By the sea

It sits at the mouth of the Westmoreland River in the south central area of Prince Edward Island. Victoria by the Sea is a working fishing village and popular tourist area which is quiet this time of year when visitors are back home and fishing season is over.

We visited Victoria recently on a lovely 4 Celsius day, when the sun was intermittent and the wind was calm. The latter is unusual this past month when wind gusts have made most outside activity difficult. My husband and I decided to make the most of this rare weather day.

The wharf in the village is home to two restaurants which are closed in the off-season.

However it is busy around them during the fishing season as the boat launch is nearby.

Colourful fishing shacks would brighten any scene. Boats are refuelled near the wharf and the catch is unloaded via hoists.

On the wharf itself two floating docks have found a home for the winter.

Ice would destroy anything left in the water over the next several months. The mussels attached to the docks are high and dry. 

Not far from the water, one of the local boats is grounded for the winter too. Others have been taken farther afield.

The lighthouse has a museum which is open during the tourist season. 

Beautiful historic homes line the streets.

Near the water now, a park, behind revetments, 

replaces an old retaining wall destroyed over time by the wave action. The photo below, taken in 2017, shows the area at low tide. 

 

Notice the headland on the right. Now there is a new home in that area. 

I wonder what it is like in that house during winter storms or tropical depressions?

We hope to return to this charming village during the winter freeze-up.

Along the way in 2022

As we travel around the Prince Edward Island, there are always interesting things or curiosities which we see along the way. 

There is an area of the boardwalk which I call Hobbit House. It gets a lot of animal activity when birdseed or peanuts are left there. Hobbits visit when people leave for the day.

Recently our travels took us to the beach at Yankee Hill. Someone in the area put this sign up by the parking lot. 

There wasn’t much there that day but beach toys for kids are left there often. 

Some time later, the evening news reported about the items left at the sign having been stolen. My wish is that life never gets so newsworthy on this gentle island that such stories don’t make the evening news.

This fishing shack at Malpeque has an message which brings a smile to many.

In keeping with the fishing theme, someone decided to reuse fishing buoys found on the beach at Brander’s Pond. It is a good way to keep the stray buoys from littering the ocean or the beach.

This lone Canada Goose enjoyed his time among the gulls and swimming in the ocean with a cormorant. He was an unusual sight, the first goose we’ve ever seen on the beach. 

At French River a kayaker returned to shore after a paddle through the channel. It must be nice to see the shoreline from a different perspective and see cormorants close-up. 

My husband and I are planning to take our daughter’s kayak for a spin after tourist season when the West River area is less crowded. I miss riding my bicycle and the kayak would be something different to experience. It was my husband’s idea and he is not a fan of the water, but is eager to try it. You can bet there will be life jackets involved.

 

Winter visit

Every winter we like to visit some of the wharfs in Prince Edward Island in the quiet of winter. Recently we visited French River which is the subject of the header of this blog. 

The area is quiet this time of year. The inlet is frozen finally due to the colder temperatures in the last few weeks.

I take the photos of the wharf from the lookout above the area.

Beginning in April every year, boats are tied up at the wharf. Now some are high and dry behind the fishing shacks.

The slipway is frozen and the lift is tied in place, each waiting for the time when the fishers return with their boats for another season.

The fishing shacks are larger than many we see around the coast here. 

Despite the large shacks, stacks of lobster pots line the wharf.

In another month or so, the wharf will be a hub of activity again as the fishers prepare their gear and return their boats to the water when the ice is gone. 

It can’t happen soon enough.