Posts tagged: Travel in France

It is possible, that it was the thirst and hunger created by biking over the lunch hour, or maybe it was their recent trip to Italy.  Regardless, both Nutmeg and Ginger both thought they had been transported from Provence to Tuscany.  The hilly rolling terrain, endless vineyards, Cyprus trees, olive groves and small villages are all extremely reminiscent of Tuscany.  It is no accident that the Luberon area within Provence resembles Tuscany.  Roman presence in present day Provence began in 2 B.C.. The Roman rulers heavily influenced architecture and immense construction projects (aqueducts, theaters, arenas) within the region. There is documentation of organized religious activity as early as the 3rd century, in Roman occupied Provencal towns.  During the 14th century, (1309 – 77) seven French Popes led the Catholic church from Avignon. Perched villages and castles in Provence created for defensive purposes are similar to those found in Tuscany.
Tuscany or Provence?

Provence.
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Recipes & Travel:
Ansouis, Provence Travel, Travel in France, Travel in Italy, Travel to Tuscany

It may not be the same garden that Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote about in her 1911 novel The Secret Garden. That garden with all its hidden corners was in Yorkshire. The Jardin de Tim is a discrete Bed and Breakfast located in Eygalières in Provence, which opened to the public in 2010.

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Recipes & Travel:
Eygalieres, Jardin de Tim, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Anticipation is what Nutmeg would call this blog post. The labour of love required to persuade grapevines to produce their fruit year after year is one for only the most patient individuals. Owning a vineyard and producing your own wine certainly sounds romantic, to those who might be desk or office-bound. However, the reality of the yearlong process is one of hard physical labour and working with what Mother Nature delivers.
Ginger and Nutmeg have certainly sampled their fair share (possibly more) of wine, while in Europe. They certainly do not pretend to be experts in the field of growing grapes, nor producing wine. There is no reason to dive into the specifics of viticulture in a blog post, as there are many experts who have written tombs on the subject. Instead, here are some ABCs around wine that will make you sound like an expert (or an idiot) and some fun facts.

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Recipes & Travel:
ABC Travel Lists, French Wines, Provencal Traditions, Provence Travel, Travel in France

One would think that when biking in France you would never need to worry about food. That is true to some degree, unless you get caught between hours.
Breakfast in France is straightforward; coffee, baguette and sometimes les viennoiserie (croissants and pain au chocolate). Be aware that as the morning wears on, you are more likely to eat stale baguette, than the fancy pastries. This meal is not one that will keep the energy stores high for a long bike ride.
Lunch starts around 12:30 and runs until 2pm. However, typically the traditional (“non-tourist”) restaurants actually do not want to serve much beyond 1:30pm. Then again, do you seriously want to eat a multi-course meal before that next big hill on your bike?  In theory, you could always stop at a boulangerie for a quick bite. Technically, yes but Ginger and Nutmeg have been caught numerous times in small villages where the bakery is closed at 12:30pm, until well into late…

Recipes & Travel:
Easy healthy snack recipes, Food for Biking, Recipes with Sunflower Seeds, Travel in France

Almost indescribable, the scent of a fig tree full of almost ripe fruit is a fragrance that is both sweet and earthy. Nutmeg had never had the opportunity to enjoy the remarkable smell of the fig tree, before she spent the summer in Provence. The scent is distinctive, almost arresting in the open air, however, in a closed space can be overwhelming.
The fig tree is often referred to as the Common Fig. It grows both cultivated and wild in most countries that are close to the Mediterranean and in many parts of Asia. Some tree varieties will bear fruit up to four times a year.

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Recipes & Travel:
Easy healthy snack recipes, food info, Markets in Provence, Provence Travel, Recipes with Figs, Travel in France

It took 11.5 months for Ginger and Nutmeg to make it to Paris, only a 2.5 hour train ride from their Provencal home base. The capital city is one that both Ginger and Nutmeg love and have visited several times. It is entirely possible; that the relaxing rhythm of life in the sunny south had kept them from Paris for that length of time.
However, they finally had a compelling reason to venture to l’ile de France, to meet some friends in the city. After, Nutmeg managed to master, the not so intuitive, SNCF website and purchase their train tickets, the rest was easy. The trains run frequently and sometimes even on time. Departing from Avignon TGV, their goal was to feel like real Parisians for three days.
Audacious!

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Recipes & Travel:
Coffee, Markets, Paris, Paris Food, Travel in France

Really, who would believe that?

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Airline Travel Tips, Provence Travel, Travel in France

The relief palatable, the calm almost surreal, something is missing – the wind has stopped!
In France, the mistral is a strong wind that typically blows from the north or northwest.  Mistral the name for this wind means “masterly”, and in Nutmeg’s opinion, it certainly lives up that reputation.  The mistral typically blows hard, with gusts at times up to 100 km/hour as it accelerates down the Rhone and Durance rivers towards the Mediterranean.  Much like a Chinook in Calgary, the mistral brings a change in weather, in this case it is typically dry and cooler.  This can be a relief in the hot days of spring and early summer, or a curse in the later days of the fall as it creates glacial temperatures.
There are two French expressions when it comes to the mistral “le vent qui rend fou” (the wind which makes you crazy) and “le vent des voleurs” (the wind of robbers).  Nutmeg thinks both sayings are…

Recipes & Travel:
Mistral, Provence, Travel in France, Wind

One of Nutmeg’s all-time favourite quotes is by the third United States President, Thomas Jefferson:
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.“

Needless to say, she was thrilled to read a book by Roy and Alma Moore entitled “Thomas Jefferson’s Journey To The South of France”. The book is available through Amazon, it is a well-researched chronicle of Jefferson’s visit to the southern part of France in 1787. The book includes copies of his letters, recent pictures and some snippets of history. Jefferson was at the time the American minister to France; his journey however, was a personal one with few official obligations. He set out from Paris on February 28, 1787 and returned on June 10th, the same year.
This post is not a book review, but rather Ginger and Nutmeg’s view of some of the places that the illustrious man visited 224 years before. A note to readers, this blog post,…

Recipes & Travel:
Books, Provence Travel, Thomas Jefferson in France, Travel Book Reviews, Travel in France

Are you a history buff?
Nutmeg would like to introduce you to a real find: Beware Madame la Guillotine, A Revolutionary Tour of Paris by Time Traveler Tours, an educational tourism start-up that is capturing worldwide attention.
Sarah Towle is Founder and Creative Director of Time Traveler Tours, mobile iTineraries that reveal history through the stories of characters who helped shape their time, enhanced with dash of interactive games. Her first StoryApp, Beware Madame la Guillotine, A Revolutionary Tour of Paris, received accolades as a School Library Journal Top 10 2011 App and Teachers With Apps Top 10 Tried & True Classroom App. It was also recently named a Top 10 2012 Travel App by the World Youth and Student Travel Conference. Sarah’s second title, also on a death theme, Day of the Dead, a journey to the Napoleonic era, is due for release later this year. 
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Recipes & Travel:
Best Apps for Travel, Paris, Travel in France, Travel to Paris