Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Traveling Gaspese--- a day trip to Isle d'Orleans

Ile d'Orleans may be only a 20 minute drive from Quebec City, but in character it is world's away from the hustle and bustle of the busy tourist city.  Everything moves at a slower pace here-- there is no industry~ only farms, and cows, and sheep... and the people who own them...

 Isle d'Orleans
(September 16, 2014)
~
if you don't live here,
then your only reason to be here
is to marvel at the tranquil
scenery,
and to say to yourself--
"yes, I could live in this beautiful
place"~

driving to the island,
takes you across the bridge that is pictured here...
although we have been here several times,
we never tire of making the journey
all around this island~

Ile d'Orleans is located in the middle 
of the Saint Lawrence River. 
Tiny in distance,
21 miles long
and 5 miles wide--
you can easily drive around the island
as a day trip from 
Quebec City~ 
~
the island is divided into 6 quaint little
parishes-
each unique in it's own way~
~
come along with us
as we drive all around this beautiful
place,
stopping for photos all along 
the way~

the island is famous for it's 
chocolate--
turning right after you cross the bridge
will bring you to the lovely
Chocolaterie.
~
inside you can purchase
ice creams,chocolate candies
and also eat in the little
 cafe.
(this is probably the only touristy spot on the island)

the island is a haven for artists~
almost every little shop and
roadside market
will have art for sale

all along our drive
are beautiful views of the river...
there is no where along the drive
where you cannot see the
 water~

the island is also famous
for apple ciders and
ice wines..

 quaint little farms
are seen all along the drive around the island..
I fell in love with the old, tumbledown
barns

many of the farms
provide guest houses,
similar to "bed and breakfast"
lodgings

we stopped for lunch at a lovely
restaurant,
and found this cozy
little place to sit and enjoy
the views

the island is home to many 
wonderful restaurants...
this is one of our 
favorites~

the view from the restaurant lobby

another beautiful little roadside
inn and restaurant --
we stopped to walk around for a bit
and take photos~
(of course!)

there are such beautiful views
all along this drive --
we found ourselves stopping 
over and over again
for photos!

one of my most favorite places
on the island~
a Catholic respite, (hidden from the road)
with the most stunning views
 of the river...
~
we found this place quite by accident
the first time we visited 
Ile d'Orleans--
now, we visit every time we
make the drive~
(you are SO going to love this place!)

we spent several hours here,
walking all over the grounds
and taking photos~
the flowers
are always so lovely...
 
 this is one of those places
that lingers in your soul long after you
have left...
beautiful views that leave you
breathless~
 
 we have been here in the spring
and now the early fall--
there is no season
that this place is not beautiful
beyond words~
 
 it is easy to see 
why people would want to come to this place
for silence 
and to find peace and comfort
in their lives~
 
 
 
wouldn't you love 
to just sit here all day,
 watching the river 
lazily float
 by?
 
in all the times that we have visited here,
we have never seen anyone 
walking around~
but this time,
I met someone who truly
touched my life...
 
 her name was Cecile...
she had been out for a hike
when we met walking the grounds--
although she spoke mostly French,
and only broken English,
we had a lovely conversation~
~
she was visiting here 
to rest and recover
from a recent serious illness,
her elderly parents were
also visiting here with her...
 
 she invited us inside to see her room
and to share with us this amazing respite home,
some of the rooms which date
back to the turn of the
 century~

inside the house
only "silence" is spoken--
so we tiptoed around all the rooms
and she whispered to us
the incredible history of the house..
~
the painting above the fireplace 
is one of the oldest artifacts
in this old house--
an ongoing restoration program
is in place to bring this
treasure back to life
once more... 
 
 to be able to walk the grounds
and enjoy the beauty that surrounds this place
is truly special--
but to actually be given the opportunity
to quietly breathe in the history of the house
and to see first hand the historic treasures inside,
 was truly an unbelievable
experience --

after filling our souls
with the beauty of the respite house--
we continued our drive around the island~
 
 this lovely little cottage
houses a working artist studio
and a chic little boutique

in addition to the gorgeous
black-eyed susan flowers,
the yard was filled with these
incredible
pink hydrangeas~
I thought they were absolutely stunning! 
 
 Isle d'Orleans is home
to many historic and beautiful churches
~
Church at Sainte Famille
est. 1749


Sainte-Famille is the oldest parish on Île d'Orléans.
 this church, built in 1743 and consecrated in 1749, 
is one of the last dating from the 
 French regime.
~
(note the shadow play on the roof line of the church)
 
 
 next door to the church 
is a little museum--
this old window 
is in the upstairs of the building
and looks out on the cemetery and the
beautiful gardens
below~

it seems like
everyplace you look on this island
is a picture postcard scene~
 
a most perfect place
to have a picnic~

the climate must be just perfect
for flowers here--
the blooms are so beautiful
everywhere~

with this island being only 21 miles long--
you could actually drive all around
in less than an hour~
but for us--
it took us the entire day...
 
our last look at this beautiful
church~
 
continuing our drive around the island--
our next stop was at this cute
little roadside market~
 
 quaint little roadside markets 
are found all along the road 
as your circle the
 island~
 
fresh raspberries in September!!
(and look at those beautiful apples!)
 
 autumn on the island
is glorious color~

I'd love to have this old
wooden cart in my yard
at home!

another one of my most
favorite places on the island~

Saint-Jean-de-Ile d'Orleans
est. 1662
 
I am in love with this
shady little cemetery on the banks
of the river~
 
 some of the tombstones
here date back to the 1700's~

I love how the cross in the middle of the gate
is bent and crooked~

just beyond the church
is this awesome rocky area
beside the river
(we sort of climbed over the fence to walk among these rocks!)
 
as the evening shadows 
started to fall...
it was time to make our way
back to Quebec City~
(note the shadow play on the door of the church)
 
Some notes from me~
I'm sorry for the excess of photos --I wanted to truly take you along as we drove all around the island.  This "Traveling Gaspese" series is meant to be a photo journey and I want you to feel as though you were really there...

Next up-- we will take one last day trip from Quebec City.  This time I will take you to the historic St. Anne de Beaupre church--one of the world's most beautiful churches, and to the quaint little artist colony town of Baie- Saint- Paul. We spent 4 wonderful days in Quebec City, making day trips from there during our stay. At the end of this series -- (and heaven knows, it may well be sometime this summer!!)-- I will post our entire itinerary.
 
In case you missed the first post of this series (a tour of historic Quebec City) -- you can find it here--
 
Spring is starting to really happen in my little corner of the world.  I can hear the birds singing and we have daffodils in bloom --- just knowing that warm days are ahead has put a spring in my step~
 
xoxo,
Vicki 

 

30 comments:

Joyful said...

What a delightful photo tour, Vicky. You have some marvelous photos depicting the beauty of the area. I think Quebec and Ontario are two of the prettiest places in the Fall.

Roses, Lace and Brocante said...

Ile d'Orleans is so picturesque!
With your great photography you've taken me on a special tour of this lovely island.
Such beautiful old buildings and amazing views from the gardens on the waters edge.
I want to pack my bags and visit!!

We are off to France again in June to see my daughter and three beautiful granddaughters!
Flying via Dubai to Dublin for a short tour before crossing the channel.
Travel is in my blood!

A beautiful parcel was on my doorstep when I arrived home from work today! Emailing you V.
Shane x

Elderberry-Rob said...

What a wonderful journey you took us on, the respite in particular was something really special. Thanks for sharing. I had never heard of this pretty place and now would love to be able to visit one day.

Catherine said...

What a beautiful place. Quebec and the surrounding area is definitely on my "must see" list. One day, perhaps.....
Spring is coming here too and yesterday we visited Highgrove, the country house and estate belonging to Prince Charles. The acres of gardens were a sea of daffodils and other spring bulbs. Magical but we were not allowed to take photos.
I love your travelogue photo posts Vicki.

Julie said...

STUNNING! what an amazing place.

http://thankfullga447 said...

Thank you so much for taking us bloggers along on your trip. I could live there - it is so beautiful and spiritual. I leaned something new.

Craftymoose Crafts said...

Gorgeous Photos! Thank you for sharing this second leg of your trip--I am refreshed just looking at it!

Mosaic Magpie said...

What a delightful place to visit. Everyone needs a quiet place for their soul to rest. Must be an incredible place to recuperate from an illness. The shadow play on the church door seems to be welcoming all that will enter. Lovely post.
xo,
Deb

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

Lovely, tranquil place to visit, and the have CHOCOLATES. That should be kept a secret as it could be over-run by post menopausal women.

Moms Musings said...

I loved all the pictures, could have seen more. That is a beautiful place, hopefully I can make it there some day, until then, I'll take your memories and photos.

Joanne Noragon said...

A beautiful place and a beautiful day for the trip. Thanks for taking us along.

Julia said...

Thanks so much for taking us along the day trip to Isle D'Orleans. It's absolutely beautiful like you said and I love the Catholic Respite place. I can see going there to just get away from the daily stress.
Just seeing the mass planting of beautiful flowers is so refreshing.

Don't apologize for too many photos, the more the merrier...
I'm looking forward to more of your trip.
Happy April.

Hugs,
JB

Ariadne said...

Oh my God!What a beautiful island! how I would have loved to visit it!AriadnefromGreece!

Anonymous said...

Vicki do not be sorry for so many photos...I do feel like I am there. I truly am so thankful to you for taking the time to share your travels with us. This one had me in tears. It is hard for me to even believe a place like this exists. The catholic respite touches my heart so deeply. I am still such a new catholic. I was confirmed only four years ago on Easter. My husband was raised catholic and even graduated from Jesuit High School. I became a Christian when I was 17 at a Campus Life retreat on Catalina Island. But I did not find peace in my faith until I became catholic. And I can see, almost feel, the peace in this place that you visited. The woman you met sounds like a divine encounter of beauty. I am in awe of your travels here. And being an artist myself, this place woos my heart. I look forward to more...xo

Sue Kosec said...

Oh my ... I'm gonna fight you for that cart!!!!! Have no idea where I'd put it, but I'll find a place. Of course, we may get evicted but I think it takes a while to go through the court system so I may have a few days to enjoy it. Haha.

A always, beautiful pictures. What impressed me most of this wonderland is the sky. Just gorgeous. Ain't God good?

Thanks for sharing.
xo
SuZeQ

Anne's Attic - Design said...

Vicki this little island is such a lovely place to visit. It looks like it just came out of the Anne of Green Gables series. So peaceful. Thank you for sharing. Jo

Andrea Ostapovitch said...

Absolutely amazing!!! I will definitely be adding this little gem of a place to our itinerary when we head East!

NanaDiana said...

Vicki- What a beautiful tour of the island. It is a gorgeous place and I just love the quaint "feel" to it. You are a lucky gal to be able to visit as often as you do.

You look darling in those pictures, too. xo Diana

Denise said...

Lovely, lovely, lovely. Than ks for sharing your photos.

Gracie Saylor said...

Thanks for sharing each of your photos, Vicki! I thoroughly enjoyed your reprise of this portion of your trip...and was pleasantly reminded of traveling to PEI this past Fall with my youngest son...different but similarly beautiful :-) I'm going to scroll back up and appreciate your artistry again! xx

Polly said...

Beautiful pictures of a beautiful place.

Dorthe said...

My dear Vicki, I love when you are the guide of the tour, -you are so enthusiastic, about experiencing everything and not only see the facades and the straight road- so thank you for that.This tour around Ile dÃ’rleans, is filled with beauty and so special lovely little villages, and wonderful churches, and I enjoied it all, dear friend !!
Hugs from Dorthe and Happy Good Friday !!

Suztats said...

I so enjoyed this post, Vicki, and the glimpses of history and architecture in the beautiful places you photographed. Thank you.

Amy at love made my home said...

Happy Easter! xx

Eugenia Maru http://lulurulitos.blogspot.com said...

Otro viaje maravilloso. Tan lindas fotos. Todo lindo. Las hortensias me encantan. Todas las flores están preciosas.
Saludos


Another wonderful trip. So nice pictures. All cute. I love hydrangeas. All flowers are beautiful.
greetings To You
Maru

yaya said...

Wow, what a beautiful place and your photos are amazing...makes me want to pack up and go visit there! That's an island I would love to be stranded on...famous for chocolate, artists and those lovely raspberries! Thanks for sharing...it was just like a travel magazine! Happy Spring and Easter!

Julie Marie said...

Hello sweet friend... what an absolutely beautiful post!...and beautiful you!... I am trying to get caught up with your posts... I have been doing Instagram more than blogging lately, and then I was in the hosp for some tests and am way behind!... oooh, how I would love to visit there!... and I love all of the history and stories you always include with your photos... I am in love with this beautiful place and yes, I could easily live there!... sending you much love, and happy Spring days... off to read your previous post... xoxo... Julie Marie

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

I sit here on a drab, dusty day surrounded by blahness and your photos are just absolutely, incredibly beautiful! Best wishes, Tammy

Esme said...

How quaint and adorable. There are so many little villages like this in Quebec. They are just darling.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

What an amazing trip and all your photos and descriptions made me feel as though I was there with you. Thank you!