Monday, July 26, 2010

Dalvay-by-the-Sea

Dalvay-by-the-Sea aka "White Sands Hotel"
"A National Historic Site of Canada, featured in the Sullivan EntertainmentTM Series Road to Avonlea and the popular Anne of Green Gables movies."

Of course, the Dalvay is extravagant, but a must-see for the first time visitor to PEI.  I was a little surprised to find that there was a $20.00 entrance fee just to get into the Park to meet our reservation obligations at the historic hotel.  I had a sense that I had inadvertently hurt the toll keeper's feelings with my response of incredulity when she asked for a toll. 


If you want to dine anywhere in the Park on the weekends you will need a reservation.  We ended up having to leave the Park and head to Charlottetown to eat supper and that was no easy task on the dark and unknown roads and curves of 20 miles length.  But having already spent a great deal of money that afternoon for "high-tea" we decided to go someplace else for supper.

That same afternoon, the Matron of the hotel got snippy with me when I went downstairs seeking help.  Being technically challenged with an unfamiliar ironing board, I couldn't get the thing to collapse.  "It must be a Canadian ironing board", I said.  It wasn't a complaint, just an observation about something that I wasn't familiar with.  She gave me a retort, "It is no different from American!"- I didn't know how to respond to that.  The good looking male Reservationist neutralized the moment by quipping that all the ironing boards there came from China.  I had no choice but to go back to my room and work at the frustrating mechanism  (one like I had never seen before) for several minutes until I finally won the contest.  Anyway, all was almost forgiven when it was time to check out and the same Matron actually smiled and agreed to take care of the disposal of my failed suitcase, and gave me large plastic bags to carry out my things.  I told her that for the good customer service in that particular time of need that I would give the hotel a good rating on the Internet....

So this is it....
  
The personified sea-wind that gushed through my open bedroom windows while I slept was worth the price of admission. The soft bed and cool linens was the most comfortable of the entire trip.  It was certainly worth the price, as I say.

Anyway, I'm so glad to be home on the one hand  and so ready to go back to the Mari times on the other hand.

Why do I get the feeling that I have been there before???

4 comments:

Laurie said...

The reason you feel you've been there before is that overall on Prince Edward Island I believe most people feel that they have 'come home'. I know I experienced that feeling and I had been there only once before. It's because we've heard and read so much about the island and when we visit, it feels like home. It's a really nice feeling, too. I felt it as well when I heard Haygood Hardy's theme at Park Corner...truly inspiring.

Laurie said...

And Rosemary, you should've went to the good-looking male to BEGIN WITH. :)

Laurie said...

And Rosemary, you should've went to the good-looking male to BEGIN WITH. :)

Rosemary Osterhus said...

You are so right, Laurie!! I should have gone straight to the good looking male. He had a French accent, too!!

I thought of putting the ironing board out in the hotel corridor to make it their problem ,or even of carrying it down the central staircase for all the world to see, but that would have just proved to her how rude that Americans can really be!! I wasn't going to prove her right.

The thing that irked me, is that I was paying over $10.00 an hour for that room, and I know I spent at least 15 minutes trying to get that ironing board to collapse. I think I deserve a refund!!

Anyway, I'm glad that I stayed that night. The night winds were comfort personified. I've never experienced that before. THAT was definitely a Maud experience!!

Thanks for the comments!!!