Category: France

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!

Recipes & Travel:
Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg spent 13 months in France, a journey that would have been impossible without the help of friends and family. They would like to pass on best wishes for a delightful holiday season to all their friends, new and old.
The English and French love to debate many things, including the origin of the popular Christmas carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.  Ginger and Nutmeg do not have the answer but thought it would be a fun way to show off some photos of their time in France.
Wishing everyone a safe and fun-filled holiday season. Watch for more posts in 2012!

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Recipes & Travel:
Christmas Holidays Wishes, Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg were invited to join some friends for a day of “easy” cycling on L’Île de Porquerolles. This is the biggest of three small islands that make up the Îles d’Hyères or Les Îles d’Or (Golden Islands), located just off the coast from Hyères.  This is the rougher, wilder, “native” side of the Cote D’Azur.  The ferry leaves from a couple locations; you can check the schedule on the official site.
Scheduled departure for the ferry was 10:30am, a bit of extra traffic congestion through Toulon, and a slight wrong turn made for a VERY tight connection.  G&N were absolutely the last to board the boat, but they made it! This late February day was certainly not one for bathing suits or t-shirts, fleece and puffy jackets were in order. The temperature hovered around ten degrees Celsius, with gusting winds and a constant threat of rain. Nutmeg is absolutely not a boat person, so the short choppy crossing…

Recipes & Travel:
Biking in Provence, Cote d'Azur Travel Ideas, L'Île de Porquerolles, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Insult to injury is what I would call this post. First of all Ginger and Nutmeg leave me alone for two nights, while they go to a fancy hotel. Apparently, the hotel would not accept Black Labradors, and that is the story that Nutmeg is sticking to. Then, they went hiking in the reputedly beautiful Gorges du Verdon (allegedly as I was not there). Then the worst part! They had lunch with the fastest dog in France, Dabir a Saluki, in Banon.

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Recipes & Travel:
Banon, Dogs, France, Provence, Salukis

One of the greatest pleasures Nutmeg had during the months in Provence was being introduced to Henry Ferrier and his lovely wife Annick Brunet. This is one energetic couple; Henry is an artist, writer and philosopher, Annick has been in politics, film and continues to be an enthusiastic volunteer. The first time Ginger and Nutmeg met Henry, he recited a riddle:

What happens if you toss a buttered piece of toast in the air?

It lands on the buttered side

What happens if you toss a cat in the air?

It lands on its’ feet

What happens if you place a buttered piece of toast on a cat’s back and throw it in the air?

It stays aloft deciding which side to fall upon

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Recipes & Travel:
Artists, Contemporary French Artists, Henry Ferrier, Painters, Provence

Just try typing 11/11/2011 in your web browser and see what results you get, in this case a mere 14,490,000,000.  There are volumes of prophesies regarding the significance of the date.  Numerologists and astrologists have published tomes on the subject and the demise of the world as we know it.  Bored? You could spend hours on this subject.
This post has nothing to do with that.

November 11, 1918 was the official end of World War I. It was at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” when the Armistice was officially signed with Germany, agreeing to the end of hostilities. In France, Armistice Day is a national holiday to celebrate the country’s role in the allied victory, of this Great Patriotic War. The French population suffered tremendously during the First World War. Almost every town has a memorial to recognize the lives lost in battle.  The French use the blue cornflower or Bleuet as a…

Recipes & Travel:
November 11th, Rememberance Day, Travel in France

I could tell that Nutmeg would not have time to write this post, as they were busy packing bags, boxes, sporting goods and the car. I travel much lighter than they do, Ginger had cleaned my kennel, so I was ready for the voyage back to Calgary.  With the two of them distracted, I thought that I would take this opportunity to share with you a few of my favourite things about the village of Eygalières.

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Recipes & Travel:
Alpilles Mountains Provence, Eygalieres, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg have a dear friend in Aix en Provence who is a proud Breton by origin. Although, Delphine has lived in the south of France for a number of years, she stays close to her roots by running a delightful crêperie in the heart of Aix-en-Provence, called Crêpes Cidre & Compagnie.
One hot day in August, Ginger and Nutmeg had a crêpe-making lesson from the expert, and a brief introduction to another culture. Here, are a few ABCs in order to better appreciate the natives of northwestern France.

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Recipes & Travel:
Aix en Provence, Food from Brittany, Food info in France, French Food, How to make real French crepes, Provence Travel

Ginger and Nutmeg have discovered that within France, Provence is the land of abundance.  There is lots of sunshine, almost never ending wind, at times constant rain, olive groves, vineyards, orchards and endless markets.  One could be overwhelmed by the array of choices and local flavours. Nutmeg’s very practical side has decided that given the array of local choices it is best to narrow the selection and the following are her thoughts on the essentials in a Provençal kitchen:
Fleur de Sel

Literally translated as “Flower of salt”.  Fleur de Sel is the top layer of sea salt, it is hand-harvested before it sinks to the bottom of the salt pans. Traditional Fleur de sel in France is collected off the coast of Brittany, Ginger and Nutmeg are many hours from there, but the good news is there is lots also produced in Camargue (part of Provence). The salt appears to be slightly pinkish grey as some sand is collected in…

Recipes & Travel:
French Food, Provencal Food, Provencal Traditions, Travel in France

Summer!
Summer is festival time, and France is no exception. The only problem is making a decision, with the overwhelming variety of events. Famous events like Jazz a Juan in Antibes (started in 1960) or Le Festival d’Avignon (started in 1947), which attract large crowds and well-known performers. All the principal cities and many small towns host at least one noteworthy event during the warmer months. Ginger and Nutmeg both love music, although, neither of them can sing nor play an instrument with any level of competency. With the balmy Provencal evenings, they decided to take advantage of some of the local events and listen to the experts. The following is a musical summary for your listening pleasure:
The Festival de Musique d’Eygalières, this event is only four years old, in 2011 they hosted four nights of mostly classical music – alfresco. This is an extremely well organized event, held at the beautiful private residence Mas de la Brune. The evening…

Recipes & Travel:
Artists, Music, Music Festivals, Provence, Summer Festivals, Travel in France