In Southern France (Provence), many of the roads are lined with beautiful sycamore trees (sometimes called plane trees). Ginger and Nutmeg noticed, that the Christmas light installation in Aix en Provence, on the Cours Mirabeau started the third week in October. It was a lengthy process, as it took about 10 days for the light installation (there are a lot of trees). However, the lights are not illuminated at that stage, instead they hang in anticipation, for the upcoming festivities at the end of November.
Expresso used to love Caffe Beano on 9th Street and 17th Avenue SW in Calgary, for the coffee and the scene. Times have changed a bit and rumor has it that he now loves his Nespresso machine more.
Caffe Beano has been in existence and in the same location since 1988. The owners might have been slightly concerned when Starbucks first opened its doors in Calgary, in the late 1990’s a few blocks away. Any concerns were washed away by a very loyal following of coffee lovers, who were not swayed by the big shiny Seattle based brand. The loyal crowd continues to support this local coffee establishment. So a couple years back the when the barber in the adjacent retail space moved on, Caffe Beano expanded. Before Nutmeg left for France, she had the pleasure of several good-bye “coffee meetings” with good friends at Caffe Beano. Continue reading →
At the mouth of the Petit-Rhône in the Camargue, you find the seaside town of Saintes Maries de la Mer. It is located right on the Mediterranean Sea, with a lovely long beach and wild surf. The town was built between the 9th and 12th centuries and was a strategically important location for defense against pirate attacks. The church (Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer) is unique in both structure and height, as it is much taller than the surrounding buildings. The roof of the church at one time, served as a watchtower. Even to this day, the church is a site for Gypsy pilgrimages. Gypsies come from all over Europe every May 24th to come to pray to Saint Sara and usually leave an offering of cloth from their clothes for her to protect them through the coming year.
This town in the heart of the Camargue, is home to black cows, white horses, red rice, and the recognizable Fleur de Sel. The region has a strong tradition of bull rearing and herding that dates back to the late 1800’s when Folco Baroncelli a descendant of a Florentine family settled in the Camargue. His passion for bulls moved him to become a manadier and in 1895 he founded the “Manado Santenco” in Saintes Maries de la Mer. In 1909, he established the “Nacioun Gardiano” and was very active in the development and promotion of the Camargue bull-run.
Ginger and Nutmeg were invited to the very unique Festival D’Abrivado, which is held in Saintes Maries de la Mer every November 10th and 11th. Here are the fast facts:
Nutmeg felt a certain obligation to attend a family reunion that Hot Sauce (Mum) had organized at a pub, where her family lives, an hour outside London. The event was scheduled for later in November – a lovely time to head to the UK :-). The pull was strong and the guilt factor very high, as Google Maps identified a 12 hour drive (not counting the channel crossing) and a distance of 1253 km! So Ginger got out his trusty bible of Michelin rated restaurants and charted a leisurely route that took us from Aix en Provence to St Pere de Vezelay, outside Dijon, then onto the Normandy coast to Honfleur and Calais. The plan was to drive no more than 4-5 hours a day to allow for Ginger to have a big nap and for Nutmeg to explore the surroundings in her running shoes or on her bike. The general plan was to eat in fantastic restaurants, and to stay in hotels that had better showers and beds than our apartment in Aix. Note: the last part was not that hard to accomplish.
As a way of getting acquainted with Provence, Ginger and Nutmeg treated themselves to a bike tour along with a good sampling of the local food and wine! The tour started in St Tropez with a day of biking around that area. It was beautiful and not too crowded, as the summer crowd was long gone. The harbour and surrounding vistas were terrific. However, for Ginger the best part was Le Club Porsche de France was in town for the weekend and he was able to check out some real fancy cars. There were over 20 in our hotel alone and likely over 300 in the whole town – quite a show!
As we pointed out in an earlier blog entry the French love administration. So the fact that you have a visa stamp in your passport is only step number one. Once you enter the country officially, you have to fill out another form, take photocopies of the proper pages in your passport and then send it all off to the correct bureau for review. Once received they review the paperwork and schedule a meeting at their convenience (you are on holiday after all). After all of that, you get another stamp/sticker for your passport to make you officially “welcome” in the country ;-0. So Nutmeg and Ginger are awaiting the results of this last step in the approval process…we will be back home soon if we do not pass the test. Continue reading →
A beautiful Saturday morning in Chamonix with Saffron as tour guide, Nutmeg, Ginger and Jade (the dog) all head to the Chamonix Centre farmers market. The market runs Saturday mornings from 8am-12pm all year round. This market is about 50/50 food vendors and other merchants (clothes, traditional crafts, household goods). The food vendors run the full spectrum; of fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread, honey, fish, cured meats and flowers. There is lots of choice, and almost all of the food is “local” within a few hours drive. However, the market does cater to tourists as well so buyer beware! Our story below should serve to reconfirm that statement….
Nutmeg loves Europe and the UK. What is not to love? There is great history, wonderful art and architecture, fantastic food, endless wine and vast cultures. They just have no idea about showers. Europeans and the Brits love to differ on many things but the dreaded Euro shower is consistent from country to country. In the UK they tend to love hot baths and view the shower as a demon invention, only necessary to serve North American tastes. Broadly used in the UK and other countries is a hand-held shower. What this means is trying to hold the hose and nozzle in one hand while trying to soap, shampoo and shave with the other – please advise if you have perfected this circus trick. The only method that Nutmeg has seemed to find marginally successful is to sit in the tub and use the sides of the bath as a bit of a barrier. Some bathrooms are quite modern, instead of the hand-held the shower head is installed on an adjustable pole on the wall – nice feature to accommodate all heights. The problem? They install a single 12 inch pane of glass as the water barrier. Nutmeg has tried all sorts of contortions but the conclusion is there is NO WAY not to get the bathroom soaked. Hopefully, the hotel has not been skimpy on towels – you will need them all. Hence the dreaded Euro shower.
On the subject of bathrooms. Nutmeg is still wondering why they insist on installing the darn bidet (the use of which started in 1710) and cannot provide a real hairdryer? As Nutmeg’s friend HP Sauce would say “can you really dry your hair with a toaster?”
How can it be Paris eating – buyer beware? Extra charges for bread, expensive bottled water, 15% built-in service charge, “tourist” menus, snooty wait staff…
So armed with that knowledge and a list of Zagat rated restaurants recommended by Saffron, Nutmeg and Ginger venture out. Her suggestions are all fabulous from the outside! The lesson? Make a reservation!! Nutmeg and Ginger are zero for three so far (this might be good news for the Visa balance):
No matter how many times you have been to Paris there is always something to do. If you have never been before the must-do list includes; Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Opera, Bateaux Mouches, L’Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame and St Michel. After you have hit the must do list there are endless museums, galleries, great shopping and fantastic neighbourhoods to explore.
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.
Perfectly Provence provides a vast online resource for all things Provence, France. Whether you are about to travel to Provence or currently live their as a local or ex pat, we have curated the region’s best experts to bring you everything you need to know. Perfectly Provence is all about great regional cuisine, France travel tips, local markets and things to do in Provence. Bon Voyage!
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Ginger and Nutmeg is a digital travel guide aimed at an adult English speaking audience. These are educated, tech-savvy tourists and locals who want to understand unique stories and details behind a destination’s sights and tastes.
