Green Gables Shore Drive

Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a children's novel since the mid-twentieth century. It recounts the adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in the fictional town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. The novel recounts how Anne makes her way with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town.

Since its publication, Anne of Green Gables has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated into at least 36 languages. Montgomery wrote numerous sequels, and since her death, another sequel has been published, as well as an authorized prequel. The original book is taught to students around the world. (from Wikipedia)

That being said, I never read the book, and just before I left on vacation I watch one version of the movie, with Martin Sheen playing the "middle-aged brother." 

Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on the north shore of Prince Edward Island in 1874 and raised in Cavendish by her grandparents. It was here that she penned her most famous novel. Lucy Maud never actually lived in the green gables house sitting on the property that tourists visit. She visited the farm as a young girl and based the Green Gables in her novel on the house and the real life surrounding areas such as The Haunted Woods and Lover's Lane. We the tour group I was with) did not have a whole lot of time at this attraction, but I had a lot of fun hanging with a woman (Joan Lindsay Kerr) who had been waiting 11 years to get to Green Gables. She grew up reading the books - yes, multiple Anne stories - and she was so excited to finally get to the Prince Edward Island Green Gables house. We walked for a little bit on the Lover's Lane path, and I took pictures of her in front of the house and with Anne and her best friend Diane (it was like Disneyland for Joan!). 

It wasn't all the exciting to me because I'd never read the books, but after spending time with my new friend Joan and watching a seven minute video on Lucy Maud and her history of writing, it was an altogether pleasant experience.

I made two other friends on the tour - Ulee and Martina. They came on the cruise ship from Germany. They knew even less about Anne of Green Gables than I did, so we had a few good laughs.

Our tour bus made a quick stop for us to get out and take some pictures of the red rocks in the Cavendish area. The picture where you can see a beach in the distance is Cavendish Beach and yes, there were quite a lot of swimmers in the ocean - the cold Atlantic ocean! Actually, it's the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and our guide told us that it's warmer than normal due to the gulf stream.

The tour was called The Green Gables and Shore Drive tour, so we did see more than just the Green Gables site. We saw some beautiful scenery and stopped at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. They make their jams / jellies / preserves / salsas on-site, and they had a tasting counter to rival many tasting counters. It is located in New Glasgow, which is a very pretty little valley next to the Hunter River.

Raspberry with Champagne was my absolute favorite of the tasting so I bought a jar. 

No, make that two jars!

The grounds and gardens around the Preserve Co. were so beautiful.

Before our tour headed north to the Green Gables Shore Drive, our guide took us around old Charlottetown. While we were following the waterfront boardwalk, Joan pointed out the lighthouse as we passed it. I have absolutely no idea which lighthouse it is as there seem to be quite a lot of harbour lights in Charlottetown and vicinity, and it looks like all the other Canadian harbour lights.

Joan recommended The Merchantman restaurant, so I dined there this evening. I needed to lighten up from all the rich and fried food I'd been eating, so I had a shrimp Casear salad and this absolutely scrumptious berry tart. The crust on that tart was the lightest, most moist crust I have ever tasted. Sorry Grandma Lewis.