Author Archives: nutmeg

About nutmeg

Ginger and Nutmeg is a Food and Travel blog for Active Foodies hooked on travelling. We love food, history and digging into cultural traditions. This is a blog with a bit of humour, informative travel information and some great recipes.

Photo Tours of Dublin Ireland from Dawn to Dusk

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As Nutmeg looked out the window at the hotel, 8am in Dublin looked like midnight in Provence. Was it always this dark? Or were the low hanging rain clouds enhancing the depressing view?

Sandymount Strand, Dublin, Ireland via @Gingerand Nutmeg

David Cooke’s warm smile and hearty handshake quickly wiped away any gloomy thoughts that the tour group participants might have had. Cooke owner/operator of Dawn2Dusk Guided Photography Tours apologized several times for the weather on that October morning. The moist skies might have been beyond David’s control, but the rest of the guided trip ran like clockwork.

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Artist Retreat in Provence at Ateliers Fourwinds

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Nutmeg is uncertain if sculptors Ursula Hanes and Donni Buffalo Dog were visionary or slightly crazy when they purchased a five-acre property on the outskirts of the hamlet of Aureille, in Provence, the year was 1993. Their interest was not in the house. It was the 600 square-meter mothballed chicken and rabbit coop that had grabbed their attention.

Studio Fourwinds

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Photo Workshops in Provence

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All I want for Christmas is a photo workshop in Provence.

If that is number ONE on your Christmas list this year, then Nutmeg would like to help you out.

Andrew Squires is a professional photographer based in the village of Ansouis, in Provence. He runs photo workshops for both groups and individuals; photography on-location, with social breaks, fun festivals and time to explore Provence behind your camera (any type will do).

Colour, gesture, all help tell the story.

Colour, gesture, all help tell the story.

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Holiday Shortbread for Lazy Bakers

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Does the thought of Christmas baking put you squarely in one of these categories?

  1. You start collecting holiday recipes in June, and dream of red and green sprinkles in July.
  2. You would rather clean out your basement than attend a Christmas bake exchange.
  3. You have a local “go-to” bakery for their qualified help.

Patisserie

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Provence Unlimited Inspiration for Photography

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It was a lazy afternoon in Provence, under a scalding sun, seated on a suspended terrace in the village of Ansouis. As she sat drinking in the pastoral vineyard views, Nutmeg understood why this might be Andrew Squires’ favourite French expression.

Ça depend … it depends.

Andrew was born in the United Kingdom. His artistic leanings emerged early on as he experimented with both drawing and painting. He discovered photography as an artistic medium, and a magnetic force pulled him to Arles for les Rencontres d’Arles an annual photography festival that was founded in 1970.

What does forgiveness mean to You?

What does forgiveness mean to you?

He has lived in Provence permanently for a couple decades, and he considers it home. He took a few minutes over lunch, and a pitcher of local rosé to tell Nutmeg a little more about his passion for the region and photography.

Enjoy his photos as you read this blog post.

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Beaune’s Carnival the Ventes des vins

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Barely 9:30am 15 glasses sampled and suddenly flaky, cheese pastries looked quite appealing. Blood-red stains were visible in every direction and the lighting under the curved ceiling was at best dim. Ginger and Nutmeg were at the Cuverie des Hospices de Beaune, the wine cellars, for the first degustation of the weekend, with 44 wines available for tasting from the 2012 harvest.

Beaune Degustation 2012

Barrels

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Jean Moulin Brave or Reckless

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Ginger and Nutmeg are children born in the early 1960’s, sheltered from the difficulties of the two World Wars; they did not recognize the name Jean Moulin, when they arrived in France.

Sure, their school history classes covered the wars in some detail. They have grandparents and parents who were certainly impacted by the hardships of those dark, uncertain days. On Nutmeg’s paternal side, the whole family was uprooted, and they relocated to a foreign land. The scarcity of food and other products from that time has instilled a steady habit of reuse, recycle and do not waste.

Jean-Moulin-Poppies

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A-Z for Beaune’s Legacy of Wine and Charity

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The Gallo-Romans should be thanked for introducing grapevines to Burgundy, now part of France. Religious orders of monks dedicated years of effort to clear heavily forested land and rid rocky soil of stones. A reputation of fine wine production was established by the 14C and continues…

Degustation

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