The weather has unfortunately not been the nicest here in Sackville, but that has not kept us from getting outside and staying active.At the end of my last post, I mentioned that I was heading to Prince Edward Island. I went there with my friend Corey for 4 days for a little vacation. I had never been to the island before, so I was very excited about this trip. Corey is from the Maritimes, and he has family on the island, so he already knew his way around the island.
Even though we did not have the best weather on the island, it totally lived up to my expectations. There are very few places in the world that actually look like the perfect pictures you see in tourism brochures. PEI is one of these few places. It is nicknamed "The Gentle Island," and with good reason. The minute you hit the island, every worry just seems to go away. The pace of life is very relaxed and easy. The whole place is GREEN! The sandy beaches were just perfect, the red cliffs were gorgeous, and the people were extremely friendly.
On our first day, we crossed the amazing Confederation Bridge and drove to our hotel, which was a golf resort on Lakeside Beach. The place was really nice. We then went into Charlottetown to look around a bit before going to see the Anne of Green Gables Musical, which is officially one of the longest running shows in the world, with over 2500 performances since the 1960s. The next day, Corey and I continued our Anne exploration by going to the original Green Gables house in Cavendish. While all of this Anne stuff was sort of silly and touristy, it was nice to know that I have done it. I actually played the role of Gilbert in the musical when a production of it was done in Vancouver, years ago. So I guess I sort of felt that since I was on the island, I had to take the opportunity to see these things. Nevertheless, it really does get pushed in your face. The minute you hit the island, there are gift shops everywhere with Anne stuff. In Charlottetown, there is a whole Anne store, and an Anne chocolate shop!
After the Anne stuff, the rest of the trip was more relaxed. I played a round at the golf course at our resort. It was a spectacular course! Some of the holes actually take you right alongside the beach. We also had some great meals at our hotel and at some nice B&Bs.On our last day, we did the Points East Coastal Drive. This drive too us around the entire east coast of the island. It took us both through inland areas and shorelines. Along the way, we saw many amazing communities. We also saw the amazing beach at Basin Head. We saw the Cape Bear lighthouse, which is where the first Titanic distress signal was picked up. We also stopped at the Rossignol Estate Winery, which is the only winery on the island. Eventually we made our way back west through Charlottetown, where we stopped for a lobster dinner. Then we drove to the bridge and headed back to Sackville. Hopefully I will make it back to the island again someday soon, since it is quite amazing. I would love to golf some more and enjoy the beaches some more.
Since then, things have been quiet around here in Sackville. The summer semester at the university has ended, so many students who were around for that have left town. All that is left is us research students and the "townies."Canada Day was a lot of fun! The park near my place was overrun with people. There was live music, face painting, and much more. I checked it out and ran into a bunch of MASSIE students, who were quite enthralled by their first Canada Day experience. Later on, a couple of my friends came over to my place and we spent the day at my keyboard singing and writing music. It was a lot of fun!
Now I am just starting to get more involved with my work on my research project. I finally feel moved into my new apartment, which helps. I have been composing some new pieces for the musical, and also just finished a new song for my collection I am doing for my grant.
Until next time, please enjoy your summer, and don't forget your suntan lotion!
Landon
lsbraverman@mta.ca
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