July 18

Thursday, July 18 End of the day odometer: 919

Woke up, ate a delicious breakfast of PEI eggs with PEI scallions.  Nick and Sasha

went off to play with the two Swiss boys we nicknamed the minions while we

packed the site; it is getting tedious, but we have fewer things as we progress.  We

bought cookies at the bakery (so good; I will get so huge on this island) and drove

off to Greenwich National Park.  By the time we got there, it was lunchtime, and we

stopped at the Lonely Planet recommended café (Rick’s Fish’n Chips) and it was

rather bland and expensive.

Next, we watched a short movie about the dunes and indigenous peoples at the

Greenwich interpretive center and played around with the hands on exhibition

(very good).  From the center, we took a gorgeous 5 km hike to the parabolic dunes

(the only such in Canada, hence the site is a National Park).  The walk was probably

the prettiest I’ve seen. The path was bordered by meadows of different flowers, with

the view of the ocean nearby.  The walking bridge through the freshwater lake was

stunning; everything was great, etc.  Once on the beach, we had the whole thing to

ourselves.  It looked sort of like Head of the Meadow, but with no one in sight.  Nick

and I swam, while Sasha and Anna watched the birds in our monocular.

Next we drove to the Basin Head beach, which has the “singing” sands and a small

bridge from which kids jump into the ocean.  Unfortunately, by the time we got

there, it was to cold to jump into the water; but we still walked on the singing sands,

and Sasha jumped off the lifeguard’s towers.

So far, we always drove west to east, and now we drove down south to our next

campsite—Brunell Provincial Park.  It was another hit—our site is huge and private,

with the view of the lake (or is it the bay?) and clean showers.  We are happy to be

here.  Kids are sleeping now, and Anna and I are sitting by the fire, talking.