As you all know, Nutmeg was not terribly excited about heading back to Calgary in November. I decided that I should help her out and do a little research on where to find a bit of France in Calgary (pronounced Càl-gà-riêéè in French).
Although, Alberta has a reputation for being Anglophone, it is actually the third province in Canada for number of residents with French as their mother tongue. Over 68,000 people can legitimately claim that fact.
Despite a reputation of beef, beef and more AAA beef; the province has more to offer on the restaurant and grocery scene. In part, we can thank our French-speaking residents for their more sophisticated palate. Check out how Française Calgary really is…

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Calgary Restaurants, Food in Calgary, French Food, Restaurant Reviews, Travel Alberta

The island of Corsica is odd shaped, think of a bunch of grapes with the stem at the top and you will not be too far off.  The stem of the cluster forms the wild and stunning Cap Corse. The island’s terrain is enormously varied from mountain peaks (120 summits over 2000 meters) and river gorges to sandy beaches and lush plains.  This varied topography is reflective of the balance of the grapes in the bunch. Ginger and Nutmeg were told by friends that Corsica is like a mini-France. They were right, the island offers the traveller a rich and tasty experience within the 1000km coastline. The Corsican population is fiercely proud of their locally produced food and beverage products. Ginger and Nutmeg did their best to sample a wide variety of the available goods during their trip. Nutmeg had a bit of fun with this post and hopes you will too.
The following are the ABC’s of Corsican food…

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ABC Travel Lists, Corsica, Corsica Food, French Food, Travel in France, Wines of Corsica

It is impossible to do the history of Corsica justice in one short blog post.  The following is a brief summary and an opportunity to show off our photos.  For those history buffs out there, you can easily lose yourself for hours on the Wikipedia pages alone.
A history of strong, dominant forces formed the island of Corsica, throughout its’ entire history. The landmass of Corsica was created by intense, volcanic activity.  Among other names for this beautiful island, one is “a mountain in the sea”.  Corsica is the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean, with well over 100 peaks higher than the 2000-meter level. The dramatic peaks, lush valleys and 1000 kilometres of coastline, have all played heavily, in the civilization of the island, as it exists today.  The Moor’s head is dominant on the Corsican flag and visible throughout the island on 1000s of items from beer labels to beach towels.  The exact origins of the symbol remain…

Recipes & Travel:
Corsica, Corsica History, Travel in France

Years ago, Nutmeg had a boss (a faithful blog reader) who suggested that it could be a career limiting move, to stay in Paris longer than the assignment required.  Nutmeg found this rather disappointing as she had a strong desire to explore Corsica, and felt that she deserved a holiday. The French, for good reason, call Corsica “l’Ile de Beauté” or Island of Beauty.  The island is stunning at every turn with sandy beaches, limestone cliffs, granite mountain peaks and lush agricultural areas.  Corsica offers something for every taste, from the “beach lizard” to the “adventure racer” and all the folks in between. Nutmeg would like to thank her former boss, if she had visited Corsica all those years ago two things probably would have happened:

She would have fallen in love with the island
Ginger may have had another name like Antonio

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Recipes & Travel:
Corsica, Travel in France

I was in BIG trouble!
The day after Christmas, I wandered away from my backyard in search of a few turkey dinner leftovers.
Now really, who could blame any black Labrador for that?

The happy news is I am back home safely, although Nutmeg is still a bit mad at me.
I thought I should share our Lost Dog Checklist below (includes some web links) in case your dog or cat follows a similar trail.
The list is not an official city list but we hope it helps others find their dogs and other lost animals.

Do not panic – I actually do not know that I am lost. Although, I might be wondering where you are.
Call ASAP – the City of Calgary Animal Services @ 311. They will ask you to file a report with all of the embarrassing details; breed, age, weight, colour, tattoo, microchip etc.
Follow the checklist – on the Calgary Humane Society web site and register on their PetLynx site. You can…

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Calgary Humane Society, City of Calgary Animal Services, Lost Pet Checklist

Ginger and Nutmeg would like to wish all their fans a very Happy New Year.  We sure hope that you do not wake up on the first day of 2012, feeling sleepy or worse.

They would like to share some projections for the year ahead:

Queen Elizabeth will celebrate a big ANNIVERSARY (60 years)
The US federal election will be a big BORE
The French national election will have no DSK
The 100th Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede will be a big PARTY
The summer Olympics in London will be a big TRAFFIC JAM
There will be lots of focus on the Mayan Calendar big DATE (12/21/12)

AND
The French will continue to make really good bread.

Happy 2012!

Recipes & Travel:
Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg spent 13 months in France, a journey that would have been impossible without the help of friends and family. They would like to pass on best wishes for a delightful holiday season to all their friends, new and old.
The English and French love to debate many things, including the origin of the popular Christmas carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.  Ginger and Nutmeg do not have the answer but thought it would be a fun way to show off some photos of their time in France.
Wishing everyone a safe and fun-filled holiday season. Watch for more posts in 2012!

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Recipes & Travel:
Christmas Holidays Wishes, Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg were invited to join some friends for a day of “easy” cycling on L’Île de Porquerolles. This is the biggest of three small islands that make up the Îles d’Hyères or Les Îles d’Or (Golden Islands), located just off the coast from Hyères.  This is the rougher, wilder, “native” side of the Cote D’Azur.  The ferry leaves from a couple locations; you can check the schedule on the official site.
Scheduled departure for the ferry was 10:30am, a bit of extra traffic congestion through Toulon, and a slight wrong turn made for a VERY tight connection.  G&N were absolutely the last to board the boat, but they made it! This late February day was certainly not one for bathing suits or t-shirts, fleece and puffy jackets were in order. The temperature hovered around ten degrees Celsius, with gusting winds and a constant threat of rain. Nutmeg is absolutely not a boat person, so the short choppy crossing…

Recipes & Travel:
Biking in Provence, Cote d'Azur Travel Ideas, L'Île de Porquerolles, Provence Travel, Travel in France

In France and much of Europe, hiking or randonée is a significant part of the culture. There are walking trails for all levels that crisscross the continent.  The longer trails form part of the GR system or Grande Randonée, there are over 60,000km of trails in France alone. Here is a great resource guide book.
Ginger and Nutmeg love hiking, but they never expected to start the season in January, when they were introduced to the International Hiking Group of Provence. G&N made it to as many of the scheduled Tuesday hikes as they could fit in to their busy European exploration agenda.
Each hike was unique, the scenery beautiful and weather at times unpredictable. All of the hikes offered opportunities for some laughs along the way. Some of the favorites are highlighted below:
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Cookies, Cranberry, Guidebooks, Hiking, International Hiking Group of Provence, Oatmeal, Provence, Randonee

Ginger, Nutmeg, and Jade recently arrived back in Calgary after their “Year in Provence”. Ginger insisted that he had to return to North America for several commitments. Although, he did admit that returning in the month of November was dubious. The two ladies agreed to come back reluctantly, but only after Ginger promised that they would return to France next summer.
Nutmeg was thrilled that there was no snow on the ground for their arrival.
Jade was happy to get out of her travel kennel. She was not too fussed about where she was, as long as the food kept coming at regular intervals.
Ginger was probably the most excited as the NHL hockey season was underway and his regular “old boys” league were still playing on a weekly basis.
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Blink Restaurant Calgary, Calgary Cooking Classes, Calgary Restaurants, Food in Calgary, Travel Alberta