In France and much of Europe, hiking or randonée is a significant part of the culture. There are walking trails for all levels that crisscross the continent.  The longer trails form part of the GR system or Grande Randonée, there are over 60,000km of trails in France alone. Here is a great resource guide book.
Ginger and Nutmeg love hiking, but they never expected to start the season in January, when they were introduced to the International Hiking Group of Provence. G&N made it to as many of the scheduled Tuesday hikes as they could fit in to their busy European exploration agenda.
Each hike was unique, the scenery beautiful and weather at times unpredictable. All of the hikes offered opportunities for some laughs along the way. Some of the favorites are highlighted below:
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Recipes & Travel:
Cookies, Cranberry, Guidebooks, Hiking, International Hiking Group of Provence, Oatmeal, Provence, Randonee

Ginger, Nutmeg, and Jade recently arrived back in Calgary after their “Year in Provence”. Ginger insisted that he had to return to North America for several commitments. Although, he did admit that returning in the month of November was dubious. The two ladies agreed to come back reluctantly, but only after Ginger promised that they would return to France next summer.
Nutmeg was thrilled that there was no snow on the ground for their arrival.
Jade was happy to get out of her travel kennel. She was not too fussed about where she was, as long as the food kept coming at regular intervals.
Ginger was probably the most excited as the NHL hockey season was underway and his regular “old boys” league were still playing on a weekly basis.
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Recipes & Travel:
Blink Restaurant Calgary, Calgary Cooking Classes, Calgary Restaurants, Food in Calgary, Travel Alberta

The small city of Martigues is located at the point where the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Etang de Berre meet. Sometimes referred to as the Provençale Venice, Martigues is attractive. There is a series of small canals, tiny pedestrian-only streets and attractive cafes.
Thursday is market day in Martigues, and that is where Ginger and Nutmeg met up with Ghyslaine and her husband Jacques. Aside from being a lovely couple, they run a successful company focused on top quality cooking classes. Appropriately named, La Cuisine Mèditerranéenne de Ghylaine, is focused on traditional cooking and techniques from the region.

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Recipes & Travel:
French Food, Markets in Provence, Provencal Food, Travel in France

Insult to injury is what I would call this post. First of all Ginger and Nutmeg leave me alone for two nights, while they go to a fancy hotel. Apparently, the hotel would not accept Black Labradors, and that is the story that Nutmeg is sticking to. Then, they went hiking in the reputedly beautiful Gorges du Verdon (allegedly as I was not there). Then the worst part! They had lunch with the fastest dog in France, Dabir a Saluki, in Banon.

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Recipes & Travel:
Banon, Dogs, France, Provence, Salukis

One of the greatest pleasures Nutmeg had during the months in Provence was being introduced to Henry Ferrier and his lovely wife Annick Brunet. This is one energetic couple; Henry is an artist, writer and philosopher, Annick has been in politics, film and continues to be an enthusiastic volunteer. The first time Ginger and Nutmeg met Henry, he recited a riddle:

What happens if you toss a buttered piece of toast in the air?

It lands on the buttered side

What happens if you toss a cat in the air?

It lands on its’ feet

What happens if you place a buttered piece of toast on a cat’s back and throw it in the air?

It stays aloft deciding which side to fall upon

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Recipes & Travel:
Artists, Contemporary French Artists, Henry Ferrier, Painters, Provence

Just try typing 11/11/2011 in your web browser and see what results you get, in this case a mere 14,490,000,000.  There are volumes of prophesies regarding the significance of the date.  Numerologists and astrologists have published tomes on the subject and the demise of the world as we know it.  Bored? You could spend hours on this subject.
This post has nothing to do with that.

November 11, 1918 was the official end of World War I. It was at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” when the Armistice was officially signed with Germany, agreeing to the end of hostilities. In France, Armistice Day is a national holiday to celebrate the country’s role in the allied victory, of this Great Patriotic War. The French population suffered tremendously during the First World War. Almost every town has a memorial to recognize the lives lost in battle.  The French use the blue cornflower or Bleuet as a…

Recipes & Travel:
November 11th, Rememberance Day, Travel in France

I could tell that Nutmeg would not have time to write this post, as they were busy packing bags, boxes, sporting goods and the car. I travel much lighter than they do, Ginger had cleaned my kennel, so I was ready for the voyage back to Calgary.  With the two of them distracted, I thought that I would take this opportunity to share with you a few of my favourite things about the village of Eygalières.

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Recipes & Travel:
Alpilles Mountains Provence, Eygalieres, Provence Travel, Travel in France

For Nutmeg this is a terrifying blog post, so it is fitting that it arrives just in time for Halloween.
Ginger and Nutmeg left Calgary on September 30, 2010. Nutmeg has quite happily not set foot on Canadian soil for 13 months. What is so scary?  They are headed back to Calgary in the darkest, coldest month of the year!
Here are some fun statistics from their time abroad:

35,000
Kilometers driven in the trusty car by Ginger

15,000
Roundabouts

8,000
Photos documenting the year

5,000
Toll booths

395 
Number of days since Nutmeg has been in Canada

395
Wine bottles consumed more or less

150
Number of times Nutmeg went to a market

150+
Bike rides

50+
Churches visited

35+
Hikes

18
Ski days at new resorts

15
Gap T-shirts

13
Provencal deserts at Christmas time

8+
Concerts

4
Ferry rides: to Corsica and Sardinia

4
Pairs of runners

3
Masks from the Venice Carnival

5
Cooking lessons

5
Countries Visited:France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, UK

2
Jars Cherry Jam by Ginger

4
New pieces of art

2
Gym memberships

1
Mountain bikes

2
Pairs of Hiking boots

1
Wedding

1
Opera – Aida

1
Kayak trip

1
Trip to the Grand Prix in Monaco

1
Trip to Paris

1
Market bag

0
Number of sessions with a personal trainer

TOTAL
PRICELESS

It has been a…

Recipes & Travel:
Provence Travel, Pumpkin Soup, Quick and Easy Soup, Travel in France, Vegeterian Recipes

Ginger and Nutmeg have a dear friend in Aix en Provence who is a proud Breton by origin. Although, Delphine has lived in the south of France for a number of years, she stays close to her roots by running a delightful crêperie in the heart of Aix-en-Provence, called Crêpes Cidre & Compagnie.
One hot day in August, Ginger and Nutmeg had a crêpe-making lesson from the expert, and a brief introduction to another culture. Here, are a few ABCs in order to better appreciate the natives of northwestern France.

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Recipes & Travel:
Aix en Provence, Food from Brittany, Food info in France, French Food, How to make real French crepes, Provence Travel

France is without question a country of fabulous food, great variety in local cuisine and easy access to fresh produce.  However, France is not known for Asian cooking and Nutmeg has had the odd craving for a little curry.
One of Nutmeg’s favourite restaurants is the Crazyweed Kitchen (click to see previous blog post) in Canmore. Her friend Hot Chili also loves the restaurant and has accused Nutmeg of always ordering the same thing off the menu.  That is not 100% correct, but it is true that the Seafood Curry Bowl that is on their menu is one of Nutmeg’s all-time favorites. This delicious dish is almost a stew, perfectly seasoned and wonderful anytime of the year. Ginger and Nutmeg are currently living 8049 kilometers from Canmore, so a visit to the restaurant is not possible at present. As a result Nutmeg has taken matters into her own hands and made her variation of the Seafood Curry Bowl using local…

Recipes & Travel:
Canmore, Curry, Curry Bowl, Easy Asian Recipes, Recipe, restaurants, Seafood Curry, Travel