Magdalen Islands: Canadian Beach Paradise and Great Cuisine.

Îles de la Madeleine (the Magdalens) wowed me.  Canada has its own sun and sand destination in theAtlantic off Prince Edward Island.  You can walk barefoot for hours on nearly-deserted beaches and sometimes hear the sand singing at each step you take.  The first fisherfolk were there a thousand years ago, Cartier topped a hill with a cross in 1537 and although there are some English settlers, the bulk of the people are Acadians who were expelled from Cape Breton about the time of the American Revolution.  It seems almost every house flies the Acadian flag.  Today working-at-sea, lobsters, scallops, smoked herring, an underground road salt mine, art, some of the world's best windsurfing, the annual sandcastle competition, cycling opportunities and catering to tourists with french cooking and inns all help to hold the island community together, with a dash of unemployment insurance added in winter.  Being independent they make their own cheeses (Pied de Vent), beer ( the grain for Corps Mort beer is stored with salted herring during manufacture) and much more including "bacosse".  This originally English word is unique to the islands and means "back house" home brew made from dandelions and cranberries with a taste like ice wine.  There's pride in their island and heritage. Freshly-painted homes compete in vivid colors and lawns are immaculate with the mowing extended along the roadsides.  "Fruits de mer" are on every menu.  We nibbled wild cranberries and blueberries and saw the wild morels we had enjoyed in the risotto at Auberge Chez Denis. Information site: Magdalen Islands for ... - Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine

	Shallow Barachois with nearly endless 20km winds ideal for wind surfing.