" Kayoga sounded weird but it worked! It combines kayaking with yoga session. The yoga, to everyone’s relief, took place, not in the kayak, but before and after on an airy deck area."


the story, complete with interactive Anne- related activities which entrance her fans. (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/greengables) PEI was voted Undiscovered Golf


Destination of the Year 2011 by IAGTO and if I was a golfer perhaps this would have been one way to work off the calories I had been piling in on while touring the island. Instead I opted for a bike ride with Outside Expeditions (www.getoutside.com) and took a coastal ride from North Rustico to the popular beach at Cavendish. My route followed the Gulfshore Parkway, a new trail just opened as part of celebrations to mark 100 Years of National Parks in Canada. The trail builds on the walking and cycling opportunities offered by The Confederation Trail – a 270km trail from Tiguish to Elmira with a further 130 branch trails to extend your ride with. The cycling helped but I was definitely a


of the allowable size before binding their claws and ultimately cooking up a feast on a boiling pot hitched to the back of the boat. Fresh just doesn’t cover it when you’re sampling the catch just minutes after it was swimming in the sea. Oyster tastings are a must too on PEI.


Steve, our expert at the Lobster on the Wharf restaurant (www.lobsteronthewharf. com) talked us through the facts. The oysters here are said to be among the best in the world. Experts can detect subtle differences in flavour and can identify them by their size and shape as from Raspberry Point, Pickles Point, or one of the many other productive PEI bays, each having their own distinct flavour and finesse. For the visitor, oyster-lover or not, the


fun is in learning how to shuck (open) the oyster and seeing how they are served. The trick is in positioning and angling of your shucking knife correctly Steve explained as we cack-handedly had a try. I was better at eating them than shucking


to be honest and checked out those flavoured with lemon, or hotsauce, or soaked in a potent local moonshine. Some chefs drizzle on a roasted pepper puree,


From left: Face to face with the lobsters;


shucking an oyster; cycling the new Gulfshore Parkway and admiring the Fundy Bay views


others melt parmesan on them – using a quick and effective blow torch! I discovered, thankfully, that PEI is the


exception that proves the rule when it comes to the folklore that says: 'never eat oysters unless there is an R in the month'. Worryingly I was there in June but learnt this law only applies where seawater temperatures can affect oyster quality – something which doesn't apply in PEI. There are mussels to try here too,


grown off shore on ropes; and clams to dig from the shoreline for PEI’s popular clam bakes. And then just when you think you really can’t eat another thing you stop at Avonlea – the home of PEI’s more famous daughter Anne of Green Gables – where not only can you immerse yourself in all things Anne but you just have to sample the speciality handmade chocolates too. Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, was set on PEI and has sold over 50 million copies in 18 languages since it was published in 1908. The book has spawned Canada’s longest running musical – staged at the Charlottetown Festival Theatre – and is big business. The book attracts millions of visitors to see the Green Gables house, the property which inspired the book, and Avonlea, a reconstruction of the village featured in


good few pounds heavier as I re-crossed the Confederation Bridge and my Canadian journey turned its focus onto New Brunswick and began to get active. Wayne and Darrell, my tour guiding


double act, took me straight to The Fundy Trail, which stretches through one of the last remaining coastal wilderness areas in North America. The trail is perfect for eco adventures with breathtaking views and we hiked gently along a route which hugs New Brunswick’s majestic Bay of Fundy, one of the marine wonders of the world. There are many observation areas and lookouts along the way where you might catch sight of whales feeding or see birds of prey nesting in the cliff sides. The trail can be followed on foot for 10 miles or, for those less active, by following seven miles of spectacular coast road. (www. fundytrail parkway.com).


We based ourselves in St. Andrews-by- the-Sea, Canada’s first seaside resort town and home to the historic Fairmont Algonquin Resort (www.fairmont.com/ algonquin). It’s a picturesque weather- boarded town with a long maritime tradition, relaxed vibe and plenty of interesting shops to explore. From here I took a trip to


Deer Island for a kayaking adventure with a difference which I admit to being a little


SELLING CANADA • WINTER 2011 2011 31


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