Anne's Land

On our second to last day in PEI, Anna and I had our official "Anne Day", where we made our delightful pilgrimage to all the Anne spots on the island. I have found though, in my visits before, that these days are as much a journey into the soul of Lucy Maud Montgomery and the island life she loved as much as anything. The books literally come to life before your eyes; the same farms in their rolling fields, the gabled white houses, the old homesteads set midst pines just yards away from the coast, it is all here. So is the beauty she wrote about so eloquently; the lake of shining waters and the haunted wood, the enchanted little corners of wood and field, they were all there in a rich autumn glory that made me feel as if I really could meet Anne nearby.

I have been quite impressed in my literary travels of the past week by the central role that nature played in the thought and creation of my most beloved writers. I mentioned Alcott and Thoreau previously, but Montgomery is in a league of her own. Her love of nature in its beauty and variety is part of the grace that so pervadesher writing. In the home of her beloved cousin, I found a quote by her that (paraphrasing) said: I have always felt that I lived quite near a world of ideal beauty. There was a curtain between me and that world, but sometimes the merest wind would lift aside the curtain and I could see just for a moment, and it was those moments that made life worth living. This thought went with me every place we visited that day, because it helped me to understand some of the captivation so many people find in the Anne books. Lucy Maud was writing about the beautiful , real world, just beyond her reach, and in touring her old haunts, I felt like I too was brought close to that world.

Silver Bush (Or the Anne of Green Gables Museum): Lucy Maud's haven, the home of her cousins and the house from which she was married. It sits right next to the Lake of Shining Waters and is barely a mile from the windy northern coast. Still run by relations of the family, this is my favorite museum because of all the personal stories and memorabiloia. There is also a lovely giftshop and little cafe, as well as carriage rides round the Lake of Shining Waters if you so desire.

Green Gables: Though not the actual home of Lucy Maud, this home belonged to a cousin and she was often a visitor in the home as wellas the land. This is the location of the haunted woods and the old and beloved Lover's Lane.

Blue Winds Tea Room: If you are ever in PEI, this is a lovely place to stop for a healthy and delicious bit of lunch, served on local pottery in a tiny blue cottage. The Clam Chowder and Raspberry Chocolate Cake are especially good.

New London: A tiny bit of a town between Cavendish (the location of Green Gables) and Park Corner. There is a little museum made up in the house where L.M.M. was born, and it also houses her wedding dress.

So, there's our official list of stops. What you can't catch with that arethe long, lovely miles of red roads through crimson maple groves, and old church steeples up against the moody sea sky. And you can't hear Anna dramatically reading Kilmeny of the Orchard, an old romance of L.M.M.'s as we drove. All I've got to see is that PEI is an island for best friends and dreamers. There's just no place like it, especially when your following in the footsteps of Anne and her gracious creator. A day to remember!