Abegweit Passage

I have to leave my quiet country home this morning. It is so pleasant to wake up to birds chirping! I’m not much of a city person and the drone of cars and trucks annoys me to no end. I head out this morning and am going to head to the aquarium in Shippagan. It is a lovely drive with tons of trees. (Still no moose though!) Along the way I spot a beautiful church and decide to stop in. This is the church of St Simon and St Jude, located in Grande-Anse. Built in 1868. I take a moment or two to sit and thank God for all the blessings I have. My health, my family, the ability to travel among other things. There is no one else here and it is quite peaceful. There is a cemetary on the property and backs onto the water. A nice pit stop to stretch the legs. The day is slightly overcast but no rain here yet. I make it to the aquarium and head inside.

They have a well laid out, interactive display about the marine life in the area. Then you go into the tank areas where they are brimming with life. Each tank area has a display of what is in each tank. I miss scuba diving and playing with my little friends, so this is a real treat for me. There are many tanks and it takes a couple of hours to go through this area. Warning: some of these fishies are really, really ugly and look much better once served with a lemon wedge and some tarter sauce! Outside the building they have three cute seals in an outdoor area. I missed feeding time but they are still cute to watch as they swim around. I think one is a baby one.

After the aquarium I head down to Shediac, where I’m staying the night. The rain starts to come and slows down the drive a bit. It is not too far of a drive so the delay is okay. Then of course you have the construction that slows you down again. The place I’m staying in is an old manor house converted to an Inn. (https://www.aubergegabrieleinn.com/en/) Because it is a historical building, it has all the charm of long ago but with the conveniences that you like. I’m only here for one night before I head to P.E.I. I check in and head down for some dinner at the restaurant. I have a lovely linguini with lobster and shrimp. Pared with a glass of white wine and carrot cake for dessert. I head back to my room for some reading and then some sleep.

The next morning, I have breakfast at the Inn and head off to P.E.I. My first stop there is in Charlottetown. The drive there is great since the rain has left. I get to go across Confederation Bridge that joins P.E.I. to the main land in New Brunswick. Warning! History lesson coming. This was competed on May 31, 1997. Previous to this a ferry ran from New Brunswick to P.E.I. It spans 12.9 kilometers (8 miles) across the Northumberland Strait. It is the longest bridge in the world that spans ice-covered water. Yay Canada! It took 5000 workers 4 years and 1.3 billion dollars to build. It is only a two-lane bridge and no pedestrians or bicycles are allowed (there is a shuttle that takes pedestrians and bicycles across). The construction of the bridge has significantly increased the amount of tourism in P.E.I.

I make it to my destination for the next 3 nights. Once again it is an Air BnB place. This one is a basement apartment in a quiet neighbourhood. Since I’m on an island for the next week you know there are going to be lighthouses to be had! Stay tuned!Read more