We drove down the fresh red dirt of the aptly named "New Road" past the just-as-new oyster processing plant of Future Seafoods, down the the shores of Salutation Cove and into the past. Thanks to a program put together by the people at Experience PEI we had an unparalleled opportunity to fish for oysters along side of men who's families had earned their living “tonging” shellfish for generations. Later, back on shore – following a lesson in grading, cleaning and shucking oysters - we ate our catch.

A few hours earlier, enjoying fresh fruit, pancakes and hot coffee at Briarcliffe Inn and watching ominous black clouds bringing the first sheets of morning rain in from nearby Northumberland Straight none of us felt like moving. The day before we'd ping-ponged across the island – morning at the Eptek National Exhibition Centre in Summerside, an afternoon interview in Hartsville with a man who puts dirt back into clothing and finally, an incredible meal prepared by one of the world's great undiscovered chefs, Emily Wells, at the Dunes Café in Brackley beach. Three video sessions and way too many miles on the Premag. We longed for down time.

But because the people at Experience PEI, Tourism PEI and Future Seafoods had gone out of their way to prepare for our “Meet the Neighbours” oyster expedition and because we live by the dictum that sometimes vacations are “hard work” we found ourselves in a dory fishing for oysters. Some of us at any rate. DJ stayed on the beach while Katherine and I headed out with Brian Lewis to become old salts. She fished, I filmed. We ignored the wind and rain and we had a ball!

The deep sea adventure (at least 12 inches of salt water below our keel) was followed by instructions from Ted Boutilier on grading and cleaning oysters. Again Katherine stepped up to the plate and “volunteered” to hose down the critters. As a result of Ted's excellent training I have become thoroughly insufferable in at the local seafood counter – telling the poor kids behind the counter that what they're selling as “choice” oysters are only “standard”.

Ted is also a world-renowned oyster shucker. His name is whispered with reverence – from Irkutsk to Patagonia - whenever oyster shuckers meet so having him as our oyster opening tutor was, as I'm sure you understand, a high honour! He humbly agreed to allow us video his technique so you too can now lay claim to being Boutilier-trained. (Don't thank us. It's a public service and we're happy to do it).

Ted, Brian Lewis, and his brother Erskine take pride in their Rocky Bay oysters. Deservedly so. That morning, at the end of New Road, just up from the ebbing tide of Salutation Cove I tasted my first raw oyster. It was delicious!

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