Victoria by the Sea, Prince Edward Island

This past week, we visited Victoria by the Sea, on the south shore of our home province. The little village is a photographer's dream 

with its brightly coloured houses,

beautiful gardens, 

fishing boats,

and range lighthouse.

 A stroll around the village is peaceful and interesting, a feast for the eyes.

However, first we had lunch at Beachcomber on the Wharf.

This restaurant sits at the end of the wharf where the local fishing boats are tied up. Our table by the window overlooked the bay.

Umbrella tables with chairs for warm sunny days, unlike today, were outside. It is an appropriate setting for the seafood on the menu.

I had deep fried haddock which was lightly breaded rather than heavily battered. It was the best haddock I had ever eaten. The french fries were tasty but of the frozen variety, which is disappointing considering all the fresh potatoes available in our province. Coleslaw, tartar sauce and a roll finished the plate. The roll was huge, fresh and tasty, a huge temptation for someone trying to avoid bread. Rick had seafood chowder and a burger which he enjoyed. 

During the stroll through the quaint village, 

the range lighthouse is evident, though no longer in use.

It will be maintained by the village now that the federal government has abandoned it. This lighthouse, and another in a farmer's field further inland, worked together to provide reference points for vessels coming in to the wharf. When the red stripes on the side of both lighthouses lined up a certain way, mariners knew they were at the right place to turn safely into the bay. Then two other buoys provided navigational aid. 

Today, of course, with the proliferation of the Global Positioning System, the range lighthouse is obsolete. However it would be interesting to see what would happen if GPS stopped working. If the village maintains the lighthouse, it would be a good back-up system for mariners. The old ways can be more reliable on occasion.

There is a theatre, the Victoria Playhouse, 

in the village that is busy from late spring to end of summer with a variety of quality productions. Our plan for the day included the comedy Stranger to Hard Work, with Cathy Jones. 

The theatre was comfortable and cool 

in spite of the packed house and the stillness of the air that day. The opening act, Chris Gibbs, was hilarious, providing a British perspective on his adopted Canadian home. Then the hilarious Cathy Jones played several parts as she presented her life at sixty. She closed with her familiar Missus Enid character, now ensconced in a nursing home with everything it entailed. She received a standing ovation.

The walk through the village to the car and the forty-five minute drive home were a nice end to the day. 

Conversation was relaxed and chatty, a perfect reflection of the idyll which is Victoria by the Sea.