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 for the hungry and parched traveller:

Domaine Arena – one of the top-rated wines on the island.  Ginger and Nutmeg have tried the red and white varieties – both are excellent. This winemaker is located in the Patrimonio region.  They were one of the first vineyards to begin the process of replanting classic Corsican grapes such as Biancu Gentile.  The wine is made in an organic style, and it is delicious.

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

This entry was posted on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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 debated; however, it is a powerful, iconic reminder of the island’s history.  It is a chronicle over millenniums of habitation, growth, conflict and struggle for survival.

Tags: Corsica, Corsica History, Travel in France

This entry was posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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:

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

Tags: Corsica, Travel in France

This entry was posted on Monday, January 16th, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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.

1. Do not panic – I actually do not know that I am lost. Although, I might be wondering where you are.
2. 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.
3. Follow the checklist – on the Calgary Humane Society web site and register on their PetLynx site. You can do this anytime…before your pet is lost.
4. Call the vets – in your area to let them know in case your animal is hurt or someone brings them in.
5. Make lots of posters – the posters do not need to be professionally done, include all my information and how to get a hold of you. Print many copies and then give them to neighbours, put them in the dog parks, attach them to posts, trees and anything else where people might see them.
6. Say Hi to your neighbours – let them know that your pet is missing.
7. Place ads in the local papers/media – The Calgary Herald 403-235-0511, The Calgary Sun 403-250-4222 and Shaw TV 403-716-6010 offer free online ads for lost pets.
8. Social Media – make use of Facebook, Twitter, SMS, blogs and any other sites to get the message out.
9. Dog Walkers – these are the people who are out almost everyday walking the neighbourhood parks. Use Google for your local area to get a comprehensive list.
10. Local Community Associations – your local community may have a website or email distribution list.
11. Do not panic and don’t give up!

Please note: this specific list is for Calgary. Your local area will have similar organizations and communication tools.

Ginger and Nutmeg would like to say THANK YOU once again to all their family and friends, from near and far who offered their support through a few stressful days. And I would like to thank the nice family who took me in and fed me a few leftovers.

[tfb username=’GingerandNutmeg’ count=’true’ lang=’en’ theme=’light’]

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

This entry was posted on Monday, January 9th, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under Travel with Pets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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!

Tags: Travel in France

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 1st, 2012 at 1:00 am and is filed under France, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.