East of Eden (Part 3 — P.E.I.)

Ed and his family explore the Gentle Island
Ed and his family explore the Gentle Island

“You wouldn’t squeeze and strangle a kitten, would you?”

I have come to the red-hued sands of Prince Edward Island with my wife and two daughters to learn the secrets of sandcastle building from an acknowledged master, Maurice Bernard — yet for some reason, Maurice is asking me if I’m a sadomasochistic kitten-killer.

“There are three rules to sandcastle building,” he says without taking his eyes off the tower he is gently coaxing into existence.  “Wetter is better. Glide and Slide. Pet the kitten.” Wet sand slips through his fingertips dripping miraculously into miniature trees and village people. An aura of Zen permeates our little corner of beach as he shows me how to handle sand the same way a Buddhist monk might cradle a lotus flower.

Strange as his advice sounds, I can’t argue with the results. Two and a half hours ago I was staring at a heaping mound of red sand. Now, I’m putting the finishing touches of intricate ‘stone work’ on a medieval parapet. Passers-by stop to snap pictures of our masterpiece as my daughters painstakingly complete the sea shell ‘tiling’ of a bridge that arcs over a muddy moat and leads into the grand entranceway of our castle.

When we first arrived in P.E.I., we crossed the 13-kilometre Confederation Bridge. The bridge takes passengers over the last of New Brunswick’s marshland and, gradually, P.E.I.’s agricultural patchwork of wheat, barley and potato fields begin to appear — dotted with farmhouses and the occasional town.

Arriving in Charlottetown, we check-in to the modern luxury of the Holman Grand Hotel, which is just a short walk from the harbour where we commandeer a pair of double kayaks and set out on a brief, choppy orientation paddle. Having struggled back to shore through a stiff wind, I agree that a dessert is well deserved. We arrive at the COWS Creamery factory and, having heard the words “free sample,” promptly sign up for a factory tour. COWS boasts “the best ice cream in Canada” and after gorging on half a dozen flavours, I’m not going to argue with that claim.

The magic of P.E.I.’s gently rolling hills is no secret to the legions of readers who’ve fallen in love with Lucy Maud Montgomery and her famous character, Anne of Green Gables. Though I don’t count myself as an Anne fanatic, when travelling with my wife and two daughters, there was never any doubt we’d make the pilgrimage to Avonlea Village to visit the original green-roofed inspiration for the novels. After having our fill of square dances and buggy rides with Anne and the gang, we sidle down the road to Shining Waters Family Fun Park. The park is a bizarre combination of thrilling water-rides and sixties-era carnival curiosities. High-speed slides like Cannonbowl and Crossbow rub shoulders with fun-house mirrors and a haunted shack that had my kids running back to the pool.

As sunset approaches, I find myself on an empty stretch of beach in P.E.I. National Park marvelling at the swirling pattern of sand dunes. Tufts of wispy green sprout from the sand. Were it not for the rust-red colour of the earth, I could easily mistake the shoreline for a stretch of Scottish fescue.

As the sun dips below the sand-dune horizon, I grab a corner table overlooking the ocean while feasting on greasy haddock and chips at Richard’s Fresh Seafood. I dip each flaky morsel into the sundried tomato tartar sauce and try to stifle a smile as none other than embattled P.E.I. Senator Mike Duffy shuffles to a nearby table. Whether the senator truly makes his home on this gentle island as his expense reports claim, at least I can vouch for his taste in local cuisine.

The Crime Traveller - Prince Edward Island


Keep island-hopping with the Crime Traveller as Ed and his family sail from PEI to Cape Breton Island in the next installment of East of Eden.

Edward Prutschi is a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer. Follow Ed’s criminal law commentary (@prutschi) and The Crime Traveller’s adventures (@crimetraveller) on Twitter, read his Crime Traveller blog, or email ed@thecrimetraveller.com.

Travel support and assistance provided by Tourism Prince Edward Island.