1 of 13
2 of 13
3 of 13
4 of 13
5 of 13
6 of 13
7 of 13
8 of 13
9 of 13
10 of 13
11 of 13
12 of 13
13 of 13
There are places we have been in our lives that our hearts return to in the quiet moments. A place we visualize and retreat to - maybe for only a few seconds - a place we remember as peaceful, calming, re-energizing. This blog is about finding such a place.
"Searching for Abegweit" (pronounced AB-a-gwit) was the name of a show Larry & I saw in PEI starring Lennie Gallant, an island native and award-winning singer-songwriter. His music celebrates the island's roots with the legends and poignant tales of love, loss and struggle (the closing of a mine, ships lost at sea, overfishing by commercial fleets) on this tiny island so close to the North Atlantic. Lennie performs with four other musicians, two of whom are nephews. His sound is part folk, part blue grass (Acadian's modern cousin), part blues.
The show also utilizes film and visual works from Lennie's well-known painter sister, Karen Gallant. Larry and I both were taken by her style (see attached) and wished we'd had time to visit her gallery.
"Abegweit " is the Mi'kmaq (a First Nations People) word for PEI meaning "cradled on the waves." "Searching for Abegweit" is about the search for that elusive thing that makes a place so special, that makes it your haven.
Our visit to Prince Edward Island was a trip highlight. A simple description is that it is somewhat reminiscent of Cape Cod without the crowds.
The main town, Charlottetown, is small and walkable with pedestrian-only zones tucked among the several hundred year old buildings. That a quarter of the population in the late 1700s was Irish is still evident in the local accents, the pubs, the sound of Irish music spilling out on to nighttime sidewalks, and the vast assortment of beer. My difficulty in getting a decent glass of wine will be saved for a future foodie blog.
........
An aside for a small world story: in a Chinese restaurant one evening (where we OD'd on seafood!), we were chatting with some local university students when a man spoke up: "You must be from St. Simons Island." Kinda shocking to hear this in a very out- of-the-way, NOT touristy, restaurant on PEI! Turns out he had gotten married at our SSI lighthouse back in the 90s!!!
.........
Outside of town, the wide rolling hillsides are covered with fields of flowering potatoes that stretch to the horizon, hay fields sloping down to the chilly Gulf of St. Lawrence and acres of yellow canola flowers so bright they're like fields of sunshine. What roads there are are either narrow two lane roads weaving along the shore line or roads of the distinctive PEI bright red clay that cut across farmland.
All, eventually, lead to some small fishing village like Rustico... Or North Rustico ... or Anglo Rustico. The main industry in these tiny villages where the Acadian flag is prominently displayed outside the few homes is clearly family-run lobster, mussel, and oyster fishing.
We enjoyed a terrific bike ride along a deserted shore line surrounded by spruce covered sand dunes, past a wind surfer on a lake who told us how he continues his hobby on land in the winter using a snow board (!!!!!!), stopped to chat with Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, at the magnificent & historic Dalvay By The Sea (see photo). She & her Prince hubby had also swung through in 2011 on a grand tour.
We loved the natural, peaceful beauty of this island, its fresh sea air and the vast well-tended farms. A little sorry to be leaving, we drove our car onto a ferry for the 75 minute trip to Cape Breton.
Cape Breton is an island at the northern tip of the island of Nova Scotia. It is where the Gulf of St. Lawrence meets the North Atlantic, where five foot winter snows last into May and moose warning signs line the roadsides.
Again Larry and I were stunned by the dramatic beauty of the coastline. Parts are like the coast of Maine; parts like the coast of Northern California. Hiking trails led out to rocky coastlines where we could sit for hours looking toward England, hoping to spot a passing whale. But just inland you find "highlands" like Scotland...scrubby, windswept, vegetation stunted by the winter winds.
And, in fact, there is a strong Scottish heritage on the northern and eastern sides of the Cape. The few shops promote tartans, road signs are in both English and Gaelic. (See photo). Only national Canadian signs (like park entrances) have the English/French combo. There is even a Gaelic university!!
But drive two hours to the western side of the Cape and Acadian flags are flying and, when entering a shop, you're greeted with a cheery "Bonjour!"
Like PEI, fishing villages dot the shoreline every 15 miles or so, far enough apart and made further by the harsh winters, each has its own character. As one local young man told us, "I can tell what town people are from by their accent." And everyone seems to know everyone!
It was now time to head for Quebec City. But on PEI and Cape Breton, Larry and I found Abegweit...beautiful, special places that will stay with us long after the vacation.
