Category Archives: Travel

Destination Bowen Island for Italian Cashmere

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You read that right!

Artisanal cashmere – crafted in a country built on the fur trapping, canoe portaging, down-filled coats, Hudson Bay blankets, and Kodiak boots! Artigiani Milanesi established its bespoke Italian cashmere tailoring on Bowen Island in 2014.

Rosa, Davide and Rebecca Artigiani Milanesi

The story of how luxury Italian-inspired weaving ends up on Canada’s wet coast began with a girl in a convent in Cremona, Italy. Rosa Palmira Feroldi (Rosetta) was only two-years-old when she and her five sisters, orphans of WWII, were taken in by the nuns at the Cremona convent. The nuns would knit clothing for the children, and Rosetta insisted they teach her how to use the knitting machines – a skill she honed for the next chapter of her life. At 21 years old, she left the convent and headed for the industrial city of Milan in 1958.

Rosa Artigiani MilanesiMilan was booming in the 1960s, rapidly becoming recognized as a fashion capital. Rosetta quickly put her knitting skills into practice and establishing her business (1959) catering to local Milanese clients and international brands (Prisco, Kiton, Doriani and others). Davide Bizzarri, Rosa’s son, apprenticed with his mother gaining an understanding of their business, the competitive local marketplace and international demands – he officially took over Artigiani Milanesi in 1995.  Davide shares his mother’s enthusiasm, ruthless attention to detail and quality, and her design flair.

Artigiani Milanesi yogi coatMilan is still booming today, frenetic, is the word Rebecca (Davide’s wife) used to describe the city. A change of pace, a sense of adventure and the potential of new markets prompted a move to Bowen Island. Artigiani Milanesi was packed into two 40-foot-long shipping containers destined for its new Howe Sound head office, a 1,600sqft boutique and workshop. Their concept is to offer tailored cashmere knitwear made by Italians in Canada. According to Rebecca tells me that they were seeking a slower pace of life on Bowen Island, but says, “Ironically we are busier now than when we were in Europe!” – proof that the appreciation for artisanal cashmere is strong in North America.

Davide Artigiani MilanesiAlmost, two years into living on Bowen Island the team at Artigiani Milanesi has established roots and gather inspiration for cashmere colour palettes from their natural surroundings. Rosa is still very much involved in the operations, training their group of local weavers, hand-tailoring some of the most complex designs and she does all the hand finishing. Davide and Rebecca are focused on expanding their market reach and North American awareness of their brand, which uses only the purest natural Italian cashmere yarns and artisanal methodology.

Artigiani MilanesiArtigiani Milanesi invites clients to invest in a part of Italian history and style, choosing authenticity and discerning luxury. You can order from the website or for those readers in the Vancouver area, head on over to Bowen Island for a day trip.

Davide and Rebecca Artigiani MilanesiRebecca shared a few of her favourite things to help you discover this destination:

DISCOVER

Cates Bay Beach a great bay for kayaking and stand up paddleboarding

Mount Gardner a day hike with extraordinary views over Howe Sound

The coastal walk along Cape Roger Curtis

TASTE

Pain au Chocolat at Artisan Eats, buttery and divine, made by a French patisserie chef

Organic homemade hot chocolate at The Chocolate Shop

The French onion soup at Rustique Bistro

RELAX

Take a class at Bowen Island Yoga a studio that Rebecca established with two partners in 2014

Shop for Cashmere!

Hike the Killarney Lake trail and hang out on the beach in the evening with friends for a potluck picnic dinner and fire pit

Image Credits: all photos provide by and published with the permission of Artigiani Milanesi

Massacre in Merindol Provence’s Dark History

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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.

Merindol Ruins

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The Peppercorn Reference List

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Celebrity chefs flaunt their talents with teetering food towers, seared this and that, and sous vide experimentation, but they still rely heavily on spices to perfect the flavours.

Ubiquitous today, as the world’s most traded spice, the black peppercorn was once highly sought after for both its flavour and medicinal qualities. As Romans increased use of pepper in their cooking, savvy Spice Route merchants commanded gold and silver coins in exchange for the seasoning. This was not unreasonable as peppercorns had to travel long distances from Southeast Asia – parts of India and Java.

California Pepper Tree

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Taking Flight in Provence Gliding over St Remy

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It is not often that Ginger gets to write about G&N adventures, but this experience warrants a post. As many of you know, Ginger is an airplane geek, and any experience related to flying gets serious precedence over most things. Man since the beginning of time, has wanted to escape the bonds of earth and fly like a bird. Fixed wing gliding provides man the opportunity to catch air currents and soar hour upon hour.

Gliding Aeroclub des Alpilles #StRemy #Alpilles #Provence

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London Like You’ve Never Seen It Before

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Nutmeg fully admits she is a Francophile, in her mind everything in France is superior to anywhere else – just ask Ginger. In fact, Nutmeg used a recent trip to the UK, for a family matter, as an excuse to head to France for 12 days. This year she has had the opportunity to expand her horizons with a couple recent trips to England and now has a growing appreciation for towpath walks and gastro-pubs. While Nutmeg definitely cannot understand driving on the “wrong side” of the road, she does appreciate an interesting travel tip, in this case, three…

French Sole @GingerandNutmeg

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5 Reasons to Visit Joshua Tree National Park

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It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who with the stroke of his pen made Joshua Tree a National Monument on August 10, 1936 (it became a National Park in 1994). However, those 825,000 acres (now: 792,510 acres) would never have been recognized as worth protecting had it not been for Minerva Hamilton Hoyt, a southern belle and unlikely activist from Mississippi, who lived in Pasadena with her surgeon husband.

Joshua Tree #California Joshua Tree National Park #JoshuaTree

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Perfectly Planned Travel for Bespoke Holidays

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Antonia (Toni) Dosik’s memories of her first foreign trip include sandy beaches and seashells. In reality, Mexico was hardly a protracted voyage for a six-year-old kid from Los Angeles, but it was the kickoff for Toni’s travel-centric life.

Antonia (Toni) Dosik

At 13, Toni began plotting her return to Europe while on a vacation that included visits to England, France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. During college, she took advantage of a study abroad program to improve her French language skills, and to visit Switzerland and southern France. Toni spent a university year in England before racking up extensive travel miles to Provence, Paris, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and Portugal.

Dorset England via Perfectly Planned Travel

Best in Britain was born in 1987, a small business that sprouted from friends and family asking Toni for help with their travel planning. Toni’s travel bug married her planning talent. She tells me that Best in Britain planned more than 40 trips to England and Wales for people who wanted unique and personalized vacations. Starting with a client’s response to her detailed questionnaire on their interests and individual needs, Toni has planned holidays with a focus on gardens, maritime history and even mazes.

Toni says that for clients “I planned travel for them just like I plan travel for myself.”

Hour B&B Les Acanthes Toni Dosik

Now, with Perfectly Planned Travel, Toni is concentrating her efforts on the undiscovered or under-discovered in regions that she knows best: England, Portugal, Paris and Provence.

Why?

“I am drawn to Portugal and Provence by the gorgeous scenery, the warm, friendly people, and the charming small towns and villages.  England is also about gorgeous scenery and charming villages and small market towns.  Despite its reputation, England has some of the warmest and friendliest people on earth!  Paris, of course, is quintessentially French, somewhat challenging, as cities can be, but beautiful and fascinating.”

Toni limits her number of clients, so every Perfectly Planned Travel trip is individualized and customized – there is no typical itinerary.  Toni has planned many trips for first-time travelers who are reassured by her attention to detail. In equal measure, Toni proposes excursions for people who want to experience something different in a place they have already visited.

What was your most challenging trip to date?

Planning a family vacation for 17 adults and two small children in Provence.  They wanted a house that was big enough for everyone to have their own bedroom and bathroom and yet affordable.  Lots of different needs and travel styles. They all had a great time!

Street in Alentejo #Portugal Perfectly Planned Travel

What would you say clients must discover in England, Portugal, and Provence?

  1. The lovely countryside of the Alentejo region of Portugal, with its sophisticated wineries, olive oil producers, and cork trees. Also, charming towns, villages and friendly people.
  1. The market towns of England. Most people know London and maybe the Cotswolds or the Lake Country. However, some of the most interesting places to visit in England are towns that have had markets since the medieval period, like Woodford in Suffolk or Calderdale in West Yorkshire.
  1. The area of Provence known as the Vaucluse with its perched villages, long and complicated history, and its truly breathtaking vistas of vineyards, lavender fields, and olive trees.

What would you tell your clients to taste in England, Portugal, and Provence?

In Portugal and Provence, drink wine.  Portugal produces some of the best wine in the world, but it is often not available outside of Portugal.  Not just the vinho verde (young white wine), but the delicious reds like those from Herdade Do Esporao in the Alentejo.

Same for Provence.  Explore the wine. Côtes du Rhone, Châteauneuf du Pape, and the dry rosés.  One of the best ways to do this – and eat the delicious food as well – is to have your main meal of the day at lunch, so you can drink the wine, walk around the local village or town, and still drive home safely.

England has a very undeserved reputation as a place without decent food. Ever since it joined the EU, the food in England has become more and more varied and sophisticated.  Including “pub food” that is way more than fish and chips or toad in a hole.  I had some of the best meals of my life at the Museum Inn in Farnham, Dorset, population 111!

What would you suggest for relaxation?

This is truly idiosyncratic.  I love to shop and find it both relaxing and stimulating.  Other people like to fish, or walk on the beach, or sit in a café or see a concert.  That’s where my Questionnaire comes in – it helps me to get a sense of what people like to do, what they want from their trip, their “style” of travel and how I can help them plan a perfect trip.

Are you ready for a Perfectly Planned Travel holiday?

Get in touch with Antonia (Toni) Dosik: http://perfectlyplannedtravel.biz/contact/

Website: http://perfectlyplannedtravel.biz/

Questionnaire: http://perfectlyplannedtravel.biz/questionnaire/

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Disclosure: Perfectly Planned Travel is a Ginger and Nutmeg sponsor

Image Credits: All photos were provided by and published with the permission of Perfectly Planned Travel

 

Pappy and Harriet’s Rocks Pioneertown

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Fault lines, droughts and dust storms are the realities of the California desert where nothing can be too permanent or too real.

Pioneertown may look like a Wild West frontier town from gold rush days, but it in reality it was created in 1946 for western-themed Hollywood movies. Complete with facades of banks, jails, saloons and stables this veneer of a town was the stage set for over 50 movies through the end of the 1950s.

@pappy_harriets #Pioneertown #California

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