This morning, returning from a meandering drive, as I entered the subterranean parking lot of the apartment building I met our neighbour Don circulating the garage while pushing his walker. We stopped to chat. He asked about our recent journey to Prince Edward Island; and, he recalled in particular how much he relished a walk on the beach.

Prince Edward Island offers a variety of stunning beaches, including popular white sand beaches like Cavendish Beach and Brackley Beach in the National Park, and famous red sand beaches such as Thunder Cove, Chelton Beach, and Panmure Island.The island’s red sand beaches are known for their dramatic cliffs and are best found along the Red Sands Shore and Southwest PEI. You can also find quieter, less touristy options like Blooming Point and beaches along the North Cape Coastal Drive.

While I share Don’s enraptured view of the beach, we were both quick to acknowledge our current mutual inability to walk on the beach. Those days have gone. Nonetheless I rebuffed the dismissal by assuring Don that, while I too adore activity of any sort of the beach, there are alternatives. I indicated that throughout our latest venture to the maritime provinces we had spent much of the time in hotels on the ocean. One place stood out – Rodd Crowbush Golf & Beach Resort, located on what I would call the north shore of Prince Edward Island across from Charlottetown on the south shore.

Though the autumn weather was magnificent, the quietude of the hotel already betrayed the off-season decline of business.  This, in my opinion, is a good thing.  The only times we’ve visited Prince Edward Island is early autumn (both September and October).  On both occasions the atmosphere was glorious. Though we didn’t motor about the Island as much this time as the last, the views along the coastal shores are magnificent.

On this occasion of our visit to Prince Edward Island we lingered on the resort grounds.  One day for lunch we got a ride on a golf cart from the main lodge to the clubhouse along the ocean.  There we sat on the high second floor on a large balcony overlooking the golf course and the sea. The food and service were exceptional! I had what has to have been the best PEI steamed mussels I’ve ever had – “sautéed with garlic, onions, and fresh herbs, then lightly steamed in a flavourful white wine and garlic broth; served with toasted garlic bread”. Undeniably it was the nec plus ultra!

The vicarious pleasure of the sea may also be enjoyed from the main lodge of the hotel (or in one of the adjoining cottages). The lobby is an inviting space with comfortable lounge chairs and  useful tables (we played chess), positioned overlooking the fairways and the sea. We had a suite which was tastefully outfitted, reminiscent of Canada’s famous railway hotels. We slept well.

In conclusion, I would happily return to Rodd Crowbush if ever my maritime blood once again surges within me. I appreciate Don’s coastal yearning.  It affords an uncomplicated seaside platitude which accommodates the punishment of old age. I loved the photography, the food and the place, without qualification.  Being able to sit on the balcony at the seaside clubhouse was an unquestionable palliative for any of life’s obstructions.

Sea Fever
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Poem © The Society of Authors as the Literary Representatives of the Estate of John Masefield.