It was strawberry season on Île d’Orléans back in July during my walk along the 42-mile Chemin Royal (Royal Road) that encircles the island. So I ate strawberries. And more strawberries. There were plenty of opportunities to buy and eat strawberries at many, many roadside fruit stands and farms. It was so much fun to have this available as I was walking, as they made the perfect snack. (Well, ok, along with the occasional chocolate that also provided the perfect snack.)
The strawberries on Île d’Orléans, an island near Québec City, Canada, were delicious, sweet and fresh. To translate some of the signs in this blog, “fraises” is strawberries, and occasionally there were also some delicious, sweet and fresh “framboises,” raspberries. Some places even had fields where you could pick your own. “Cueillette vente fraises” loosely translates to “picking strawberries sale.”
Other fruit and vegetables that you might have the opportunity to buy or pick, and eat, depending on the season on Île d’Orléans, include apples, black currants, blueberries, corn, potatoes, pumpkins, asparagus, and more.
Île d’Orléans is known as the “Garden of Québec,” in part because of all the delicious, sweet and fresh fruits and vegetables. I quote myself from a previous blog I did about Île d’Orléans: “People from Québec City come here to pick their own fruit. Just about all the veggies eaten in Québec City are grown on this island. The locals sell their produce not only on the island itself, but also in the markets in Québec City, and even to chefs at restaurants in Québec City.”
So my 20th reason (out of 42) to visit Île d’Orléans is plain and simple, well delicious, sweet and fresh…strawberry season on Île d’Orléans. Or any season, really!
Sweet (delicious, and fresh) Travels!
To recap my first 19, out of 42, reasons to visit Île d’Orléans:
#1. The quiet.
#2 through #4. The chocolate shops.
#5 through #10. The wineries, cidreries, and vinaigreries.
#11 through #16. The churches.
#17. The aroma of lavender.
#18 and #19. Recycled Folk Art and Textile Weaving.
My walking tour of Île d’Orléans was sponsored by Tourisme Québec (Québec Original) and Québec City Tourism (Québec Region). For more information, please visit:
Tourisme Île d’Orléans
Quebéc Region
Quebéc Region-Québec City and Area-Île d’Orléans
Quebéc Original