Category: Provence

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

One of the things on Nutmeg’s “Top-10” list for their trip to France was to behold the lavender in bloom. Arriving in October after the lavender season, with only the winter months ahead, it would be a long wait. The happy news is that even in January, the fields are beautiful (see below). The wait was well worth it, in the last few weeks of June when the weather is Provencal “perfect” the countryside comes alive, awash in shades of purple. The fields flower at slightly different times depending on the plant variety, the altitude, specific geographic area and of course mother nature herself. In other words, one “field” trip will not suffice. With their cameras prepared, Ginger and Nutmeg were fortunate on several occasions to witness the fields in full colour and take some of their own pictures.
Click here to see the whole gallery.

So what happens to all that lavender?
Much of the lavender is distilled to create essential…

Recipes & Travel:
Artisans, Lavendar Fuseaux, Lavender, Provence, Traditions, Travel Tips

Twenty-three Formula One (F1) cars, 800 horsepower V-8 engines spooling, it’s the start of the Monaco Grand Prix (GP). Deafening! Full ear protection is essential. Within the confines of the city of Monte Carlo, the towering hills a natural amphitheatre, magnify the sound of the race circuit. The idiosyncrasies of the Monaco GP circuit truly test drivers’ skills. Cars come to a virtual standstill on some hairpin corners, head through a tunnel and then accelerate to breakneck speeds on the straightaways. If a F1 race were to be proposed in Monaco today, it would be considered unsafe. Former world champion driver Nelson Piquet described driving in Monaco as, “like trying to cycle round your living room.” Click here to watch Ginger’s video.
In Monaco, track corners have their own names, such as Tabac, Louis Chiron, and Piscine. Many car aficionados only know the course by the names of the corners. Torrid action usually takes place at Sainte Devote, the turn located before…

Recipes & Travel:
Amber Lounge, Cote d'Azur, Monaco, Monaco Grand Prix, Provence, Race cars

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.
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Recipes & Travel:
Bouillabaisse Recipe, Food in France, Provence Travel, Seafood Recipes, Top Marseille Restaurants

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.

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Recipes & Travel:
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…

Recipes & Travel:
Abbeys, Avignon, Carthusian Monks, France, La Chartreuse, Provence, Villeneuve les Avignon

According to Nutmeg, the Mimosa in cocktail form, does not do justice to either of it’s ingredients; champagne or orange juice.  It is often served for brunch and that is a whole other story (see previous blog post).
This post is about the first flower of the season in Provence.

The mimosa is a beautiful flowering bush that is often found in gardens, green-spaces, and forests all over the south of France. There are over 1200 varieties world-wide, the shrub is native to Australia, Central and South America and parts of Asia, not France. It is believed that the mimosa plant travelled to Europe on one of Captain Cook’s voyages. This flowering beauty was introduced to southern France around 1850, by wealthy English, who planted them to in order to brighten-up their gardens during the winter months on the Cote D’Azur.
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Recipes & Travel:
Cote d'Azur Travel Ideas, Flowers in France, Following the Mimosa Trail in Provence, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Don’t tell Ginger. Several years ago Nutmeg had a boyfriend who was fanatical about 2CVs; that is the Citroën 2CV or “deux chevaux”.  On a six-week backpacking trip through Europe he took 90 Kodachrome photos of 2CVs (2 of Nutmeg and 8 of buxom blondes).  On top of that he insisted on eating at MacDonald’s throughout Europe. For those of you who know Nutmeg, it was a good thing the relationship “fizzled”.
History (above) aside Nutmeg thought that Ginger would have lots of fun driving a 2CV around Provence for a day.  The answer was simple, there is a Dutch/French company called 2CV Experience that rents lovingly restored 2CVs or “two horsepower” cars for the day.  It could not have been easier, as they are based minutes outside of Aix-en Provence.  They currently have 12 cars and are building their inventory to 15 shortly.  These pristine cars have been fully restored by hand, painted meticulously and are ready to go…

Recipes & Travel:
2CV Experience in Provence, citroen 2cv, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg are a bit distracted by our move from Aix en Provence to Eygalieres, so it is once again my turn for a bit of “air-time”.  Here is my rebuttal to Nutmeg’s last post “Our Favorite things about Aix en Provence“.

I have never lived in a place quite like Aix en Provence.  When I was a young puppy I lived in the woods in Vermont, and putting on a collar was a dress-up occasion.  Then I moved to Calgary. Ginger came to pick me up in Montreal and took me on a long trip to that strange place (Calgary).  We arrived and there was another dog who looked like me but she was not very interested in me.  My roaming space much reduced, in fact it was a bit like a sardine can after Vermont.  The good news is Ginger and Nutmeg made lots of trips to Canmore, where we could swim and run around like black…

Recipes & Travel:
Aix en Provence, Provence Travel, Things to do in Aix en Provence, Travel in France, Travel Tips with Pets, Travel with Dogs

Aix en Provence is often referred to as “Cezanne’s city”.  It is hard to miss the “Steps of Cezanne” emblems on the sidewalks of Aix, these symbols lead tourists to some of the more famous sites for Cezanne.  The problem with looking at your feet to follow the little emblems, is you might miss some of the sights along the way.  Nutmeg could fill a book and several photo albums to really describe this city.  Aix en Provence has a long history (founded in 123 BC) as a centre built over hot springs or “thermes”.  Aix is a student town, tourist town, the official centre of the 13th department of France.

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Recipes & Travel:
Aix en Provence, Provence Travel, Things to do in Aix en Provence, Travel in France, Travel Tips with Pets, Travel with Dogs