Now that’s a tongue twister..bet you can’t say it accurately three times really fast!

In spite of producing 30% of all Canadian potatoes, PEI, as this Canadian Maritime Province and Island is called, is probably best known for ‘Anne of Green Gables’, a novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. We loved her fiery and loquacious orphan, and her stories based on the novelist’s own childhood on PEI.

Her cousins, the Campbells, have been stewarding the land for 7 generations and run a museum with aptly attired characters, raspberry cordials, and draft horses harnessed for carriage rides. I appreciated the offer of a full-time job driving the rig pulled by “Prince”, a Belgian draft horse, but decided to remain retired. Any future job offers will always be compared with this cool job.

We have been enjoying the serenity and friendliness of the Island experience. Waiting overnight for the ferry, one older neighbor let us sleep overnight in his yard, called ahead to a tiny village cafe to tell them we were heading over, and to set aside some chowder and pie for us. Sweet! We also enjoyed a local photography expedition featuring the community elders…aged 95-102. That gives all of us “youngsters” inspiration to stay the course!

We learned that the Island population is predominantly elderly, as younger residents move to Western Canada to find seasonal work in the fishing, timber, mining and gas/oil recovery, and then they don’t return. The tourism season on PEI is only 5 weeks (3 weeks in July and 2 in August).  The lobster fishing season is 8 weeks long, so the boats are pulled from the water and sit on potato farms for most of the year. Lobster Fisherman can only get $2.50/lb from distributors, and you can buy them on the side of the road for $5/lb. Although fuel and costs have increased in 30 years, the price of lobster has remained fixed. A strike by the fisherman last week did not change the cost, as lobster availability drives the price and this year is even more productive than usual, causing distributors to cap the yields from each fisherman to 500 lb./day. This view featuring a dry docked lobster boat, draft horses, set on the potato farm is ubiquitous on PEI as residents vary their work to meet the demands of the short seasons for each. Many tidy farms and homes are up for sale, especially in the North Cape.

We were happy to learn during our visit to the Canadian Potato Museum, that the potatoes from the Island are not genetically modified. Canada’s largest potato distributor was quick to refuse to purchase them, so most farmer’s quickly abandoned Monsanto Canada’s “New Leaf” program to eradicate the nasty Colorado Potato Beetle. The U.S. growers followed suit when McDonald’s refused to buy them. The potatoes are modified in seed form to defy the hungry beetle…only when Monsanto chemicals are applied. Monsanto has sneakily killed the Potato program, and switched instead to the “hidden industries” of soybeans, wheat, corn and rice. Now we will have to hunt for proof of Monsanto’s chemicals buried in our cereals, breads and tofu.

We appreciated that the Canadian Potato Museum on the Island, credits Thomas Jefferson with bringing French Fries to North America from his years living in France. What’s better for Democracy than non-Genetically Modified Starch?

 During a tour of Alcatraz Island Prison in San Francisco, the guide, a former prison guard on the Island, told us that the prisoners were intentionally fed a high starch diet as it made them too fat and complacent to fight with each other and attempt escape. On that theory, this cafe menu – including Potato Fudge! – at the PEI Potato Country Kitchen is a great step toward World Peace.

Gravitational pull, how I feel it as I pull my body up the ladder from the YMCA swimming pool, after the weightless freedom provided by swimming and floating. We can’t feel the moon’s gravitational pull so it is so exciting to see its’ effect in the massive tidal display in the Bay of Fundy, where the tide rises and falls by about 46 feet, depending on location, twice a day! Picture one hundred billion tons of water pouring in and out of a narrow bay. To put it in perspective, that is the amount comparable to the average 24-hour flow of ALL the rivers in the world. In Mocton’s Downtown Bore Park, near where we are stealth camping, a clock marks the next Tidal Bore, a one foot high wave that pushes upstream in the middle of the Petticochit River from the build-up of the flowing tide rushing in from the Bay. Too subtle for a good photo on my I-Pod camera, we opt instead for a day at Hopewell Rocks, in the Bay of Fundy.

Arriving at the lowest tide, around noon today, we have three hours to safely walk the exposed ocean bottom below the Hopewell Rocks, before the flowing tide drives us back up the cliffs to safety.

The rocks become small forested islands as all but their crowns are buried once again by the rising sea.

We are so tempted to come back to watch the reverse process as the sea ebbs, and 48 feet of rock and cliff become exposed once more. However, watching the tide flow up or down 6 feet in an hour is still just too meditative for our energy today, and the weather is just too cold and gusty.

Like flotsam or jetsam moved by tides, winds and currents, we’re not certain we will be here again, so we linger a bit by hiking the well maintained trails near the Hopewell Rocks, before testing New Brunswick’s reputation as the Lobster Capital of Canada with a boiled lobster dinner. What’s not to like about ANY food dipped in melted butter with a squeeze of lemon?

We know we are in Quebec because French is still the primary language. By the time we have driven 6 hours due east of Quebec City along the south side of the St. Lawrence River, we begin to question whether New Zealand might look just like this. Leaving the very well tended small farms of Eastern Quebec (no abandoned cars or junk anywhere), we began to pass below the Chic-Choc Mountains producing hundreds of creeks, rivers and piled snowdrifts. How can it be mid-May, on the coast, with whale and lighthouse sightings, right next to waterfalls tumbling off the cliffs into the sea?…hundreds of them! I stood in one spot and counted eleven waterfalls within view, from 40 to 120 feet high. Truly extraordinary, especially finding it on our own continent.

Furthermore, the small coves between the cliffs each have a strong cultural identification, be it Basque, Acadian, Loyalist, or Scottish Highlands. The food however was the same from cove to cove, represented by the small ‘Casse Croutes’ (snack shops), but all offering fresh seafood in addition to the usual french fries, as you would expect from a fishing community.

We are 6 weeks ahead of the summer tourist season which means the roads are empty, but the campgrounds are closed. I suppose that after 8 months of snow, Canadians do not want to take a summer vacation in the stuff, so they wait until July to open up their campgrounds. However, the Forillon National Park remained open and staff allowed us to park overnight for free in any parking lot, most with gorgeous views, and attached hiking and biking trails. The bad news is that the far more numerous Provincial Parks throughout the Canadian Maritimes are truly still closed for the next 4 weeks.

Can there be too much nature on a nature trail? Yes, if you have to delay your hike a dozen times to wait for black bear and numerous 30 lb. porcupines to decide when they are ready to share their hiking trails. They seemed to have no fear of humans, even accompanied by a leashed dog…so we waited patiently to proceed. Who knew porcupines climbed trees to eat tender buds?

The weather cancelled a hike planned for the International Appalachian Trail that passes through the the Gaspe Peninsula as well. But we caught a break from the rain, and hiked up to view the Perce Roche (featured image), an eroded limestone monument. Tomorrow we will enter the primarily English speaking Province of New Brunswick to get to the Bay of Fundy and the amazing tides.

Quebec A.K.A. Quebec City has a historic, “Old Quebec” portion which falls within the original city walls. Those walls, The Ramparts, are a world heritage site. Inside lies a charming small French village, full of charming restaurants and high end retail. We admired the beautiful Canadian artistry, unique style, and creativity, but the sticker shock was heart-grabbing. $300 for a pair of summer shorts made Steven nearly drop his artisan chocolates!

My attitude about fashion at this price, was more like this cleverly named store:

Some words work in all languages, Oui?  Exactly like ‘Chocolate’, Oui Oui!!  The most charming shop was Le Chocolaterie du Village, with a small chocolate museum and a collection of old chocolate molds…

…which was so delectable it made us ignore the prices.

Decisions to delay gratification…works better with clothing purchases than it does for sweets!

The turreted Hotel Frontenac sits over the top of the winding retail alleys and is visible from many viewpoints, always imposing, and always making one think of Europe.

Best of all, is the whimsical and perfectly crafted five story murals, competing with those we saw in Philadelphia, PA.

The Canadian deep respect for their indigenous people is evident in their sculpture and busts throughout the City. The Parliament Building has a dramatic sculpture of the First Citizens (featured image) that reminded me of Renoir’s Burghers of Calais, as it seemed to state the City’s purpose: welcome and educate visitors with the basic value of ‘inclusion’ and respect.

Similarly, Ghandi’s bust is prominently featured in the Park fronting the Parliament along with this sculpture showing modern women’s roots in the past, and our gratitude for those who fought the battles for the freedoms we have come to expect.

We come from the San Francisco Bay Area, and are not foreigners to really good croissants. In the Mission, Tartine Patisserie makes killer croissants…that nonetheless cannot beat those from “Boulangerie Monsieur Maisson” in Montreal.  No picture can capture the textured blend of “flake and pull”, and the buttery flavor. Is their a more perfect comfort food? Our neighborhood cafe in Montreal, ‘1880’ is across from the University of Quebec. We were so happy the 40,000 students were on Summer Break, as this place is mobbed otherwise.  Had Steven not had his croissant and espresso each morning as planned…well, that is just not a good way to start a summery day in France, or at least French Canada’s version thereof.

After all you have to get fueled to climb some hills to explore the neighborhoods and charms of Montreal and the St. Laurence River. Basilica Notre Dame is the largest Cathedral in Canada, and it is like a gothic stage set with creepy lighting, candles, and stained glass. Even the ceiling, the pipe organ and pulpits are just aflame with color. The architect converted to Catholicism so he could be buried under the Basilica.

There is a large artistic population in the City and gallery support of local arts. Most neighborhood cafes spun good tunes and had some quirky art, like this 800 spoon chandelier.

On these too warm  80 degree evenings (especially for Spring, and especially as there are still snow drifts in the Foothills outside of town), the residents turned out to dine and drink on the cobblestone streets of Rue St. Paul in Old Montreal. Had to pass on the “Montreal Poutine”. French fries, smothered with beef gravy and cheese curds may taste great, but it looks regurgitated. “Dog food” would be a kind description. We found great East Indian and Asian food, which should not surprise, as Montreal is a wonderful international mix of citizenry. However, we were shocked at the dominance of smokers just outside the entrance to every public building. Staying in a hotel across from a hospital, we watched as orderlies wheeled their patients out in wheelchairs, while the ambulatory patients rolled their hanging medication bags outside… for the all important toke of tobacco. Ironique, oui?

On the other hand we saw lots of bikers and runners on the waterfront trails, and urban dog walkers handling 20 dogs at a time. We found French Canadians to be very dog oriented; Lety got lots of attention. Que chien jolie! Lots of citizens were out enjoying sculpture and parks on these first sunny days, seemingly chatty and accepting of tourists, as long as we began every sentence with our memorized phrase, “Je suis desole que je ne parle pas Francais bien. Parlez vous Inglais ou Espanol?” It was a pleasure to see so many elegant women of all ages showing off summer frocks and fabulous sandals. Needless to say, I was not one of them…

Mostly a town of monumental architecture, high-end shopping, dining and wonderful outdoor sculpture pocket parks, we also saw the seamy side.  The junkies, gangs, and slovenly inebriated laying about on lawns strewn with needles in a downtown park where we walked Lety. It seemed as though being high in public is tolerated in Montreal, which surprised us after our border crossing experience. We must have met some drug mule, or terrorist profile, as they did a 25 minute long, very thorough search of the Roadtrek, even unrolling our aluminum foil(?), and scouring every little nook. The Canadian Border Authority employee never cracked a smile during the interview and the search, until he cleared us, then he became ‘tres charmante’, of course!

Within an hour of Montreal we camped (for free!) at a city park near this peaceful lake in Parc Gatineau.  On the way to Quebec we camped (free again! Viva Canada!) along the Riviere Nicolet in Victoriaville, enjoying Steven’s Birthday in this lovely small town.

From Albany, CA (our hometown) to Albany, NY, we really have traversed half of the country now. Many states have very nice historic Capital Buildings, often with interesting interiors. Albany has a particularly outstanding State Capital based solely on architecture. The skyline is one of the most iconic we have seen due to Nelson Rockefeller’s Empire State Plaza. Rockefeller loved abstract art, modern concrete architecture, and open inviting “piazzas” as is common in Italy.

Large slabs of skyscrapers sit in a row in front of reflecting pools. Anchored by the NY State History Museum to the South (Free!) and the historic Capital to the North. In one corner sits, “The Egg” a performing arts center.

Underneath the Plaza is quarter mile of underground shops, services, a YMCA, and 90 pieces of Abstract Expressionist Art. Sucky Upstate NY weather? Who cares. Put on your pedometer and get your steps in, in comfort, with visual stimulation and convenience. This is not such a big downtown area, but add in the many food trucks on the surrounding streets, the downtown parks, and you have a very enticing place for the community to meet up and engage,  regardless of the weather conditions. Bravo Mr. Rockefeller! Good city planning back in the 50’s…and then great patience as it took 18 years to complete. Of course, this gorgeous Capital building is not just the usual rotunda/dome style, and required something just as magnificent at its feet.

Doesn’t the featured image tell a story of a feisty and proud tomboy awaiting her punishment, but with the attitude, “Do what you want to me now, at least I got to kick his ass first!” …or perhaps, “Is this fight private, or can anybody get into it?”

From the Illustration Museum on Mansion Row in Newport, RI to the Dr. Seuss Park in Springfield, MA to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA …we got our fill of great American illustration this week. To boil a story point down to one terse image is difficult. Norman Rockwell was a genius at catching the daily life of American families in the 50’s, and our pride in our accomplishments. Hey Gals, don’t you identify with the proud and feisty tomboy awaiting her punishment outside the Principal’s Office? ….or is that just the tomboy in me?

 Then to carry a more complex story through multiple story boards to grab attention and hold it for effective storytelling is a unique challenge. We really enjoyed the Memorial Park dedicated to the Dr. Seuss books, Seuss being the middle name of the creator.

One of my favorite TV series is Mad Men and their ads from the 50’s remind me how linear, flat, and static the graphic images were as used to sell products. Compared to the graphic images we are accustomed to now, the ads from the 50’s wouldn’t even make us pause for a second to understand the message. The 60’s brought us Peter Max (think Yellow Submarine type images) and intense use of color and icon. Japanese graphics brought us dramatic and explosive image, and finally the advent of computers made simple drawing skills unnecessary. Now graphic designers really have to be creative to snare us for long enough to stay for the message…and we do stay for the message!

We also do what they tell us to…buy, buy, buy!  LIFE EDITED (www.lifeedited.com) is a site you may enjoy for novel ideas about how to live with less debt, less space, less stress and …increased pleasure, with more community, activity, and creativity. That is part of our great joy in traveling North America in a rolling 100 sq. ft. home, and using our bikes and kayak to check out local areas. We got to enjoy visiting local community centers in Western Mass and Upstate NY:

The Red Lion Inn with free live music nightly throughout the snowy winter in Stockbridge, MA:

Smith College in Northampton:

…and the Syracuse Zen Center including a warm welcome from Jikyu Bonnie and a visit to the Onondaga Nation School outside Syracuse. So many people finding different ways to step off the consumer escalator, slow down, and see if they can live smaller and simpler, whether in dorm room size spaces or with more sharing of “stuff”.

Less Space + Less Stuff = Less Spending + Less Production of Toxins.

China’s enormous increase in the production of toxins in the last 20 years is caused predominantly by the manufacture of products… products ultimately shipped to the USA to satisfy consumer demand. We could create lending libraries for so many products we use infrequently, and then we wouldn’t have to have big spaces to store them….think what is in YOUR garages and closets right now…