It wasn’t until I started compiling the pictures for this blog that I realized the significance of the photos I took. I thought I had just found an interesting subject to photograph, and that they were fun! However, it turns out that the mailboxes of Île d’Orléans, in my interpretation, are a small-scale representation of the island itself.
Agri-tourism is a big industry on Île d’Orléans, as evidenced by the many blogs I have already written on this topic. Anything from “wineries, cidreries (apple products), and vinaigraries,” to “strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants.” The mailbox with the strawberry and apple on it represents the important industry of agri-tourism on Île d’Orléans, an island near Québec City, Canada.
There are lots of flowers and gardens on Île d’Orléans. One aromatic place I visited was the Seigneurie de l’île d’Orléans, which contains a variety of gardens, including a 10-acre garden of lavender. I also happened upon a field of sunflowers on a previous trip to Île d’Orléans at the La Ferme de Liz Ouellet. The mailbox with the sunflowers on it represents the aromatic and beautiful flowers and gardens of Île d’Orléans.
To support the agri-tourism, as well as the flowers and gardens, there are many large farms and fields throughout Île d’Orléans. The island is sometimes referred to as the “Garden of Québec,” and so the red barn mailbox represents the farming industry, the agri-tourism, and the flowers and gardens of Île d’Orléans, combined.
There are hundreds of amazing homes on the island, many of them centuries old. In fact the island contains 600 historic buildings, and the vast majority of the houses are adorned with grand porches. This fascinated me so much that during my walking tour around the 42-mile Chemin Royal (Royal Road) that encircles Île d’Orléans, I photographed a lot (and I mean a lot) of these porched-homes. I plan on doing a future blog with some pictures of these porches, and perhaps I will create a photography book someday soon as well. In the meantime, the mailbox of the home with the porch represents the history and architecture of Île d’Orléans.
Finally, there is a rich maritime history on Île d’Orléans. Historically, the island supported the trades of fishing and boat building, and I even visited a maritime park that will be the subject of another future blog. I found a few mailboxes (or at least I think they were mailboxes) with boats on them representing the rich maritime history of Île d’Orléans.
Therefore, my 23rd reason to visit Île d’Orléans (out of 42 reasons) is the significant mailboxes that, in my interpretation, are a small-scale representation of the island in a variety of ways. Now how fun is that!
Sweet (and significant) Travels!
To recap my first 22, 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.
#20. Strawberry Season.
#21 and #22. Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blackcurrants. Oh my!
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