A Canadian island fit for a duchess

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10 April 2012

The red carpets are being readied, the introductory speeches are being polished and the governor-general's house is being given a last-minute "paint job" in preparation for the Royal visit.

This week, Wills and Kate head for Canada on their first official overseas trip since their wedding, which was watched by millions around the world.

During their nine-day tour of the one-time British dominion, starting tomorrow, the couple will travel far and wide, but the highlight of the visit, at least for Kate, is likely to be the visit to Prince Edward Island (PEI) - home to Anne of Green Gables, the fictional orphan of whom she's said to be a fan.

The arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Canada's smallest province, which has a population of just 140,000, is probably the biggest thing to hit PEI since, well, the visit of Charles and Diana in 1983.

And despite everything that's happened since then, this is one part of the world where the royals - indeed Brits in general - can still count on a warm welcome, as I discovered on a recent trip.

Arriving at a restaurant in its pretty toy town-like capital, Charlottetown, just as it was about to shut up shop for the day, the owner's attitude warmed when I opened my mouth. "Hey, you've got the accent - guess you might as well stay now," he said with a smile.

The island province might not have much of a profile this side of the Atlantic but it's famous in Canada for two things: being the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery, who penned Anne of Green Gables, and for being the birthplace of "the idea" of Canada.

No official trip to "the colourful little island of ruby, sapphire and emerald" - as Lucy MM described it - would be complete without a cursory nod to its importance in Canada's story. So the couple's first port of call is likely be the neo-classical Province House, the historic Charlottetown building where, in 1864, the premiers of Britain's North American colonies agreed to form a unified country which duly came into existence three years later. Then, if the royal couple are so inclined, they can pop to the Gahan House pub for a pint of locally-brewed John A's Honey Wheat Ale - in honour of Scottish-born Sir John A MacDonald (one of those at the
meeting), who went on to become Canada's first prime minister. In fact, it's not at all bad.

However, it's Green Gables - once home to Lucy MM's elderly relatives and the inspiration for her 50-million selling children's classic - that is most likely to set Kate's pulse racing.

The pretty white clapboard cottage in the village of Cavendish, on the island's north coast, has been lovingly restored to the way it looked a century ago.

Visitors can take a tour of the house - PEI's No 1 tourist attraction - and see Anne's "bedroom" with its apple blossom wallpaper, and a puffed sleeve dress hanging in the closet.

Afterwards, the royal couple might like to take a stroll down leafy Lover's Lane, which also features in the story.

And if Kate's appetite for all things Anne has still not been satisfied, there is 'Anne of Green Gables: The Musical', which has been playing at Charlottetown's arts centre every summer - Groundhog Day-like - since 1965.

One of the things that struck me as I browsed in some of Charlottetown's Anne shops - be it the "Anne of Green Gables Store" or "Anne of Green Gables Chocolates" - was the number of
Japanese tourists on the island.

The reason? The novel was one of the first Western books to be translated into Japanese, and is hugely popular there as a result, so much so that newlywed couples honeymoon on the island.

Of course, there is more to PEI than Anne and Sir John A MacDonald - not least the beautiful beaches, scenic coastal drives and numerous cycle and hiking trails.

A friend and I spent a fabulous day on the north coast of the island getting a taste of the Great Outdoors, which lies at the heart of the Canadian holiday experience - courtesy of Tim, the oh so laidback co-owner of Outside Expeditions in little North Rustico.

First up, the two of us went for a cycle ride along the Gulf Shore Parkway - a mixed-use trail in nearby PEI National Park. I'll never forget the rolling hill and sea panoramas, the red cliffs, and, most vividly of all, the seaweed smell of the sea. Then, we rounded off the perfect day with a two-hour early evening ocean paddle in the national park.

Last but not least, there is the delicious local seafood - you've got to try the lobster at the Lobster on the Wharf in Charlottetown before heading home.

I'd also recommend the fish and chips at the city's Churchill Arms pub - the biggest, best-value fish'n'chips I've probably had in my life.

The province's Cows ice cream is also a must. Try the Cowie Wowie - a mouth-watering of calorie-packing combination of vanilla, English toffee and chocolate.

Quite what William will make of the Anne of Green Gables leg of his and Kate's trip to PEI is debatable.

As the shop assistant in the Anne of Green Gables store said when I asked her if there were any souvenirs I could buy my nephew Arthur: "Boys aren't usually that interested in Anne."

Still, Kate's sure to be happy.

A Canadian island fit for a duchess

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