Little Lolly's Small Adventures: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Shelling a lobster & excursion: Island’s Finest: Anne, Lobster & Scenic Drive.

Friends joining us in our cabin for a game of "Werewolf"

Yesterday was a sea day. In between writing my blog I was able to help Paul with a bit of admin work. He's not only tidying up but also trying to sort out the filing system in his office which, in turn, will make things easier to look for as and when they are needed.

Last night we had a game of Werewolf and had a nice mixed group of people around to our cabin. We decided to make it more fun and asked them to come in their pyjamas or onesies. The medical team came in uniform because they had just clocked off for the evening but the rest came either in casual wear or in pyjamas. It was a fun evening with a few surprises during the game.

Arriving in Charlottetown, pier in the distance. Picture taken from
the Maasdam's on board camera.

Today when we arrived in Charlottetown it was cool with a threat of rain but nature took a surprising turn and later on the afternoon became bright and sunny again.

The Maasdam was late arriving in port so all the tours ran a bit late. It also meant that the cruise ship had to leave later than originally scheduled as well.

'The Bluff' within the national park. The red soil is beautiful, rich
in iron.

It was good to be back on lovely Prince Edward Island again and see a bit more of what the island has to offer. The tour I was assigned to was taken on a scenic drive through Charlottetown and into the countryside, passing amongst other places Rustico Port and Cavendish (which is situated within the Prince Edward Island National Park and where Lucy Montgomery - writer of Ann of Green Gables - grew up).

Green Gables House

We eventually ended up at Green Gables House. The Green Gables farm was owned by the MacNeill family who were cousins of Lucy Montgomery and Lucy visited the farm as a young girl which, in turn, inspired her to write about in her book "Ann of Green Gables". We had a bit of time to wander around the house and property, including the "Haunted Woods"and "Lovers' Lane" which were mentioned in Lucy's books.

It was getting on for lunch time and so we headed off in our tour bus to the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company which is owned by a Scotsman. The company's building is a former 1913 Creamery and has been turned into a preserve company. Initially it started off with making low sugar preserves and speciality food but it also now sells tea and spice. The property also has a restaurant and which is where we had lunch.

Lobster for lunch was one of the main highlights of the tour. Some people opted out and had something equally delicious instead. Instead of sitting with the guests I sat with the tour guide (Sandy) and driver (Cliff) - both of whom decided not to have lobster for lunch. And you will find out why in a minute.

Making and packing preserves

Lobster, not a lobster roll which is a bun with a bit of lobster meat in it. The lobster, the 'thingumy' with a hard shell, pincers, long feelers and tail. That was what I was presented with on my plate. The lobster stared at me from my plate, her tail curled underneath her as if she was resting a bit. I love animals and if she was alive I would have been ok with it perhaps holding her briefly before releasing her back into the water. But I cringed - I had to eat the poor thing. I know she was dead, cooked and ready to eat but I had to somehow get at the meat. How the hell was I going to get the shell off. I had been given what looked like a nut cracker and a long fork-like object. Again I cringed - I know she was dead but it was almost as if I could feel the lobster's pain if I were to peel her shell off.

(I remember when I was a young girl mum and dad took the family on holiday to Mombassa, Kenya, and whilst there, one day we had crab for lunch, The restaurant served the crab whole on a wooden breadboard, and we were given a small wooden 'club' to crack open the shell. The crab wasn't the problem because we were used to catching them and holding them by their carapace before letting them go. The problem was taking the shell off - because of thinking that the dead crab maybe could feel pain. Mum and dad ended up having to get the meat out of the shell for me. And I have had issues with peeling seafood ever since however I am slowly overcoming that problem. Except now I was presented with something a helluva lot larger!)

Sandy and Cliff both looked at me rather bemused. It was difficult for them to understand how I felt,but they tried to. They seemed to have a gut feeling that I was a novice at shelling a lobster so they talked me through it: which part to break off first and what to do next. Piece by piece, under the tuition of our guide and driver, I managed to dismantle the lobster's shell and retrieve the meat - including sucking it out from the legs. How do I know that the lobster was a female? She had eggs/roe underneath the back part of her carapace when I opened her up.

Charlottetown - lobster greeting near the pier

The meal was delicious but the whole process was very messy. However, it was well worth it in the end. We had been given plastic aprons/bibs to put on to keep our clothes relatively clean - depending on where sauce and juices splattered. I certainly made a good job of getting stuff all over me and the table - and that is why Sandy and Cliff had something else to eat instead. They did't want to make a mess of their uniforms!

After lunch it was a very happy group who boarded the tour bus back to the pier. Sandy kept the guests entertained with stories and history about Prince Edward Island and the places we passed. He even had photographs to show us - what the island looks like in different seasons. There was also an album of pictures from snowfall during the awful 2014/15 winter.

Route to Sydney, Nova Scotia

By the time we arrived back at the pier I was very tired so ended up having a nap. We had been due to meet up with Karen and Nick for dinner in the Canaletto Restaurant but the later departure threw our arrangements around a bit. So we all ended up ordering from the main dining room menu and having it delivered to our cabin, having a lap dinner instead. Karen and Nick didn't mind - as long as it filled hungry stomachs. And we enjoyed their company.

Tomorrow we arrive in Sydney, Nova Scotia, if all goes well!

PHOTOGRAPHS