American girl meets boy from Brittany, France – add four ingredients and a company is born!
Tags: Easy baking recipes, Food from Brittany, French Food, The Breton Gourmet, Travel to France
The relief palatable, the calm almost surreal, something is missing – the wind has stopped!
In France, the mistral is a strong wind that typically blows from the north or northwest. Mistral the name for this wind means “masterly”, and in Nutmeg’s opinion, it certainly lives up that reputation. The mistral typically blows hard, with gusts at times up to 100 km/hour as it accelerates down the Rhone and Durance rivers towards the Mediterranean. Much like a Chinook in Calgary, the mistral brings a change in weather, in this case it is typically dry and cooler. This can be a relief in the hot days of spring and early summer, or a curse in the later days of the fall as it creates glacial temperatures.
There are two French expressions when it comes to the mistral “le vent qui rend fou” (the wind which makes you crazy) and “le vent des voleurs” (the wind of robbers). Nutmeg thinks both sayings are accurate. The mistral can blow for just a couple of days or even as long as a week. A strong mistral will typically send cafe patrons indoors and make golf games virtually unplayable. The beautiful plane trees of Provence, with their noisy, leafy canopies provide excellent cover for robbers, as even dogs cannot hear their approach.
Tags: Mistral, Provence, Travel in France, Wind
Jefferson’s voyage continued south.
He paid a visit to St Remy de Provence and Les Baux, his interest in agriculture and antiquity were the main drivers. The rural area around St Remy continues to be heavily focused on agriculture today. Although, the combination of agricultural crops has changed over the years, the enduring olive tree continues to be a strong contributor to the local economy.
Tags: Canal du Midi, Provence, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson in France, Travel, Travel Book Reviews
One of Nutmeg’s all-time favourite quotes is by the third United States President, Thomas Jefferson:
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.“
Needless to say, she was thrilled to read a book by Roy and Alma Moore entitled “Thomas Jefferson’s Journey To The South of France”. The book is available through Amazon, it is a well-researched chronicle of Jefferson’s visit to the southern part of France in 1787. The book includes copies of his letters, recent pictures and some snippets of history. Jefferson was at the time the American minister to France; his journey however, was a personal one with few official obligations. He set out from Paris on February 28, 1787 and returned on June 10th, the same year.
This post is not a book review, but rather Ginger and Nutmeg’s view of some of the places that the illustrious man visited 224 years before. A note to readers, this blog post, includes several embedded links (see bold text) to photo galleries and previous posts, click away and enjoy the Thomas Jefferson tour
Tags: Books, Provence Travel, Thomas Jefferson in France, Travel Book Reviews, Travel in France
Are you a history buff?
Nutmeg would like to introduce you to a real find: Beware Madame la Guillotine, A Revolutionary Tour of Paris by Time Traveler Tours, an educational tourism start-up that is capturing worldwide attention.
Sarah Towle is Founder and Creative Director of Time Traveler Tours, mobile iTineraries that reveal history through the stories of characters who helped shape their time, enhanced with dash of interactive games. Her first StoryApp, Beware Madame la Guillotine, A Revolutionary Tour of Paris, received accolades as a School Library Journal Top 10 2011 App and Teachers With Apps Top 10 Tried & True Classroom App. It was also recently named a Top 10 2012 Travel App by the World Youth and Student Travel Conference. Sarah’s second title, also on a death theme, Day of the Dead, a journey to the Napoleonic era, is due for release later this year.
Tags: Best Apps for Travel, Paris, Travel in France, Travel to Paris
Is it possible more flavour and less fat? Yes!
Italian cuisine is known for its’ simplicity and high-quality ingredients. Gelato is one such example. The Italians have been perfecting this frozen desert since the days of the Medici family of Florence. In 1565, a Florentine chef, Bernardo Buontalenti, served his frozen concoction to Catherine de’Medici. Since that time, the popularity of the dessert and the wide variety of flavours has exploded. Today, gelato can be found all over Italy and many places around the globe.
Tags: Easy healthy desserts, Easy Italian Recipes, food info, Gelato, Travel in Italy
Ginger and Nutmeg have had lots of visitors in Provence this year. Nutmeg likes to think that her blog posts planted the “seed” that enticed them all to book their plane tickets. In reality, her friends are well travelled and do not need her help to convince them that Provence is exceptional in the summer.
G&N love all the foreign visitors, it is a marvellous chance to show off the region, discover some new towns and introduce new friends to old ones. One such occasion happened last week at a cooking class with Nutmeg’s talented friends Ghyslaine and Jacques. You can read last year’s post here.
Tags: Cooking Classes in Provence, Crespeou, Provencal Food, Provencal Traditions, Travel in France
Eygalières is a beautiful village located in the heart of the Alpilles in Provence. The town has a population of barely 1,800 souls, most of whom live in another locale on a regular basis. The number of residents swells in the spring and summer months as the homes and hotel rooms fill. Owners and staff at the local cafés and restaurants work hard during these months serving the throngs of visitors.
The setting for Eygalières is idyllic; a medieval village perched on a hill offering views of the Alpilles and Mont Ventoux. The hamlet has one bustling main street filled with three cafés, two bakeries, a butcher, two groceries, several restaurants and too many real estate agents.
Tags: Alpilles Mountains Provence, Camargue, Cowboy Culture in Provence, Provencal Traditions, Provence Travel, Travel in France
Think Sex And the City; Think Eating & Drinking; Think Shopping; Think Fun and what do they all have in common? Things that friends love doing together. All the essential ingredients for a home party!
Tags: Canadian Rockies, Canmore, food info, Spice Sanctuary
