CANEAST: SEPT 12,13, 14,15

SEPT 12

We returned to the fromagerie for some more yummy cheese.  On the way home, we snapped a few pics of the colourful houses in the area.  The homes on the island are uniquely coloured and never identical.  Here are a few of Elizabeth’s favourite colour combinations and one for our friend Nan.

For Nan

After lunch it was a short drive to “le flaneur.”  The owner of this tea house and gallery is an amazing artist.  She was born and raised on the island.  The tea house/shop displays her work which consists of many forms of art including caricature/mannequins that are fashioned using epoxy.  I believe that she has a different theme each year and creates people accordingly.  This year is an exhibit of well-known and remarkable people from the islands.  She paints them first and then creates the life-size characters.  In her front yard is
La Jardine D’Esprit with a few spooky characters and two gourd sisters.

For Jim

In the basement she is displaying life like people from the islands along with biographies, some with incredible histories like the shipwrecked sole survivor seaman Augustia Le Bourdais who washed ashore in the winter and was not found for five days.  

Augustia Le Bourdais

Barely alive, they had to amputate both feet.  After nursing him back to life, he was sent to Quebec where they had to further amputate and he spent a year in recovery.  While there, he whittled two wooden legs and attached them to his legs.  Upon return, he became the wireless telegraph operator.  

This is such an amazing display that we have uploaded a number of shots.  

The Ferry Captain

 

(I think a friend of ours Jim is in one of them LOL.)

Our next stop was at the studio of Patrick La Bonde.  We’d seen his work at the Café La Grave and really liked his bowl like cups for lattes etc.  We did buy two bowls but the ones with the handles were designed especially for the café and not for sale.

We decided to drive the long way around the island and discovered the entrance to the north dunes.  It was a short hike to the beach that stretches all the way to the main town on Cap aux Meules.  This beach was once the only method of conveyance to the town – they had to go at low tide.  Usually by horse and cart or walking.  This dune is a huge sand beach and is only accessible by road at each end.

SEPT13

We went to a store that makes articles for sale from recycled clothing and other materials.  They had a tie made of wood that I was considering when the lady who makes them, Francine, came in with a tray of wooden bow ties!  I had to buy one. It will work with my jazz ensemble.

Then another folk-art craft shop had house ornaments slightly crooked to reflect the islands wind.  The young lady (who was hand painting one of these houses) proceeded to tell us the story of their origin.  

One day there was of lot of wind on the island. They received a call from their daughter that she would not be home as she was working on the ferry and they had to stay in the bay until the wind and waves calmed down.  So, they thought of the idea to show the wind and colours of the islands ... and thus the “crooked” houses.  The young lady ended her story by adding that she was the daughter.

That story, the wooden bow tie, the sculptures and more make it so great to have these cultural connections and conversations with the local people.  What a gift!

I went up to the office to grab some WiFi.  A couple came in who spoke English so we started chatting – just the usual where are you from etc.  They were from PEI so I said “We are going on the ferry to the National Park at Cavendish for a week tomorrow night.”  They informed me it was closed for the season due to damage from Dorian!  I phoned the reservation service and yep this is so…we had not been given any notice, phone call or email!  What a coincidence to happen to meet these people.  We are going to call tomorrow and then we have to figure out where we are going when we get back to PEI at 2:00 am Sunday morning.

SEPT 14

Going to Linkletter Provincial Park outside Summerside PEI...Ocean View! 8:00 pm ferry.

SEPT 15

Quiet though a bit rough ride across the water.  Arrived at around 1:00 am and didn't want to drive at night so this next shot was our sleep over, dry camping on PEI at the Ferry Docking.

View from our "boon docking/dry camping" site at the ferry dock Souris  PEI.

View from our "office" for the next week.

Then we travelled over to just past Summerside where we are delighted to have this site with an unbelievable view for the week.

Until next time,

Elizabeth, Jerry, Misty, Miss Adventure Too and Clifford the big red truck!