At the mouth of the Petit-Rhône in the Camargue, you find the seaside town of Saintes Maries de la Mer. It is located right on the Mediterranean Sea, with a lovely long beach and wild surf. The town was built between the 9th and 12th centuries and was a strategically important location for defense against pirate attacks. The church (Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer) is unique in both structure and height, as it is much taller than the surrounding buildings. The roof of the church at one time, served as a watchtower. Even to this day, the church is a site for Gypsy pilgrimages. Gypsies come from all over Europe every May 24th to come to pray to Saint Sara and usually leave an offering of cloth from their clothes for her to protect them through the coming year.
This town in the heart of the Camargue, is home to black cows, white horses, red rice, and the recognizable Fleur de Sel. The region has a strong tradition of bull rearing and herding that dates back to the late 1800’s when Folco Baroncelli a descendant of a Florentine family settled in the Camargue. His passion for bulls moved him to become a manadier and in 1895 he founded the “Manado Santenco” in Saintes Maries de la Mer. In 1909, he established the “Nacioun Gardiano” and was very active in the development and promotion of the Camargue bull-run.
Ginger and Nutmeg were invited to the very unique Festival D’Abrivado, which is held in Saintes Maries de la Mer every November 10th and 11th. Here are the fast facts:
Tags: Camargue, Cowboy Culture in Provence, Provencal Traditions, Provence Travel, Saintes Maries de la Mer, Travel in France, What is an Abrivado
Nutmeg felt a certain obligation to attend a family reunion that Hot Sauce (Mum) had organized at a pub, where her family lives, an hour outside London. The event was scheduled for later in November – a lovely time to head to the UK :-). The pull was strong and the guilt factor very high, as Google Maps identified a 12 hour drive (not counting the channel crossing) and a distance of 1253 km! So Ginger got out his trusty bible of Michelin rated restaurants and charted a leisurely route that took us from Aix en Provence to St Pere de Vezelay, outside Dijon, then onto the Normandy coast to Honfleur and Calais. The plan was to drive no more than 4-5 hours a day to allow for Ginger to have a big nap and for Nutmeg to explore the surroundings in her running shoes or on her bike. The general plan was to eat in fantastic restaurants, and to stay in hotels that had better showers and beds than our apartment in Aix. Note: the last part was not that hard to accomplish.
Hot Sauce (Nutmeg’s Mum) loves bananas, she grew up in the West Indies on an island that produces bananas for export, so it was best to love them…
Bananas are considered a super-food:
Tags: Banana bread recipes, Easy baking recipes, Easy healthy snack recipes, Food Nutritional Facts
As a way of getting acquainted with Provence, Ginger and Nutmeg treated themselves to a bike tour along with a good sampling of the local food and wine! The tour started in St Tropez with a day of biking around that area. It was beautiful and not too crowded, as the summer crowd was long gone. The harbour and surrounding vistas were terrific. However, for Ginger the best part was Le Club Porsche de France was in town for the weekend and he was able to check out some real fancy cars. There were over 20 in our hotel alone and likely over 300 in the whole town – quite a show!
Tags: Europe, Pont du Gard, Provence, Travel Tips
