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Cradled On The Waves Off Canada's PEI
The first thing you notice are the red clay cliffs gently sloping to the ocean, actually the Northumberland Strait. As the small Air Alliance plane banks slightly in its approach, the whole of Prince Edward Island (PEI) comes into view. In the spring and summer it's as green as Ireland, and as golden as Vermont on a crisp autumn day.
There are no formalities at the airport, so the trip to the capital, Charlottetown, is swift and easy. All the Canadian Maritime provinces- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI- are easily accessible to visitors from the States.
Charlottetown and the Green Gables
As a capital city, Charlottetown is about as laid back as it gets. The people are incorrigibly friendly and the shops range from the absolute charming to the ordinary. A couple of stately hotels line the street along with striking B&B's, and several small outdoor cafés with their colorful umbrellas dotting the walkways.
In 1864, Charlottetown hosted what, by all accounts, was a wild party that gave birth to the confederation of the various provinces of Canada (then only Ontario and Québec), uniting them into the Canada of today. Locals still wonder if the confederation came into being as a result of patriotism or the strong rum and brandy served at the fête.
The town is a surprisingly rich venue for performing and visual arts, including of course, the venerable, never-ending story of Anne of Green Gables. Lucy Maude Montgomery's feisty red-headed heroine is a national treasure (and likely a vast contributor to the local economy.) The irrepressible Anne stares out at visitors everywhere, and perhaps among no other people is she so appreciated as by the Japanese. The signs in PEI are often in Japanese and many Japanese come to get married in front of Green Gables. I've seen Japanese brides decked out in Anne of Green Gables' outfits, including the freckles and red pigtails! The fascination began in school when Japanese students used the Anne stories as their own version of Dick and Jane. And in a supreme example of marketing ingenuity, the island married its two biggest exports- Anne and potatoes; creating, yes, Anne of Green Gables potato chips! They're very tasty; I recommend them.
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