Green Gables Shore Drive.

As we were going to be spending time on Prince Edward Island, I bought "Anne of Green Gables" because the author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, was from here. I read it while I was in Grimsby and thoroughly enjoyed it - I don't know why I hadn't read it as a child. Today's trip was taking us to Green Gables country so there were a number of sites to be visited. The drive is just as scenic as yesterdays though we had to miss out on part of it because we forgot to bring Bonnie's pass for the Prince Edward Island National Park. We'll do that part another day.

This is a church at Malpeque. There are lots of these white churches - all denominations - on this part of PEI

Malpeque Masonic Hall and Community Centre. There is a ceilidh there every Wed. night - we missed it last night!

Cabot Beach - more red sand.

Malpeque Harbour. There are lots of lovely fishing villages. I was tempted to buy shellfish but we were too far from home and it was very hot.

At New London we came to the first of the Anne of Green Gables sites - the Anne of Green Gables Museum. This was the home of L.M. Montgomery's Uncle John and Aunt Annie Campbell. L.M. Montgomery called it "the wonder castle of my childhood" and was inspired to write many novels here. It is also the setting of Anne's Lake of Shining Waters in Anne of Green Gables.

Anne of Green Gables Museum.

It's in a beautiful setting.

The Lake of Shining Waters.

Fishing Huts at Stanley Bridge.

From here there is a fantastic vista of farmland and sea. It is much more beautiful than the photo captures. I would have taken a better one than this!!

The birth place of Lucy Maud Montgomery with some aul wan in the doorway.

From behind - the house, not the aul wan!

From there we went on until we came to Avonlea Village, a folk village based on the Anne of Green Gables novels. We arrived in time for a performance in the Fishing Shanty. A group of 4 men with accordions, guitars, drums and double bass sang some folk songs, one very funny one about a very shy young man who thought he was buying a mare but ended up with a Mary!
It was very entertaining.

The church L.M. Montgomery attended when she was with her uncle and aunt, now transferred to the Avonlea park.

In the church there was a puppet show which we briefly watched. Then we went to the Garden Theatre to watch a dramatisation of part of one of the chapters of the book - "Diana is invited to tea with tragic results". That is an example of how the character Anne speaks. She is over dramatic and over enthusiastic about everything.

Diana arrives dressed in her latest finery. Anne is enthusing about the excitement of having her for afternoon tea.

Anne is waxing lyrical as Diana enjoys her first glass of raspberry cordial.

 Diana is really fond of the cordial and serves herself more, as Anne is engrossed in her imaginations, and even takes Anne's untouched glass. Not very ladylike really!

The raspberry cordial is having a strange effect on Diana.

It turns out that the raspberry cordial is, in fact, redcurrant wine and Diana is more than a little intoxicated and, having finally collapsed with her face in the cake, leaves in a rather undignified haste. Anne is in serious trouble!

It was hilarious! And the children there were equally hilarious as they kept shouting at another character, who was there only to give people an idea of the schedule for the evening, that he had drunk redcurrant wine, not juice as he thought!

We still had the second half of the Green Gables Shore Drive to do so we left Avonlea Village without seeing the next performance - Green Hair! where Anne has another disaster trying to dye her red hair raven black! We also missed out on the Avonlea Social and the Avonlea Pig Race. Ah well, you can't do everything!

It was at this stage that we discovered parts of our route barred to us because we didn't have a permit to enter Prince Edward Island National Park at Cavendish and at Brackley-Dalvay. But there were lots of other little villages on the route home.

North Rustico Harbour.

We like the houses on Prince Edward Island.

This is Highland Ave. where Bonnie's cottage is situated.

When we turn left onto University Avenue, there is a graveyard there that has been making Jim feel a little anxious.

Jim is an old Protestant after all!

He's even more anxious now that he's read the small print!