©unsplash
“I've always heard that Prince Edward Island was the
prettiest place in the world, and I used to imagine I was living here, but I
never really expected I would. It's delightful when your imaginations come
true, isn't it?” -L.M. Montgomery “Anne of Green Gables”
PEI is a beautiful island rich in nature. Lupine flower
fields and beautiful apple blossoms like the Snow Queen bloom in a sparkling
lake. Berry cultivation is also thriving; blueberries and cranberries are
abundant and can be eaten cheaply. Bicycle tracking is provided, and it is such
a luxurious and elegant trip to cycle slowly from PEI National Park to
Cavendish. I got off the plane with my heart full of expectations.
Day1
There are few buses from the airport to the city, so I took
a taxi. I paid the driver about $20 and headed to the hostel.
©HI Charlottetown Backpacker's Inn
The hostel's design used red as a beautiful contrast against
the white exterior walls. The people at the hostel were very kind and looked
like the typical Canadians that Japanese people often imagine. PEI seems
popular with Japanese people, and there were warning signs in Japanese all over
the hostel.
The warning signs in the bathroom were written in both
English and Japanese. While Canada has two official languages, English and
French, it seemed as if Japanese and English were the two official languages
at this hostel. I put my luggage down, had a light dinner at Tim Hortons, and
went to bed.
Day2
According to the weather forecast, the weather was not going
to be good from tomorrow onwards, so I decided to make the most of today by
enjoying outdoor activities. I quickly finished breakfast at the hostel and
headed to the bicycle rental shop. I rented a bicycle from MacQueen's Bike Shop
for two days and headed to Cavendish in high spirits.
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I raced up a straight road and then down a hill in one go.
It felt so good to ride down the hill with the wind carrying the scent of PEI's
nature on my whole body. I didn't have to pedal the bike on the sloped parts of
the road, and it was an exciting experience to ride the endless highway for
about five minutes without pedalling at all. Looking around, I saw hills
covered with a carpet of green, cows that looked like they had no worries at
all, and Islanders mowing the grass half-dressed. These are the typical PEI
scenery.
According to Google Maps, it was about a two-hour bicycle
trip one way. It was almost two hours, but strangely enough, it seemed like it
would take some time to reach my destination, Cavendish. And the straight roads
and hills were repeated many times. I was reaching the limit of my physical
strength. When going up the hill, I walked little by little, and when going
down, I rode my bike, repeating this process. I felt like a triathlete. When I
finally arrived in Cavendish, I gulped down a large-sized Tim Horton's coffee
in one go.
Cavendish
©2024 Toshihide Ikoma
When we think of Cavendish, we think of the Green Gables
House. But I was so tired that I didn't have time to enjoy sightseeing slowly.
I quickly toured the inside of the house, and there were other places to go,
such as Lover's Lane, but I needed drinks and food more than sightseeing, so I
finished without sightseeing. After returning to Tim Horton's and eating a
sandwich to take a break, I headed to the beautiful red soil beach.
©unsplash
The red soil coastline was beautiful. Listening to the sound
of the waves gently lapping on the shore, I rested my tired body and mind. It
was a moment when I felt glad that I had come to Canada.
And then, after more than three hours of cycling, I returned
to Charlottetown, out of breath.
To be continued
