Actually, we’ve been back for a couple of days… ECMAs (East Coast Music Awards) were crazy fun, with musicians everywhere, cousins and friends on every street corner (and even some on stage – so proud of you Kady and Karyn!), and even politicians taking advantage of the limelight. We left on Friday and got to go to Mass at the church we will be married in 72 days (that’s just over 10 weeks!!!), checked our backpacks and suitcases (snuck in my air mattress) into the Delta hotel room that Mom and Dad had booked and snoozed and rested until supper time.

Charlottetown is pockmarked with fantastic antique pubs, cozy tearooms and elegant bistros, with kitchens brimming with top-class graduates of the PEI culinary institute. The Merchantman Pub was across the street. We ate oh so well.

Blackened Atlantic salmon cresting on a crunchy brick of home-made polenta and a mound of fresh veggies and sweetened corn.

We found our way to the ECMA Rising Star Stage and tapped our feet, clapped our hands, and danced to nearly every genre of music short of swing, samba, and Melanesian rain dance until early Saturday morning. We staggered off to bed. My poor Maria had to sleep through a “Symphony of four Brown Snores” that night…zzzzzzzzz…zzzzzzz…zzz…

The Delta Hotel hosted the ECMAs – and all the posters that came with them.

Having a “Holy Cow” at the Gahan house. We split 2 of these between 3 of us… there were leftovers.

We started Saturday with a “Holy Cow” burger at the Gahan House. Island restaurants are currently vying for our love with the peiburgerlove.com competition, and this burger has our vote – 12 0z. of meat, fried pickles, tomato, bacon and habanero roasted pepper ketchup with an onion ring for a halo.

Then for a bit of free music at the Murphy’s stage, and later an Irish coffee and caramel bread pudding at the Olde Dublin Pub accompanied by Richard Wood’s fantastic fiddling. We left with bellies full of sweets and hearts full of music.

We loved the Richard Wood’s fiddle music at the Olde Dublin Pub

Dad attacks the Dub-Fibrillator burger at the Olde Dublin Pub

Later, a surprise (2x)25th surprise party for mom, and off to the Molson Rock Stage. Stanfields rock! Literally.

Molson Canadian Rock Stage

And now we’ve rested a bit and we’re sliding back into our work schedule, but with Easter around the corner, and spring in the air, the ECMA afterparty has only just begun.

Spring has sprung