Category Archives: Travel

Walking Through Palm Springs History

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Sombreros, sunshine and margaritas were the fuel for a series of historical walking tours in Palm Springs. Kathryn Leonard and her husband were visiting friends in and the Mexican city of San Miguel de Allende five years ago when the idea for historic walks sprouted in her head.

McCallum Adobe built in 1884 - The first house built in PS by the first white settler John McCallum and his family #PalmSprings
Kathryn is a retired schoolteacher with enough energy to challenge the energizer bunny. An avid tennis player and skier she may have finished with her professional career, but she is certainly not prepared to be idle. Kathryn told Nutmeg that during a walking tour in San Miguel de Allende she thought that the concept would work well in Palm Springs. Continue reading →

Constructing An Edible Life in Canmore

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The cocoa goji balls are criminal – they should be locked up!

Carole Beaton owner and operator of An Edible Life in Canmore is modest, she says that she is not a confident cook and “only started baking in the fall.” When pressed for more details, Carole admitted that she may have baked before launching her food business, but never in retail quantities.An Edible Life storefront @anediblelife #Canmore

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Thoronet Abbey a Cistercian Treasure in Provence

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L’Abbaye du Thoronet was first classified as a historic French monument in 1840. Restoration work started the year after and still continues today. Nutmeg wanted to visit the Thoronet Abbey as they had already seen the “sister” abbeys Silvacane and Sénanque. The straightforward design of these buildings produced volumes of space where the only adornment would have been the harmonic chanting voices of the monks. These religious structures are stark and somber yet at the same time refreshing, no marble, no gold, no organ pipes, just natural light and acoustics.

Thoronet Abbey_panorama @GingerandNutmeg

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Bratsera Hotel Sets the Bar for Tranquility in Hydra

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Hydra is a short 90-minute ferry ride from Piraeus port in Athens making it a popular getaway for Athenians and for those tourists wanting to sample the Greek islands. Hydra is also fashionable, as it remains one of the few islands with practically no vehicles. You can visit this Saronic Island by foot, by donkey or via boat-taxi.

Bratsera Hotel Hydra #Bratsera #Hydra #Greece

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Discovering Beautiful Portugal from Under an Umbrella

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Have you ever wondered…why do they take 200ml of body cream away at airport security only to let you buy 250ml in duty-free before boarding? Well, at least the plane was still scheduled to fly to Lisbon.

Lisbon view of Sao Vincente de Flora #Lisbon #Portugal @GingerandNutmeg

Nutmeg’s discovery of Portugal’s must see sights started with an email to 12 women with a tempting offer of accommodation in a Portuguese farmhouse. The email suggested a generally loose itinerary for the week and “bring your yoga mats.”

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Sifting through the Salt of Provence in Aigues Mortes

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Nutmeg walked every aisle in the grocery store looking for salt – it was not with the spices, but rather in its’ own section near the aged balsamic vinegar. Where is the logic?

Salt Piles Le Saunier de Camargue @GingerandNutmeg #Salt #FleurdeSel

This pile of sea salt is 70 metres high

Treasured since antiquity, salt is used in kitchens around the world, to enhance flavour and preserve food. Salt also plays a medicinal role in maintaining the life sustaining salt/water ratio in the human body. Formed by the earthly elements sodium and chloride (NaCl), salt comes from two sources, underground mineral deposits and seawater.

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