Having been in The Maritime region of Canada for about a month, I’m sure it was a good idea to finally make it this far northeast. The weather alone works for me, with a similar feel to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Prince Edward Island (PEI) has bee especially picturesque. It feels like I’m in a life-size model train set or some kind of diorama. Every corner opens to a new panorama of sprawling potato fields (some in flower), dramatic red dirt, and rolling hills dotted with centuries old church spires punctuating the horizon.
Aside from two mid-sized towns the bulk of the island is also rural, with empty roads that can alternate between fresh asphalt, patchworks of asphalt bumps, or even the red earth itself, graded smooth. I’ve encountered as many large farm vehicles as I have RV’s while out on these back roads, and I’ve managed to see a lot of the south and western coast, though I haven’t really delved deep into the different pockets.
The island has Acadian areas and areas settled by Irish immigrants and both proudly work to preserve their heritage. That means you can find different foods in different areas alongside the usual fish n’ chips or poutine. While I found a few things like potato fudge and FWTW (fries with the works: fries, gravy, cheese curds, then ground beef and peas as well), I haven’t found Rappie pie or fricot yet. Those are both Acadian though, not specifically PEI, and there are Acadian areas back on the mainland as well.
Anne with an E
After two weeks on the island I’m heading back to New Brunswick (NB) and then to Nova Scotia (NS) for an upcoming biker rally. I do still need to hit up one more spot though before I cross back over the Confederate Bridge. PEI is the setting for L.M. Montgomery’s famous novel Anne of Green Gables (and all but one of her other novels) and the fictional area of Avolena was specifically modeled after Cavendish, on the north shore where Montgomery was raised.
I already stopped at the memorial park for her, across the street from her final resting place, as well as the town’s post office, which has a sort of museum to the famous author. Her grandparents’ (who raised her as she came of age like her character Anne) home doubled as the post office, so she actually worked as a postal clerk, secreting her first manuscript out so no one knew she was trying to become a published writer.
It’s a beautiful spot but also fairly built up with tourist attractions and the corresponding RV traffic and crowds. Today I was supposed to go to the actual Historical site—a recreation of the buildings feature in the book and with walking trails through a “haunted wood” and other key scenes. I like old buildings and—even though I never read the book—it vibes with TV shows I remember like Little House on the Prairie and The Walton’s. So yes, I’ve poked around the replica of her childhood home, had a raspberry cordial (read the book), then gone and done some less touristy things.
New Potatoes?
The farmstand scene on the island is interesting. They are usually not staffed, and are just small stands with an honesty box for payment. While they can have all sorts of vegetables and fresh eggs, they all have new potatoes. I kept seeing the signs and wondered what an old potato was, so I finally coughed up $5.00CAD and bought a 5lbs bag (strange they don’t use kilos for potatoes, but hey).
They are simply potatoes harvested early, when they have less starch and their skins are very thin. They can’t be stacked on pallets and trucked around the country like that, but that’s not a problem for the locals. I’ve made them twice, both times just cubing them and boiling, then pan frying them with seafood or greens like bok choy.
They really are good especially if you add some smoked paprika and melt some cheese in there. I’d like to try them mashed, but there’s no way for me to store butter. I’ve also been able to mix them with fresh caught fish. The campground is family run, and the owner’s adult son is here and likes fishing, but doesn’t like seafood. That’s meant free fillets of cod and mackerel for me to fry up in the pan.
It’s saved some money after all my eating out at breweries and ending up adding 2-3 pints to my meal, and it’s certainly healthier, though I must congratulate myself on eating pretty well for eating bar food. The salads up here aren’t the silly joke a side salad is in most US restaurants, so I get that instead of fries. I also aim for fish tacos instead of fish n’ chips. Even though it’s still fried haddock, it isn’t fried as long and isn’t battered as thick.
Seafood up here is also cheap when you’re converting US money to Canadian prices, so I’ve been grabbing more lobster cakes or fish fillets from small fish markets, which is better than something like a hamburger. So hey, life has been a combination of good and bad. Drinking too much (especially when it’s rainy and there’s nothing to do but sit in the tent and read or scroll) but eating better, exploring sleepy seaside towns and watching the tide come in and out over a half-mile twice a day, hanging out with locals, but sleeping like crap. It’s a lot of up and down, but such is life.
Looking ahead
I’ll likely be on the mainland by the time this goes out. I’m going to explore some of NB but once I’m off the island the plan is to circle the coast of NS. Early September offers the Wharf Rat Rally, which is a chance to see what the biker world looks like up north of the border. I’m not really a biker, despite appearances. I’m a go-fast guy, but I needed a torque-rich bike to pull a trailer and chose the simplicity of an air-cooled Indian engine over Something highly complex like Honda’s Goldwing of the other tupperware-wrapped touring bikes out there.
Three bald eagles in flight. One flew overhead within 20-yards of me. I’ve never been that close, and never seen three at once. Truly dramatic.
What I mean is, biker rallies aren’t really where I find my people. In a group that big, you can find good people, but the stereotype biker is a 1-dimensional person that is a collection of cliches and idioms instead of a personality. Budweiser and McDonald’s, ‘Murica vibes and only one version of “right” for everything: i.e. you think like me or you are wrong. I’m hoping that isn’t as strong in Canada, but it will be interesting to find out either way.
After the rally I’ll be looking to get onto Newfoundland (NL) for the Targa Newfoundland, a road rally for modern and vintage cars. I like me some gearhead action, so it will be a great double-win as I check out the customs, cuisine, and natural beauty of the island. There’s Viking heritage, icebergs, whaling and seal hunting history, and Puffins. There’s also places name Dildo and Cuckold Cove and Shiver Me Timbers, so the island has some explaining to do. I look forward to finding out.
It all depends on timing, as the ferry can book out pretty far in advance, but as a motorcycle I should be able to find a space. I can’t book too far ahead since I don’t know what I’m doing more than two days ahead. But you can stay tuned the easy way by following the ol’ Instagram or Facebook pages for bite-sized stories. Trying to write here and on Ride>Eat>Repeat is a bit of work, so I try to fill in the gaps by sharing on social media.
I’ll be sharing here though, so get on the mailing list if you aren’t already, and add yourself to the list on RER as well since that site is as much about culture and human history (viewed through the lens of food) as it is about sharing recipes or stories of unique cuisine.
St. Simon and Judge Catholic Church, Tignish, Prince Edward Island.
When you’re at the Wharf Rat be sure and tell them you started heading that way from Baja or Bisbee or California or somewhere way West so you win Long Distance award , it’s true and people will buy you beer.
Yeah not a bad point. I mean, I’ve gone a long way for a free beer, but never this far.