Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island... Part 1 of 2

 I was up early for our sail into Charlottetown. We hired the same tour guide Betty from Grabacab for our return visit to PEI. Being the first off the ship, we met Betty and headed to the Confederation Bridge. This large island is marked by red-sand beaches, lighthouses, fertile farmland, and is renowned for seafood like lobster and mussels. Our first stop was at Victoria by the Sea, a quaint fishing/artisan village on the Northumberland Strait…Northumberland Strait to the south and west separates the island from the mainland provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This was a quaint fishing village that’s been revitalized by the many artists and creative people who call it home. We walked around the village to see the historic homes and Palmers Range Lighthouse. We stopped for a snack and had the best Salted Carmel ice cream ever at Richards. Leaving Victoria we headed toward the bridge between PEI and New Brunswick. Approaching the bridge, we could see the Borden Front Range Lighthouse overlooking the Confederation Bridge…the longest bridge over ice covered water in the world. We had a great view of the bridge as well as the lighthouse. On our return to Charlottetown, we stopped at Seven Mile Bay to get another expansive view of the Confederation Bridge. This scenic lookout point was from the parking lot of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, a Gothic Revival Style architecture…This church is only 13 miles from my Grandfather Herlihy’s birthplace of Noroboro, PEI. On our return to Charlottetown, we drove to Brighton Beach to see the Lighthouse, and then we passed Beaconsfield Historic House and the Government House of Prince Edward Island - which today serves as the home of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. Betty dropped us at St. Dunstan Basilica, and we did a walking tour of downtown. We walked Great George St. known for the evolution of architecture displayed here with its beautifully preserved Georgian architecture on one side of the street and Gothic Revival architecture on the other side. While on this street, we passed the Great George Hotel, the Bishops Palace and the St. Dunstan’s Basilica, considered to be the defining silhouette of Charlottetown with its multiple spires…The ornate high altar with beautiful stained-glass window was beautiful… this basilica is a must visit landmark in Charlottetown. We continued our walk towards the water ending at the Confederation Centre of the Arts where the world-famous Anne of Green Gables play has been running for over 50 years! We walked around the harbor to Peakes Quay and back to the ship. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in PEI, the Birthplace of Confederation - Canada was born here. From the sights to the attractions, the people, and because it simply exists – Prince Edward Island is amazingly beautiful.