Posts Tagged ‘Canada’
A Province Fit For A Prince
Posted on: November 5, 2022
- In: Dreams | History | Travel
- 89 Comments
“We Prince Edward Islanders are a loyal race. In our secret soul, we believe that there is no place like the little Province that gave us birth.” – Lucy Maude Montgomery, The Alpine Path
On my recent trip to Canada, I fulfilled another long-time dream – to visit the province of Prince Edward Island. Ever since reading Lucy Maude Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, I have longed to visit this island on the east coast of Canada. It was as charming and picturesque as I envisioned, with a rugged coastline, rich red earth, pastoral landscapes, alluring fishing villages and friendly down-to-earth folks.
Prince Edward Island was named after the son of King George III, Edward Duke of Kent, the commander of the British forces in North America. It is the smallest and most densely populated of Canada’s 10 provinces with a population of one hundred and sixty-four thousand. It covers 5,683.91 square kilometres (2,194.57 square miles).
As the plane descended, I had a clear view of Confederation Bridge. Built in 1997, the 8-mile (12.9-km) long bridge is the world’s longest bridge over waters that freeze over in winter and connects the island to the neighbouring province of New Brunswick.
The 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) of shoreline, features fantastic red sandstone cliffs and red sand beaches.
And of course, lighthouses!
Cape Bear Lighthouse and Marconi Station, built in 1881, is still operational. On April 14,1912 it received the first distress signal in Canada from the sinking Titanic.
I love lighthouses!!
A common site on the island is lobster traps piled up. PEI is well known for its delicious lobsters.
I was intrigued by the lobster trap and lobster buoy Christmas trees.
And the huge apple trees laden with fruit.
We came upon an errant Blue Heron who posed politely for us.
I loved the charming houses; this one belonged to a friend.
And the colourful sheds
Interesting sculptures depicting marine life.
The Garden of the Gulf Museum, the oldest museum on the island, is housed in the former post office in the town of Montague and is full of interesting things from the past.
The island’s capital, Charlottetown, was named after the wife of King George III, Queen Charlotte. It is known as the Birthplace of Confederation after the historic 1864 Charlottetown Conference which led to the Confederation of Canada in 1867.
Rich in history and culture, it’s a perfect place to wander the streets lined with Victorian buildings still intact, and take in the ambience of a former time. There are many places to enjoy a delicious seafood meal as well.
There are amazing old churches in downtown Charlottetown including St. Dunstan’s Basilica, built in 1916, and designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.
Parliamentarians debating the state of the world in front of a cathedral. It could be 1867 instead of 2022.
I loved my trip to this remarkable maritime province. Next time I’ll tell you about my visit to Green Gables House.
Have you been to Prince Edward Island?
- In: Family | guest posts | Memories
- 26 Comments
I am pleased to be featured on Judith Barrow’s blog where I share a memory of a different time and place. Judith is an accomplished writer of family sagas and runs this wonderful “places in our memories” series on her blog.
There are places that remain in our memories, the details may become slightly blurred, nostalgia may colour our thoughts, but they don’t fade. And how those places made us feel at the time is the one thing that remains.
Today I’m welcoming Darlene Foster, a friend I’ve known online for quite a while, and had the great pleasure in meeting and getting to know her in real life at Barb Taub’s writing retreat on Arran, a few weeks ago.
Darlene is here to tell us about the time her baby brother was born during the blizzards at her near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.
I remember when my brother, Timothy, was born. It had been a typical cold and snowy prairie winter. Blizzards created impassable road conditions. Mom expected the third member of our family to arrive in early February. Dad was concerned that when the time came, the…
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Coast to Coast Canada Book Tour
Posted on: October 16, 2022
- In: Books | Events
- 90 Comments
I just returned from a working holiday in Canada. In between spending time with family and friends, I launched Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral. It was so wonderful to be able to do this in person again. I love visiting bookstores, libraries and schools, and introducing my latest book. The people you meet at these events are amazing. Of course they are, they’re readers, my favourite kind of people.
I did author events in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on the east coast of Canada, in Vancouver, BC on the west coast and in Medicine Hat and Calgary, Alberta. Everywhere I went, I met new and long-time Amanda fans of all ages. It was a lot of fun. Here are a few pictures.
When I got home I received this lovely message from someone who bought a copy of Amanda in France for her mom. “My Momma just phoned to say how much she’s loving Amanda and the Cathedral!!! She’ll be ordering more from Albany Books.”
We had a great turnout at Unlimited Characters Bookstore in Medicine Hat.
While I was at Indigo/Chapters in Charlottetown PEI, a woman stopped by and bought 4 books. She was a long-time friend of a cousin from Calgary, Alberta. These are the amazing things that happen on book tours.
Thank you to everyone who attended the book presentations and signings. You make my job fun!
Next time, less of me and more fabulous scenery.
So Much To Be Thankful For
Posted on: October 9, 2022
- In: Family
- 67 Comments
The second Monday in October is Canadian Thanksgiving, typically a time for family. Although I’m thankful every day, this is an opportunity to reflect on the many blessings that I have in my life. Since I just returned from a fabulous visit to Canada, I am especially thankful for my many friends and family. I thought I would share some recent family moments with you in honour of Thanksgiving.
You can click on the images to enlarge them.
Spending time with my daughter on her island in BC is always special.
Spending time in Alberta with my son and his amazing family is always fun!
And then there are the many cousins I was delighted to see, as well as a dear aunt and uncle
Yes, I am blessed with many cousins and these are just a few of them.
I am so happy and thankful to have a huge, loving and supportive family.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
Oh Canada!
Posted on: October 5, 2021
- In: Family | friends | Travel
- 102 Comments
After two long years, I finally made it back to Alberta, Canada. As I landed in Calgary and saw the prairies unfold below me, I burst into tears. It was so good to see my family and friends again. I was given comfy beds to sleep in, yummy meals, pets to snuggle and great conversations. Four generations of women spent valuable time together at my granddaughter´s place. We celebrated mom’s life at a local park by talking about her life and how much she meant to each of us, and by sharing food, conversation and laughter. She would have liked that. Here´s just a few photos of the trip.
And I woke up to goats outside my window!!
I did a book signing event at a wonderful bookstore in Medicine Hat, called Unlimited Characters.
A good friend took me to Banff for a day trip. What a treat. I had forgotten how amazing those Rocky Mountains are. I will do another post just about Banff soon.
And I got to see cousins I hadn´t seen for a long time.
It was time well spent and I have all these wonderful memories to keep me going.
More to come…
An Eagle Family
Posted on: July 10, 2019
- In: animals | Art | Family
- 112 Comments
My talented daughter lives on the beautiful west coast of Canada where she makes pottery and communes with nature.
Here are a couple of examples of her pottery.
More of her pottery can be viewed on her website https://madmudslinger.com/
She recently had an opportunity recently to observe first hand an Eagle family. She sent me pictures of this amazing nest where the Eagle parents are raising their adorable Eaglet. This is what she had to say about the youngster –
“It’s so cute, ever since he’s been big enough he peaks his head over the side while waiting for his parents to come back with food. Interesting that only one hatched this year.”
She also included some information about the nest.
“The nest has been there for years, maybe decades, but 2 years ago a series of storms crashed it to the ground. The site was abandoned until last year when the Eagle couple decided to rebuild. Building is a lot of work, it went into the season so they waited until this year to hatch another family. It’s very exciting. A celebration!”
“An Eagle nest weighs one ton and a VW Beetle can fit inside it. The adult wingspan is 8 feet so they need some room with all the comings and goings.”
She is fortunate to be able to witness this marvel of nature. I’m so happy she shared it with me.
Have you ever had a chance to view wild animals in nature?
Darlene Foster's Blog 