Posts tagged: Provence

Does the colour ORANGE cause you think of your crazy Dutch friends, celebrating Koninginnedag (“Queen’s Day”) on April 30th?
Does the colour ORANGE make you cringe due to the gyrations in your trading account at ING Direct?
Does the colour ORANGE make you think of the massive mobile phone network operated by France Telecom?
Does the colour ORANGE evoke memories of the political protests in the Ukraine in November 2004 – January 2005 (the Orange Revolution)?
This post is not about any of those.

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Recipes & Travel:
Antique Theatre, Les Chorégies d'Orange, Music, Opera, Orange, Provence, Travel

In France and much of Europe, hiking or randonée is a significant part of the culture. There are walking trails for all levels that crisscross the continent.  The longer trails form part of the GR system or Grande Randonée, there are over 60,000km of trails in France alone. Here is a great resource guide book.
Ginger and Nutmeg love hiking, but they never expected to start the season in January, when they were introduced to the International Hiking Group of Provence. G&N made it to as many of the scheduled Tuesday hikes as they could fit in to their busy European exploration agenda.
Each hike was unique, the scenery beautiful and weather at times unpredictable. All of the hikes offered opportunities for some laughs along the way. Some of the favorites are highlighted below:
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Recipes & Travel:
Cookies, Cranberry, Guidebooks, Hiking, International Hiking Group of Provence, Oatmeal, Provence, Randonee

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

Due to a wedding cancellation only few days before the event, a lucky group of foodies received an email invitation, to participate in a rare Saturday morning cooking class. La Petite Maison de Cucuron is the successful restaurant run by chef Eric Sapet and his lovely wife. They offer a top quality seasonal menu and limited cooking classes.
The restaurant has been open since 2007 in the charming medieval village of Cucuron, in the Luberon. The Luberon is filled with one delightful village after another so it is difficult to choose a favourite. Cucuron although small, it is unique among the hamlets, as it has a truly distinctive shaded main square with a large water feature l’etang or pond.

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Recipes & Travel:
Cooking classes, Cucuron, Desserts, La Petite Maison, Provence, Tomatoes

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

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

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

Eight military jets performing loops with tricolor smoke over the highway can be distracting. These jets are the Patrouille de France, the French equivalent of the Canadian Snowbirds. Through an affiliation with the Canadian Air Force, Ginger was able to get an introduction to l’Armée de l’Air (the French Air Force). Ginger was ecstatic when he learned of the opportunity to visit with this prestigious team.
The French Air Force was formed in 1909; it is currently the fourth largest air force in NATO with over 865 aircraft.  Within l’Armée de l’Air there are two demonstration teams, who are ambassadors of the skies for the nation. The two teams are: the Équipe de Voltige; the World and European Aerobatic Champions, and the Patrouille de France. Both teams practice out of the 701 Air Base in Salon de Provence, which is also home to l’Ecole de l’Air (primary officers training school). This French defense facility predates World War II. Base Aérienne…

Recipes & Travel:
Air Shows, Patrouille de France, Planes, Provence, Salon de Provence