Last Day in PEI

Today was my last day in PEI...Canada's priceless eastern island. The plan was fairly simple: do everything you haven't yet done at be in Stanley Bridge around 6:30 to be sure we can get into the ceilidh.

Ken had a list of lighthouses to visit and Ruth and I wanted to see the sea glass festival in Souris and as much of the eastern cost as we could. 

Ruth and I left the campground just after 9 and headed south and east. First on the list was breakfast and fuel. There seem to be more Red Robin's than Tim Horton's on PEI and sure enough there was one attached to the first gas station we saw. Not quite as much choice as TIm Horton's but muffins and French Vanilla coffee would do. The next important stop was to get money but the availability of ATMs in PEI is best described as infrequent. As we drove through Morell we saw a Scotia bank but no ATM sign. However, a man was entering the building so we pulled into the parking lot. Success, I have cash  and it is onward again to Souris. 

The sea glass festival was on the lighthouse grounds in a large marquee, which was nice because e wind was strong. The Souris lighthouse is right beside the ferry terminal for the Magdalen Islands ferry and we saw it leave while we were there. I took that ferry on a sunny day many years ago and spent two extra nights on the main island because the ocean was to rough for the ferry to run. And West Coasters get upset when a ferry is delayed for an hour.

There were many interesting items--all made with sea glass--on display and for sale. The vendors were more than willing to talk about the pieces and where they came from. Most of them beachcomb daily through the fall and winter to find enough glass to make pictures, jewelry and other trinkets. 

The most interesting item that I saw was not for sale. It was a larger piece that had been identified as part of a burial cross that had been " buried at sea" with a sailor in the Second World War. This piece had been identified by someone knowledgeable in that tradition. I spoke with the owner and she is planning to return the piece to the ocean as at is where it rightly belongs. I asked if she had thought about doing it on Remembrance Day and she said  "Oh, that would be perfect." At that point we both got goose bumps. A CTV reporter covering the festival ad interviewed this vendor about this piece and indicated that he would like to document the return to the sea. More goosebumps.

Next we toured the Souris lighthouse, at no charge because of the festival. The main floor held a few nautical artifacts 

 

The one below kept the young ones occupied while they waited for their turn to go upstairs.

 

The stairs inside were steep and plentiful but the view from the top was I obstructed and worthy both the wait and the climb.

Northeast of Souris is Basin Head--home of the singing sands. It was windy and a little too cool for the sands to sing. 

 

There is a bridge over a channel that I think was used for boats to come and go but today the channel was only occupied by jumping kids. It was frightening to watch the kids jump and then try to swim to the side before the current carried them past the ladder. There were a total of three ladders but if you missed the last one... Despite signs indicating there were no guards on duty there were three keeping a close eye on the jumpers and swimmers.

Then it was on up the coast to East Point and another lighthouse and then Shipwreck Harbour and, yes, another lighthouse. Then there were a couple of trips down red dirt roads to the shore just because it is so nice to have accessible and unrestricted access to the shore. So unlike the shorelines in BC where many of the public access points are basically inaccessible.

The time had come to make tracks for Stanley Bridge and the Saturday night ceilidh featuring Richard Wood. This ceilidh was the best I have ever been to. Richard is the best fiddler I have ever heard and this trio has travelled around the world. I didn't want the music to stop. They called it a "kitchen party" which is what PEI fiddlers like to do. The drummer had been the head instructor for the marching band drummers at the Summerside Piping School and he played a solo on one of the marching drums that makes that really loud vibrant sound when played and he flipped and turned the sticks and it was indescribable. Words can't do justice to any thing I heard last night. 

And now my trailer is packed and hitched and waiting for me to drive across the island to Summerside and the Confederation Bridge at which point I will sadly leave this memory filled island until the next time that I am able to visit.