According to Nutmeg, the Mimosa in cocktail form, does not do justice to either of it’s ingredients; champagne or orange juice.  It is often served for brunch and that is a whole other story (see previous blog post).
This post is about the first flower of the season in Provence.

The mimosa is a beautiful flowering bush that is often found in gardens, green-spaces, and forests all over the south of France. There are over 1200 varieties world-wide, the shrub is native to Australia, Central and South America and parts of Asia, not France. It is believed that the mimosa plant travelled to Europe on one of Captain Cook’s voyages. This flowering beauty was introduced to southern France around 1850, by wealthy English, who planted them to in order to brighten-up their gardens during the winter months on the Cote D’Azur.
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Recipes & Travel:
Cote d'Azur Travel Ideas, Flowers in France, Following the Mimosa Trail in Provence, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Don’t tell Ginger. Several years ago Nutmeg had a boyfriend who was fanatical about 2CVs; that is the Citroën 2CV or “deux chevaux”.  On a six-week backpacking trip through Europe he took 90 Kodachrome photos of 2CVs (2 of Nutmeg and 8 of buxom blondes).  On top of that he insisted on eating at MacDonald’s throughout Europe. For those of you who know Nutmeg, it was a good thing the relationship “fizzled”.
History (above) aside Nutmeg thought that Ginger would have lots of fun driving a 2CV around Provence for a day.  The answer was simple, there is a Dutch/French company called 2CV Experience that rents lovingly restored 2CVs or “two horsepower” cars for the day.  It could not have been easier, as they are based minutes outside of Aix-en Provence.  They currently have 12 cars and are building their inventory to 15 shortly.  These pristine cars have been fully restored by hand, painted meticulously and are ready to go…

Recipes & Travel:
2CV Experience in Provence, citroen 2cv, Provence Travel, Travel in France

There are several brands that epitomize Italian style, one that is known worldwide is Ferrari. Boys of all ages, have visions of racing in the streets of Monaco in a red sports car. Bright red is truly one of the distinctive traits of the Ferrari automobiles, a patented colour, “Rosso Corsa,” or Italian racing red. In fact, red is the international color for all Italian race cars, while the French use blue, and the English defaulted to British racing car green. On a recent visit to Bologna, Ginger and Nutmeg made a small side-trip to Galleri Ferrari, the official Ferrari museum located in Maranello, to experience these magnificent machines up close.
Aside from distinctive color the Ferrari coat of arms, a bright black stallion prancing on a yellow embossed background, is iconic. History surrounds the emblem: the black stallion symbolizing the Piedmonte Reale Cavalleria which World War One, Italian flying ace Francesco Baracca had painted on his fighter plane. Ferrari…

Recipes & Travel:
Ferrari, Maranello, Modena, Travel in Italy

Many years ago, Nutmeg saw a fabulous photo of Venice during Carnevale.  Attending this annual event has been on her “Top 10” list.
What is not to like about this event?:

The beautiful city of Venice
A really big 10-day party through the streets

Fantastic costumes
Italian food

Ginger and Nutmeg checked Jade into the doggie spa close to Aix and told her to be a good girl, as this was not an event for black dogs. They headed to Italy with a hotel room booked, masks in hand, rental costumes organized and tickets to the more affordable Ball of the Grand Duke – Palazzo Pesaro Papafava – The fancier ball was thankfully “sold-out”, as the per person cost was well over 450 Euros.
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Carnevale di Venezia, Things to do in Venice, Travel in Italy, Venice Carnival

Ginger and Nutmeg chose the Italian Dolimites for some skiing in early March. They were able to schedule their trip just after the winter school break so the crowds were light.  The problem was the snow was ‘light’ as well.  So there was nothing but groomed trails, which suited Nutmeg just fine. They chose the resorts of Cortina and Corvara/Alta-Badia, as Ginger wanted to ski a couple of the classic Olympic and World-Cup pitches.
The Dolomites landscape is incredibly spectacular.  One is struck immediately by the range of colours from pine forests and meadows to rocky spires and limestone walls (some of the highest in the world).  In 2009, the Dolimites were declared a UNESCO Natural Heritage site and it is easy to see why as every viewpoint is more spectacular, than the last. This area is an outdoor playground all year round, attracting skiers, ski-touring, climbers, hikers, bikers and para-gliders, among others. There has been recorded climbing in the…

Recipes & Travel:
Italian Dolomites, Skiing, Travel in Italy

This will be a short one on Alberta’s spring.  Nutmeg moved to Calgary 17 years ago, Ginger had arranged with Mother Nature for a fantastic spring and even better summer that year.  Since that time, Calgary and Mother Nature have ignored Ginger and completely tormented Nutmeg.  Practically every year there is a deficit of snow for skiing in January and February, or it is too darn cold.

 
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Recipes & Travel:
Travel Alberta, Travel in France

Ginger and Nutmeg are a bit distracted by our move from Aix en Provence to Eygalieres, so it is once again my turn for a bit of “air-time”.  Here is my rebuttal to Nutmeg’s last post “Our Favorite things about Aix en Provence“.

I have never lived in a place quite like Aix en Provence.  When I was a young puppy I lived in the woods in Vermont, and putting on a collar was a dress-up occasion.  Then I moved to Calgary. Ginger came to pick me up in Montreal and took me on a long trip to that strange place (Calgary).  We arrived and there was another dog who looked like me but she was not very interested in me.  My roaming space much reduced, in fact it was a bit like a sardine can after Vermont.  The good news is Ginger and Nutmeg made lots of trips to Canmore, where we could swim and run around like black…

Recipes & Travel:
Aix en Provence, Provence Travel, Things to do in Aix en Provence, Travel in France, Travel Tips with Pets, Travel with Dogs

Aix en Provence is often referred to as “Cezanne’s city”.  It is hard to miss the “Steps of Cezanne” emblems on the sidewalks of Aix, these symbols lead tourists to some of the more famous sites for Cezanne.  The problem with looking at your feet to follow the little emblems, is you might miss some of the sights along the way.  Nutmeg could fill a book and several photo albums to really describe this city.  Aix en Provence has a long history (founded in 123 BC) as a centre built over hot springs or “thermes”.  Aix is a student town, tourist town, the official centre of the 13th department of France.

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Aix en Provence, Provence Travel, Things to do in Aix en Provence, Travel in France, Travel Tips with Pets, Travel with Dogs

There is no question, France is a must visit place for foodies and market lovers.  Nutmeg, as you already know is market crazy.  She finds that there is something completely engaging about the sights and sounds of a market.  In particular, Nutmeg loves the literal buzz of the commercial activity resulting from the connection of buyers to vendors, who are in many cases the actual producers.  Southern France is a critical food production area for the country, with a slightly milder climate, the growing season is long and literally “fruitful”.

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

Eight military jets performing loops with tricolor smoke over the highway can be distracting. These jets are the Patrouille de France, the French equivalent of the Canadian Snowbirds. Through an affiliation with the Canadian Air Force, Ginger was able to get an introduction to l’Armée de l’Air (the French Air Force). Ginger was ecstatic when he learned of the opportunity to visit with this prestigious team.
The French Air Force was formed in 1909; it is currently the fourth largest air force in NATO with over 865 aircraft.  Within l’Armée de l’Air there are two demonstration teams, who are ambassadors of the skies for the nation. The two teams are: the Équipe de Voltige; the World and European Aerobatic Champions, and the Patrouille de France. Both teams practice out of the 701 Air Base in Salon de Provence, which is also home to l’Ecole de l’Air (primary officers training school). This French defense facility predates World War II. Base Aérienne…

Recipes & Travel:
Air Shows, Patrouille de France, Planes, Provence, Salon de Provence