The centuries of Anglo-French wars are overwhelming, even for those most dedicated to the subject. Battles for geographic territory and ideological control started in Roman times. In one short post, it would be impossible to provide sufficient detail on this lengthy history of conflict.

Instead, here is a list of a few of the famous engagements:

• 1066 – The Battle of Hastings – the Norman conquest of England,  by William the Conqueror
• 1337 – 1453 The Hundred Years’ War – technically 116 years and numerous battles
• 1755 – 1763 The Seven Years’ War – the fight over control of North America which the British won
• 1779 – 1783 The American Revolution – the French aided the American rebel troops in forcing a British surrender
• 1792 – 1802 The French Revolution – the British were opposed to the anti-monarchical ideals of the French
• 1803 – 1815  The Napoleonic Wars – in 1810 the French Empire at its broadest reach, then Napoleon was defeated

And so on…

Tags: France, Travel in France

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2015 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.

The game of pétanque, sometimes called boules is a form of religion in Provence. Most villages have an official or unofficial boules pitch. The more elaborate centres will even have a “club house” offering refreshments.

The word pétanque is Provencal in origin from the word petanca, which means “feet anchored”. The game in its’ present day format started in La Ciotat (on the Mediterranean coast) in 1907. Other similar games are bocce, bowls and horseshoes.

Tags: Boules in Provence, Provence Travel, Travel in France

This entry was posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2015 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Provence, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

The idea for this hike came from a friend at the International Hiking group of Provence. The twosome needed to find a short hike that was not too far from the house, so they would have enough time to get the car to the mechanic.

Nutmeg consulted her “Must Do” list for Provencal activities; it was February so a day at the beach was not rising to the top of the chart. Not too far down the list, was this walk, les Gorges de Régalon a short, challenging hike that was close to home. (Walking in Provence West Guidebook).

Tags: Hiking in France, Provence Travel, Randonnee in France, Travel in France

This entry was posted on Monday, June 15th, 2015 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Provence, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Recently, Nutmeg introduced her friend Nancy McGee the founder and visionary behind Absolutely Southern France.

You can read the full article here.

Nancy moved to Sète, the ‘Venice of Southern France’ after 20-years in Aix-en-Provence. Here, is how Nancy describes the two areas:

Tags: Absolutely Southern France, Aix en Provence, Basin de Thau, Bouzigues, Custom tours, Expat, Languedoc-Roussillon, Sete

This entry was posted on Monday, June 8th, 2015 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Regular Ginger and Nutmeg readers know by now that Nutmeg cannot resist creating an ABC list for a new destination. The exercise allows her to discover some unusual facts that may help her out some day when she is playing Trivial Pursuit.

Enjoy a voyage to Greece and learn a few things about this remarkable country in through the next 26 letters.

Tags: Athens, Greece, History, Islands, Marathon, Ouzo, Temples, Wines, Zeus

This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2015 at 6:00 am and is filed under Greece, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.