Ginger and Nutmeg have done many road trips over the years. There is something exciting about planning any trip, the thrill of discovering a new destination or reaching a well-known endpoint. Packing for a car journey is much less hassle than air travel – no weight restrictions, no security lines, baggage limits are somewhat relaxed and there is no requirement to “undress” your laptop.
Warning! This post has nothing to do with the horrible sandwich meat. Nutmeg LOVES the Italian language. After fighting rush-hour congestion, some GPS misinformation, tiny crowded streets and a retail strip thronged with groups strolling on a Saturday evening – There is something immediately soothing to hear “buonasera signora“! Allora that is how the visit to Bologna began. Arrival on a Saturday, at the height of late-day shopping and the start of the “apero” (cocktail) time, was an adventure. However, once settled in the very centrally located Hotel Metropolitan, a city map in hand and some restaurants suggestions, Ginger and Nutmeg ventured out into the crowded streets. Bologna is located in Northern Italy, it is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. Bologna was called Felsina in the time of the Etuscans and later renamed Bononia under the Romans. Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world, which dates back to the 1088. Today Bologna continues to have a strong…
Thus far, the 2011 ski-season has not been stellar in most of Europe. The majority of resort areas are suffering from lack of new snowfall and warm temperatures (“une tempête de soleil“). The net result, is crowded slopes and neige-dure (a nice way of saying hard-packed, icy conditions). Ginger and Nutmeg have been doing some skiing in the past few weeks, and they thought you would want their feedback on the resorts. Here are a few highlights and overviews from the European ski tour: Ischgl, Austria: The tiny village of Yscla, was once a remote farming village, it has been converted into a mega-resort with; 238 km of ski trails, 41 cable cars and other lifts and 32 grooming machines. The owners have spent 200 million Euros upgrading the facilities on the hill in the last 10 years, and it shows. The lifts are new, the lodges are well appointed, and in some cases very modern in design. The combined…
Hot Sauce a Chili were recently in Estonia (Officially the Republic of Estonia). Estonia is divided into 15 counties and operates as a democratic parliamentary republic, if you are interested to find out more check out the Wikipedia related information. With a population of only 1.34 million, Estonia is one of the least-populous members of the European Union. The country is blessed with a temperate season climate. Estonia’s language is very close to Finnish. The capital and largest city is Tallinn, with a beautifully preserved old city. One of UNESCOs World Heritage Sites, is Bergen’s Old Quay. From Hot Sauce directly, “I have never seen so many church spires!” Nutmeg was curious, what exactly is UNESCO and how many sites are there? UNESCO is the acronym for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This is a web site that you could spend days reviewing. There are currently 890 Properties world wide (689 Cultural, 176 Natural and 25 mixed). Canada…
Nutmeg’s parents (Hot Sauce and Chili) love to travel. Last year, they put a mere 6000 nautical miles on their boat doing the Great Loop Miss Bim’s Adventures. This year they have decide to take on Europe in 7 weeks and do a driving road trip. They start the adventure in Gothenburg (Sweden), at the Volvo factory, with a tour and a new car. They will have a GPS and are fully equipped with the latest technology to get from point to point. However, Nutmeg is concerned they may not have done all their research, on the food and drink options that await them in the next few weeks. So, the following is an overview of the trip and Nutmeg’s food guide to help them narrow down the endless possibilities:
City Country Food Possibilities
Copenhagen Denmark Frikadeller (meatballs), with cabbage and beets
Kristiansand Norway Smoked Salmon, Gravlax, Open faced sandwiches, Meats served with juniper berries and lingonberry jam. One interesting thing is that Norway is the world’s…
