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.
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.
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 the process of harvesting. The salt is flaky in texture, and has natural potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and iodine that occur within it. Each container is carefully packaged with a cork top and is signed by the salt-raker who harvested it. Fleur de Sel is named largely from the aroma of violet that develops as the salt dries.
Herbs de Provence and Olive Oil
Herbes de Provence is a traditional blend of highly aromatic herbs that grow mostly wild in the hills of southern France in the summer months. The herbs are used both fresh and dried. Typical herbs include (quantities may vary); Bay leaf, chervil, oregano, thyme, fennel, rosemary, savory, tarragon, mint, and marjoram. Sometimes for the tourist crowd orange zest or lavender are included. As a practice the herbs are used to infuse the flavour in grilled foods such as fish or meat. Often the herbs can be found in stews and or mixed with olive oil to infuse the flavors. On a recent hikes we literally felt like we were walking in a jar of “Herbes de Provence” as they grow wild through-out the region.
Jams and Jellies
The French are not big breakfast eaters, they love a cafe (usually just a shot of expresso) and a little bit of fresh baguette or maybe des viennoiseries (pastries…croissants, pain au chocolate, strudels etc) with some jam/jelly. In general, French bread is fantastic it is baked several times a day, and literally can go stale in between. In the morning, there is nothing better than a bit of jam on your pain. The jam is often homemade, full of sugar and outrageously delicious. Ginger and Nutmeg have been treated to plum, peach, fig, cherry, peach-melon, pear and apricot all fait à la maison – delicious on bread and even better with chèvre.
There are of course many other things required for a true French kitchen but these are just some of the basics. It helps to have one of these in your back yard.
A bientot!
Ginger does most of the driving when the duo is “on the road”. In an effort to break up a longer drive he decided that an overnight stay in Pisa would be a good idea, so he found a great little hotel in the historic centre. Nutmeg had been to Pisa in the 1980’s involving a quick trip from Florence on the train for dinner. The idea was to take the late afternoon train, allow some time for a few quick photos of the famous Leaning Tower or Campanile (bell tower for the Cathedral) and allow more time for dinner and beverages. Nutmeg will admit that her memory may be the odd bit fuzzy but at that time the tower was interesting, the grounds were crowded and the rest of the site under-promoted.
Things have changed in Pisa, since Nutmeg’s last visit. The Leaning Tower and the rest of the site were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The tower remains today on the National Geographic “7 Wonders of the Middle Ages” list. Visitor access to the tower had been stopped years ago to prevent further erosion; it is now open on a limited basis. The not-for-profit Opera Della Primaziale Pisana (OPA) manages the whole site today. Visitors are able to walk around the buildings in “Miracle Square” however can only gain access to these beautiful structures with a ticket. There two ticket variations, with or without the tower visit. G&N chose without, as the wait to go up the tower was 3 1/2 hours – so go early if you are really keen to get a view from the top of the tower.
The Cinque Terre, literally translated “The Five Lands”, is part of the Italian Riviera. A visit to this part of Liguria has been a dream of Nutmeg’s for a long time. The rugged coastline is noted for the beautiful vistas, and the walking trails that connect five fishing villages – Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The villages, the coastline and the surrounding hillsides are now classified as the Cinque Terre National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The villages remain tiny and relatively undeveloped, compared to other resort towns on both the Italian and French coasts. To this day there is no road joining all five villages.
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 starts with a seminar or group discussion related to the music that night.Then there is an opportunity for dinner or as they called it a “Picnic Chic”, followed by the concert. Check it out (very yummy):
The “Viva Argentina” evening was excellent, a tribute to the music of this South American country. The trio of artists included a pianist, clarinet and soprano.
The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, has been held every July, since 1948. The focus of this festival is oriented towards opera; however, there are also recitals of chamber music, vocal concerts and orchestral sessions. This event is a large tourist attraction for the city of Aix and the surrounding area. Ginger and Nutmeg enjoyed an evening with the world-renowned London Symphony Orchestra click here.
Festival les Eclats à Salon, was held for the eighth year in 2011 at the Château de l’Emperi. The courtyard of this 9th century medieval fortress may not have originally built for the acoustic qualities, but certainly is an excellent venue for a range of theatre, choral music and other musical evenings. This particular concert was a group of four brothers and sisters who have been playing together since 1994, the group is called Les Ogres de Barback. The evening was lively and engaging, as they play over thirty instruments. Click here to watch and listen to Les Ogres de Barback.
The tiny village of Eygalieres is home to only about 1500 people. However, the town’s small size is deceiving. This is a place filled with artists, writers, musicians and many aficionados. The season started with the music festival (see above). However, that was just the beginning. Ginger and Nutmeg were treated to a free concert in the church. Over 200 people were listened to a duo of flute and piano. The lovely and talented Julie Scolink organized this concert. You can find her at Mistral Music. You can watch part of her concert here.
Provence has been an inspirational backdrop for artists, writers and musicians for centuries. The famous names are far too numerous to mention. In Eygalieres, there is a unique four night series named Calan d’art, which marries, the artistic mediums of visual art (sculpture, painting) and music. This series is held in private gardens, creating an intimate setting with the musicians, called Les Nuits des Patios. The musical theme was different each night. Nutmeg’s favourite was “La Dolce Vita” with Jean-Pierre Como on piano listen here.
The 31st International Piano Festival was held outdoors in the village of La Roque d’Anthéron. This is a popular musical series that attracts over 85,000 people annually. Ginger and Nutmeg decide to take in the evening of piano duos. Twin sisters, Michelle and Christina Naughton, played the first section. A pair of sisters also performed the second section of the evening. The talent and timing was incredible. Here, is a video of the Naughton twins in action.
To wrap up the musical tour the evening of Nutmeg’s birthday there was the inaugural “Diner Blanc à Eygalières” with the musically talented Sanders Band.
Ginger and Nutmeg are now sitting in silence – Tuned Out!
A couple years ago Nutmeg had the pleasure of biking through Tuscany with a group of friends. Ginger was at school so he was not able to participate. The moment Nutmeg arrived at their beautiful bed and breakfast accommodation, in the middle of a vineyard; she knew that Ginger must visit Tuscany. Anyone who loves wine, history and beautiful countryside should visit, and fall in love with Tuscany in their lifetime. Ginger and Nutmeg set-off on an early season (April) visit to explore Tuscany. At this time of year the fields are only just starting to turn green and the gnarled grapevines are showing their first shoots.
So what is Tuscany all about? Wine, History and Countryside
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.
Much of the lavender is distilled to create essential oil and fragrant water. The plants are also dried and used to create scented objects for personal use. Stores in Provence are overrun with all things lavender; soap, perfume, honey, tea, ice cream and scented packages. A majority of the product sold in stores is mass-produced outside of France and hardly artisanal. However, there are a dedicated few who are still focused on quality and are attempting to keep the traditions alive. Several cultivators are growing their lavender plants in a totally organic fashion, despite the burdensome paperwork requirements imposed on “Bio” operations.
Happy Birthday!
Joyeux Anniversaire!
Buon Compleanno!
Feliz Cumpleaños!
Nutmeg would like to wish two friends a very happy birthday. One friend is Canadian and the other native French, they are both much older. However, her French friend promised that he would share his birthday cake tonight.
Ginger and Nutmeg is officially TWO years old today. The idea for this blog germinated over a nice dinner and several drinks. After which, Nutmeg felt a bit of peer pressure to do a wee bit of writing. The blog has grown from three faithful readers, on day one to thirty a year ago. Today our little “lark” of a project has over 350 regular readers, 330 Facebook fans and even a growing number of Twitter followers (43).
Both Nutmeg and Ginger would like to thank every single one of our readers! Without your continued support and encouraging feedback this idea would have ended quite sometime ago. If you like what we are publishing please let us know!
We would like your help to grow the readership by another ten times. If you see something you like, please pass along to friends, family, co-workers, mistresses, lovers, school friends, ski buddies, poker pals… we are not too picky 🙂
BUT most of all keep reading there is lots more good stuff coming.
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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 the long uphill straightaway towards the Casino. This corner is named after the small church dedicated to a Christian martyr from the 4th century, whose treasured bones and thought to have protected the Monegasque locals from invasion for centuries.
Not surprising given Ginger’s passion for speed that his “ European Top 10” list included a F1 race. He has had the thrill of flying above Mach 1 and has surpassed the speed limit in one sporty German automobile. Like most boys, he once envisioned driving a race car and reveling in the thrill of victory. Race car driving was not Ginger’s destiny. The next best thing was to witness a classic F1 car race, like Monaco. Nutmeg felt auto racing was best included in the category of male bonding. Ginger needed a suitably minded playmate for this event. Who better than his brother-in-law Truffle?
