Awoke in  Augustine Cove to heavy rain and wind (record-breaking rainfall was reported for some parts of the Island). It goes without saying the weather is taking the edge off the RV camping experience.

The good news is that, for some reason, the green and lush PEI countryside is just as endearing without sunshine - an interesting phenomenon - but the beaches are pretty much deserted as vacationers seek out indoor activities.

After a welcome (indoor) shower, we continued the PEI journey through Crapaud and Hunter River through the National Park from St Peters Road west to the stunning setting of Stanhope Resort. A group of very relaxed-looking vacationers was sitting reading by the cozy fireplace in the well appointed lobby as the downpour continued outside. (congratulations are due PEI's Murphy brothers on a splendid renovation of what is now a very fine facility.) We enjoyed a very pleasant lunch with our friend Robbie and spent a rainy afternoon catching up on work and driving through Rollo Bay near Colville Bay, where the oysters are reputed to be among the finest anywhere.

We spent the evening and overnight in Belfast in the farmyard of the Davies family - one of those fabulous island properties with lots of room between neighbours and landscaping and gardens the local fertile soil can produce with ease. The day was rounded out with a pleasant visit  to Point Prim Chowder House (complete with a "serenade" from a bagpiper) and a meal based on small rock crab, as opposed to the huge snow crab legs most of us are used to. Seafood is becoming a theme of this trip - and that's just fine with us.

(The puppies are growing like weeds and getting pretty pretty noisy in the back as they wrestle and roundhouse in the large crate that blocks the narrow passageway in the RV, making a trip to the washroom a bit of an obstacle course. As cute and cuddly and as much fun as they are, we won't be sorry to offload the last two to their new owner later this week.)