Ginger and Nutmeg had been on the road for 12 days travelling to Italian cities and ski resorts. They arrived back in Aix en Provence after a 9+ hour drive, and it took a full day to get through the laundry, pick up Jade from the “doggie spa” and buy some groceries. It was at some point that day, that they noticed a text message from Truffle – he was just a few kilometers away. His planned high-mountain ski randonnée in Corsica had been cancelled due to awful conditions. The great news is Truffle was in town and could come for dinner, the bad news: what do you serve a guy who makes foie gras and magret de canard for regular pre-dinner snacks? Dinner was fine, the wine and company much better.
Tags: Bouillabaisse Recipe, Food in France, Provence Travel, Seafood Recipes, Top Marseille Restaurants
The coastal city of Genoa (Genova in Italian) was Ginger and Nutmeg’s first overnight stop en-route to the Carnevale di Venezia and the Italian ski resorts. It was a logical stop as it allowed for a just the right amount of time in the car (not too much, not too little). Genoa is the Ligurian port city where Columbus was born in 1451. The current city and surrounding area encompasses a population of just over 1.4 million. The historical city was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006. Genoa is home to the Bank of Saint George, one of the world’s oldest institutions, and it continues to hold a strong place in the Italian economy today.
Ginger and Nutmeg stayed at the Bentley Hotel in Genoa. This hotel is really beautifully appointed, however has little classic Italian, Mediterranean or European charm. The hotel could be found in any major centre globally – it was lovely and the bathroom did NOT include the dreaded Euro shower. Setting out on foot from the hotel to the historic district is an easy walk, although involves a long set of stairs as the hotel is located on an upper ridge of the city.
Genoa as a port city is well situated and organized for cruise ship traffic. Many of the key attractions are found just along the waterfront including; the aquarium, the museum of the Antarctica, museum of science and technology for kids. The city tourist bureau has a large map (font and size) and an excellent web site available to visitors. Nutmeg’s advice – get away from the very touristy port as one should not miss Genoa’s Via Garibaldi and the Palazzi dei Rolli. These 16th and 17th century buildings were residences of the powerful families who were highly involved in the financial and sea based trade of the time. For the most part these multistory palaces have been beautifully restored and are generally open to the public for viewing the open staircases, loggias and sculpted gardens. Today these buildings are used for a combination of public (university, government offices, museums) and private uses.
Tags: Genoa, Travel in Italy
Ginger LOVES the Calgary Stampede. He is a faithful rodeo attendee and never misses a single chuckwagon race. Every year, Ginger dons his cowboy duds for the full 10 days of the Stampede, and a few more events on either end. He is a dedicated volunteer, who donates his time selflessly every year. OK, not exactly selflessly, there is an official access badge and lots of beer involved. This year he will seriously miss his favourite event of the year.
The good news for Ginger, is there is no shortage of cowboy culture, horses and bulls in Provence.
Tags: Provence Travel, Rodeo in Europe, The Bulls of Provence, Travel Entertainment, Travel in France
In Nutmeg’s books the Chartreuse liqueur is unappealing in colour (green) and definitely taste (distilled alcohol with 130 herbal extracts). Thankfully, Ginger does not like it much either. The production of this liqueur started in France in the 1740s by the Carthusian monks in the Chartreuse Mountains near Grenoble. The production and sale of Chartreuse continues to support the order of monks today. The history of the liqueur is interesting in that the production was stopped a couple times when the monks were expelled from France in 1793 and again in 1903. It was not until after World War II that they were officially allowed to return to France. Production today is based in Voiron and the exact recipe remains a well kept secret.
The liqueur may be unappealing but Nutmeg was interested to see La Chartreuse in Villeneuve les Avignon across the mighty Rhone river from Avignon. This beautiful mostly restored structure is now state owned and is the home of the Centre National des Ecritures du Spectacle (CNES). It took almost 100 years for the government to buy back the majority of the property that had once made up this monastery, the last owner left in 1988. During it’s functioning time, the monastery structure and surrounding land was close to 400 acres. The senior monks (fathers) led a contemplative life where they were physically and mentally solitary, in their devotion to the faith.
Tags: Abbeys, Avignon, Carthusian Monks, France, La Chartreuse, Provence, Villeneuve les Avignon
