Posts tagged: Travel in France

Nutmeg is reasonably certain she is not the first person to walk through the Glanum archaeological site, near St Remy de Provence, and consider that mankind is relatively insignificant in the passage of time.
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
Rocks to rocks
A previous G&N blog post “Glanum Glorious Views” covers much of the history of this site. The following post is a short overview only as an excuse to show off a few new photos. The main street in Glanum is below.

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Recipes & Travel:
Alpilles Mountains Provence, Glaunum, Provence, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg live close to the village church. When they first return to France it takes several days to get adjusted. Between the 8-hour time change and the village bells, there is no need to wear a watch.  The clock tower bells chime every hour, day and night. The number of rings at the top of the hour, indicate the time of day and a single chime designates the 30-minute mark.

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Recipes & Travel:
Angelus, Church bells, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Market day in Cucuron is Tuesday.

Located in the epic-centre of the Luberon Regional National Park Cucuron displays all the charms of a classic Provençal village. The hamlet, like its closest neighbours Lourmarin, Ansouis and Vaugines is bejewelled with ramparts, bell towers and shady plane trees.
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Recipes & Travel:
Cucuron, Markets in Provence, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg have an on-going debate. Actually, it is not a debate because there is little discussion. Nutmeg admits she is a Francophile, give her the choice between BBQ Alberta beef and steak au poivre the French sauce wins. She listens to Radio Canada when she is driving, her reasons include the fact that the news programming is often better than other stations and listening to French (despite sometime horrific accents) is good training. Ginger is quick to order BBQ Alberta beef and switch the radio to CBC.

Nutmeg thought she would enlist the help of a friend at Frantastique (online language training), to help settle their non-debate. The following are 5 Reasons to learn French: an unbiased and objective list:
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Recipes & Travel:
French, French Lessons, Language, Travel in France

Blinded by the hues of lavender shutters.
Gently numbed by a glass or two of chilled local rosé.
It would be easy to overlook the hamlet of Mérindol during a visit to Provence.
The Luberon region is brimming with villages laying claim to le plus beau village de France (most beautiful village in France) and many of those proudly display Villages Fleuris (flowering villages) emblems on street signs.
Mérindol is not one.

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Recipes & Travel:
Merindol in Provence, Merindol Massacre, Provence Travel, Travel in France

In a green maze – that is how your journey starts.
Wandering aimlessly through the hedge circuit your footsteps form the letters, as your shoulders rub against the thick shrubbery.  The characters spell Bereishit the first word of the Torah, a Hebrew word that translates to in the beginning of. In this case, it is the beginning of a distinctive garden adjacent to Mas de la Brune, a home that dates from 1572.

Le Jardin de l’Achimiste (Garden of the Alchemist) is a public garden located near the village of Eygalières and a short drive from St Remy. This magical place was created in 1997. “It is a philosophical essay in the form of a garden, representing physical and intellectual development, and the development of the senses.” – a well-crafted description is from Wikipedia.
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Recipes & Travel:
Jardin de l'Achimiste, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Much has been written about Vincent Van Gogh’s life, the famous Dutch painter who led an expressive, tortured life. This statue le voleur de tournesol (the Sunflower Thief) by Gabriel Sterk may just capture the essence of Van Gogh’s work – as you never quite look at sunflowers, irises, olive trees or wheat fields the same way after seeing his paintings.
le voleur de tournesol (the Sunflower Thief) by Gabriel Sterk
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Recipes & Travel:
Facts about Vincent Van Gogh, Provence Travel, St Remy de Provence, Travel in France

When Ginger and Nutmeg first ventured to Provence they felt prepared for the adventure. After all, it was not their first trip to France, they had previously biked in the region, and they had read Peter Mayle’s books – so they were confident in their basic understanding of the region.
And basic it was!
Nutmeg would like to share five Provencal myths for consideration as you pack your bags for the south of France, with visions of purple lavender fields and olive groves dancing in your head.

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Recipes & Travel:
Markets in Provence, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Is the data from twenty-four US Government satellites circling the globe correct?
Could the information provided from map-reading “back-seat” drivers be more precise?
It depends.

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Recipes & Travel:
Travel in France

Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale) commemorates the 1789 storming of the Bastille in Paris. Two years running, our village attempted to host fireworks on the 14th only to be stymied by the wind. Leave it to the Parisians to have their traditional parade on the Champs-Élysées. Eygalières was going to party the night before.

18h: Sounds of the band testing their equipment – CHECK!
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Recipes & Travel:
Paella, Provencal Food, Provence Travel, Spanish Food, Travel in France