Posts tagged: 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

There is no question, France is a must visit place for foodies and market lovers.  Nutmeg, as you already know is market crazy.  She finds that there is something completely engaging about the sights and sounds of a market.  In particular, Nutmeg loves the literal buzz of the commercial activity resulting from the connection of buyers to vendors, who are in many cases the actual producers.  Southern France is a critical food production area for the country, with a slightly milder climate, the growing season is long and literally “fruitful”.

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Recipes & Travel:
Food info in France, Markets in Provence, Provencal Food, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Olive groves are found in abundance in Provence, as the climate is similar to other growing areas around the Mediterranean (Greece, Spain, Israel, Syria, Italy etc..). Records confirm that olives have been produced in several middle east countries since prehistoric times. By 2000 BC, there are references to a form of olive press and oil exports, from what is now Syria.  In ancient Greece, there are indications of the oil being used as both a food, and for grooming purposes.  The olive leaf throughout history, has symbolized abundance, glory and at times peace.  Through the ages the oil, has been considered sacred, it was used to anoint royalty, bless athletes in ancient Greece, fuel the eternal flame in the original Olympic games and even found in Tutankhamen’s tomb.
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Recipes & Travel:
Facts about Olives, French Food, Markets in Provence, Provencal Food, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Jade is a lovely pure bread black Labrador; her full registered name is Ogden’s Princess Jade. She is of hunting stock through her family linage. However, Jade was never trained as a hunting dog. The closest she came to participating in the action, was her one and only trip to Saskatchewan, duck hunting with Chili several years ago.  Jade was really keen, she did not even mind the quick airplane ride in a dog kennel.  She was happy to see the other dogs and even happier to greet their owners.  However, when the first gunshot sounded Jade quickly retreated under the trailer-home, until everyone came back from the sporting activity.  Jade had quickly decided that not only did she dislike the sound of the guns, she was not sure about swimming in cold water, lying quietly and chasing dead birds.
Needless to say, Jade has never been invited back to the annual hunt.
Jade is clearly not a Truffle Dog either. …

Recipes & Travel:
Provencal Food, Provence Travel, Travel in France, Truffle Dogs, Truffles in France

There is no doubt Ginger is much more adventurous than Nutmeg, when it comes to food.  She is not keen on foods with strange textures, that includes avocado, Jello and aspic salad.  Nutmeg is very particular about her likes and dislikes; meat is well-done, eggs hard, and peas should not be eaten.
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Recipes & Travel:
Fete de l'Oursin, Provencal Food, Provencal Traditions, Sea Urchins, Travel in France

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…

Recipes & Travel:
Austria, Road Trip Planner, Self-Guided Travel in Europe, Skiing in Europe, Travel in France, Travel in Italy

Typically, Ginger gets off pretty lightly on Valentines Day.  With a wedding anniversary is just two days before, he can usually get away with a gift and/or flowers that cover both events.
The feast of Saint Valentine is both historical and religious. So both Ginger and Nutmeg wondered about the significance of the 14th of February in France. As it turns out, the day is actually is quite linked to French historical customs.  As far back as the middle ages, the belief was that birds started mating in the middle of February.  Evidence from the 14th century, stressed a romantic theme emanating from poets and literature at this time of the year. The card or love note apparently originated in France, when the captured Duke of Orleans wrote a poem to his beloved wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

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Recipes & Travel:
Austria, Provence Travel, Travel in France, Valentines in France

Ginger is crazy about alpine skiing. He has been checking snow reports since the slopes opened in France, in November.  The World Cup race results are reviewed on a daily basis.  He even convinced Nutmeg to leave shoes, clothes and her winter coat in Calgary, so that he could bring two pairs of his precious skis to France.  So it may seem a bit obvious to tell you that skiing is on the agenda, while in France.
Ginger and Nutmeg both compiled “top ten” lists before leaving Calgary, to make sure that they were in fact headed to the same continent.  The good news is there was some overlap when it came to skiing. However, the individual motivation might be a bit different:

Nutmeg would like to visit some of the fancy resorts, hang out by big roaring fireplaces, sit on warm sunny patios eating fantastic food and snuggle up in warm duvets at night.
Ginger would like to follow the World…

Recipes & Travel:
Austria, Chamonix, Daube Provencal, Easy Beef Recipes, French Food, Stew Recipes, Travel Entertainment, Travel in France

It is close to impossible to buy Ginger a present.  He loves sporting equipment, electronics, airplanes, wine and other expensive things.  He is diligent about doing the research on a product, and ensuring that he is getting it at the right price.  Ginger is also has very good taste, so these new toys have a tendency to raise the Visa balance to new levels.  Nutmeg often struggles to find the right gift.  This year with a bit of help from a friend, she landed on the perfect Christmas, Anniversary, Valentines, Birthday gift (read: $$$..).
Black truffle plants, ten of them. Nutmeg decided that the white truffle version he will have to buy for himself.  So yes, he is the proud owner of some 2010 variety plants, they should bare “fruit” in about seven years.  Ginger’s plants are very fortunate to be located on a plantation, in the well drained soil on the Valensole plateau in Provence.

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Recipes & Travel:
French Food, Provence Travel, Travel in France, Truffles in France