windmills

We were enjoying the pastoral landscape on drive of the west cape, when we suddenly began to see windmills. Not the Dutch sail-type, but modern, white metal ones--part of the windfarms that create energy for PEI. Like gigantic, mechanical trees, they grew on the horizon in direct contrast with the bucolic countryside.
It was fascinating and wondrous at the same time. Some residents dislike them, finding the dissimilarity to their natural scenery distasteful--but both Squatchie and I found it mesmerizing. I actually thought they were beautiful, making the landscape an elegant blend of past and present.

The photos don't do justice to the enormous size of them. We were able to get fairly close to some of them and they were really were awe-inspiring. I can completely understand how one windmill could produce 2 million kilowatts of power in a year--they are amazing and powerful.

They almost blew me away!

lighthouse

We continued west until we hit the West Point Lighthouse, a still used and working lighthouse from 1876.
However, now it is not only used as a lighthouse but as an inn. You can stay in the Tower Room or the Lightkeeper's Quarters:
And, you can climb to the very top of the light house, reading all the lighthouse factoids and lurid stories of shipwrecks on your way up the many stairs.
As I said, you have to mount many stairs to get to the top. These steps are quite steep and rather crooked. At the last landing, Squatchie stepped on a loose board. As the board raised, he stopped like a statue. And turned around. And went back down. Who knew Squatchies were scared of heights? I guess that is why sasquatches do not live in trees.

I, however, did make it all the way up. It is perhaps all for the best that Squatchie did not get there for the view from the top is actually a bit dizzying. On this part of PEI, the wind and waves are much wilder making the water red. And the windmills pop above the trees like giant metal flowers:I didn't tell Squatchie, but I was a little relieved to get back down!

parsonage

We, uh, I had to see at least one more Anne thing before we left PEI. At random, I chose the Bideford Parsonage Museum, the boarding house where Lucy Maud stayed for three years while she taught school.
And it was a great choice. The local who minded it very proudly told us the history. Unlike the buildings in the Avonlea village which "the Cavendish man just took and moved there" the Parsonage is in its original location, saved from touristic relocation by the residents of Bideford.

In their passion, they also lovingly restored the house to the time Lucy Maud resided there, from rebuilding the staircase to matching of the wallpaper. They had to remove several layers of wallpaper until they hit the one that was of the correct time and from there faithfully reproduced it. The frame holds the original discovered wallpaper, on the wall is the reproduction:

The kitchen led into the pantry where I learned was the location of a scene that inspired a happening in Anne of Green Gables. Apparently, it was here at the Parsonage that a bottle on medicine was mistaken for vanilla and was mixed into a layer cake. This ill-flavored cake was then served to the visiting minister, who bravely ate it without complaint, to the later embarrassment of Parsonage cook. Those familiar with the Anne books know that Lucy Maud had Anne bake a similar distasteful cake for the visiting minister--an obvious real-life inspiration!

On the upper floor, the room where Lucy Maud stayed in was also gorgeously restored:

I adored the replicas of her clothing:and I wondered which books or stories she wrote while sitting at her desk:

In the back, there was a shed area that was used probably at one time used for the horses or storage. It was filled with time-appropriate paraphernalia and reproductions as well as extremely interesting facts.
It was here that Squatchie and I learned that back then most people used the Eaton's catalog pages as toilet paper and when Eaton began to print their catalogs on glossy stock there was quite an uproar.Which is probably why the catalog they were using as a display was a 1960's Sears one. I bet those old Eaton ones are hard to find!

Goodbye, PEI!

And, just like that, the PEI trip was over. We had to wake up bright and early to get home at a reasonable hour, so there was little time to do much except wave wistfully to all the sights as we drove by. The only good thing about leaving at this time was that, unlike on our way in, we could see everything.

Which meant we finally got to see the Confederation Bridge, the very, very long bridge that connects PEI to the rest of Canada. Did I mention it was very long? These photos do not really show the scale of it. The bridge keeps going and going, past the horizon line.Here is Squatchie. See how he is smiling? That is because he has survived the most girlie vacation ever.

Goodbye, PEI!

souvenirs

Souvenirs from my PEI trip! What did I bring back?

-postcards featuring the original cover art (which I actually prefer, wish they would reprint them) of LM's books

-a rosebud teaset (Anne fans will know why!)

-Volume 1 of the Selected Journals of LM Montgomery

-and the 100th anniversary edition of Anne , a reprint of Anne in its first printed version--cover AND typos! Yes, they were even faithful to the first edition typos.

I bought mine at LM's birthplace which they stamped accordingly!

Tokens to forever remember my PEI trip!