equipment and supplies. We saw people enacting roles of musicians, soldiers, waitresses and government officials. We had the chance to chat with some. We boarded the bus for Dundee at 1:30.

 We stopped at Rita’s Tea Room for shopping and a wee break.

The drive along the southeast shore of Bras d’Or Lake was lovely. The sun was out.

We arrived at The Dundee Resort late in the afternoon with time to relax and change for the farewell dinner.

Sunday, August 31
Halifax, New Brunswick; Flower Pot Rocks; and Prince Edward Island

By Barry Rader

I have found during my recent travel to Germany and Egypt that jet lag has raised its ugly head. I am either tired or sleeping during the first few days of a trip. The worst aspect is that the sleepy part does not come at night. This is how I found myself on the third day in Eastern Canada. For the first two days I have had an uncomfortable relationship with our tour guide, Deborah. She laughed at my name, told me that there was only one group—hers, not Friendship Force—that she was in charge and I should not try to be aware of the FFSFBA folks. She did it in a demeaning, sarcastic manner. Joy and Nina told me about a run in they had with Deborah the first night over her name. The second night Deborah told me what I liked about my dinner and didn’t care what I thought of the food, which was strange because I thought it was fantastic. That brings me to the morning of August 31.

Breakfast was excellent, and off we went on our adventure. Deborah gets on the mike and starts to talk, talk, talk, talk about what we were going to see, why we were going to see it, what we should think about what we were going to see, and growing up in Canada. After some more talk we arrived at Hopewell Cape to observe the Bay of Fundy tide and the Flower Pot Rocks. But before we would be allowed to see anything, we would have to eat lunch. We were told how wonderful the sea food chowder was going to be and that we should all eat it. I am allergic to most seafood and have an awful reaction to it. I ordered the chili and it was passable, not great, but edible. Deborah comes up behind me and starts telling the table how wonderful the chowder is, then referring to me, numerous times as a person who would agree. She was not using my name. I was eating Chili and she continued to talk to the table, waiting for me to respond. I finally realized she was referring to me and what I was eating. I lost it; I told her to stop talking, because she talked too much and if she wanted to talk to me, she should use my name, Barry. She got the message and left.

It was raining outside when we left lunch and were to go to see the rocks. Deborah wanted us to take the bus down to the rocks and many of us walked instead. We had been sitting for over four hours and we wanted to walk, even if it was raining. The rocks were interesting, and our local guide wanted to explain how the tide works, but Deborah took many people to the bus while the rest of us learned how the tide functioned. Gail, Nina and Don Edwards played the parts of the earth, sun and moon. It was enlightening.

Off to the bus, and Prince Edward Island. Deborah made all her announcements, using my name at the end of each one like a petulant child. At a store in PEI I bought Karen a lovely "drop" and myself a red PEI baseball cap.

Then to our hotel where Deborah told me she wanted to see me. I waited in my room for about 45 minutes. No Deborah, so Karen and I went for a walk. Halfway through the walk Deborah and I made eye contact and she came over to talk to me. Karen went on with the walk. When Deborah came up to me, I immediately apologized for my outburst at lunch. She railed at me for ten minutes, threatened to send me home, and told me my body language was in conflict with my words and she knew that because she was a PhD in Psychology. Her manner was threatening, her voice angry, and her demeanor argumentative. This upset me and later Karen.

I was stressed at dinner but enjoyed the company of Gail, Lori, Karen and the Edwards.