One of the fun highlights of this trip to Provence was attending the Roman Games in Nimes. You know how Civil War reenactments are popular south of the border? Well, picture that except on a much more epic scale. The fully operational Colosseum in Nimes was the backdrop for a reenactment of an actual Roman Game with participants from all across Europe. As spectators, you could even rent costumes for the day and wander around town dressed as different classes of Romans and Gauls.

It was a great event for history buffs and families. There really was just a little bit of something for everyone. I’m pretty sure there must be some YouTube videos of us wandering the streets of Nimes in full costume though…

The best-preserved Roman arena in France.

Roman legionnaires, Celts, the Imperial Court, auxiliaries, cavalrymen and war chariots were all in full costume in celebration of ancient Roman civilization.

Before the Games began, the Colosseum was open for kids to participate in Gallic or Roman training.

Part of the "Ludi" games, famous throughout the Roman Empire.

Coming up: a couple restaurant reviews. For more pictures of Provence, visit my Flickr photostream.

So…it’s been a while since my last post, hasn’t it? I’m working on a bunch of secret side projects and just trying to find that right level of balance. Also, this weather has just been too depressing. Thinking back on the glorious sunshine of the south of France really just makes me want to pack up my bags and move there. Literally. I’m not even joking. In any case, I’m going to try and get through this vacation wrap-up and then perhaps summer will finally happen here in Halifax? Maybe?

One of my favourite destinations is Avignon. More specifically the historic centre. Walled in from the outside world, it’s still a thriving area with a university and ample shopping but you’re also pretty much tripping over ancient stuff everywhere you go. The last time Cokebaby and I were in Avignon, we were celebrating our ten year wedding anniversary. You can read the recap elsewhere on the blog.

This time around we were travelling with the in-laws, including a six-year-old niece. Combine that with the purchase of a music box playing “Sur la pont d’Avignon” and you get a song that seriously NEVER ENDS. All fun until someone goes crazy. It was definitely a different trip than the first but fun in another way.

An interesting juxtaposition.

Where it all began...with the song that never ends.

Part of a larger statue.

The French call it window licking.

Next up: more historic sites and a couple of restaurant reviews.

If you’ve come here because of a web search on the movie Thor: sorry to disappoint but this is a post about a town in the south of France of the same name. And big apologies to readers who were expecting vacation recap posts last week. Work + cold = not feelin’ it. Anyone living in Halifax can attest to the horrific weather we’ve been experiencing this spring. It’s enough to make me move to the south of France. On that note…

The perfect retreat situated about a 30 minute drive from Avignon.

For one glorious week in April, we rented a gite in Provence. The place was a short drive or bus ride from Avignon. Although we had seen pictures of the interior, we weren’t quite prepared to see this gorgeous villa awaiting us after we opened the property gates. A one week rental was about $1300 which was split between two families (this portion of the trip included Cokebaby’s sister, brother-in-law, and two girls).

A pretty amazing deal considering it included: a swimming pool (which actually isn’t open until May), a large living area on the main floor, laundry room, huge modern kitchen, dining room, games room, and powder room. Upstairs included a shared shower room for three bedrooms and separate powder room and an suite bathroom for the master bedroom with shower and bathtub.

Outside we also had use of a boules court where it was discovered I am the queen of the game. The gite was surrounded by a stucco wall which made the place very private and quite relaxing. The town of Le Thor itself is also really quaint. The people were incredibly friendly and happy to take their time with our varied levels of French language skills.

The central street in Le Thor leads to a square where markets take place a few times a week.

In the city centre there’s the 12th century Lady of the Lake Church. An older gentleman, upon exiting the church, shared some of the history of the site. You can still see the stone-masons signatures on each block of stone.

As with most French towns and cities, there are several types of markets that appear on set days of the week. That, combined with the proximity of the gite to an Intermarché, made this rental ideal. One thing to note when renting a gite is that although the houses can be quite beautiful, you should expect what you’d get when renting a cottage here in Canada: the bare minimum in amenities. Things like dish detergent, toilet paper, etc. are up to you to supply and there is a surcharge for towels.

Later this week: sur la pont d’Avignon, and other historic sites.

[It's a small world. Even though Disney kind of took over that phrase with the saccharine song, the words ring true in this part of the world. As this next guest post shows, a smaller community simply brings with it access of all kinds.]

By Philip Moscovitch

(Photo credit: Philip Moscovitch)

Back in the mid-90s, my partner Sara and I were living in Montreal and thinking about moving to the country. Trouble was, to get to an area rural enough for us, we’d have to drive well over an hour outside the city. If either of us had to commute for work, we’d be in trouble. Plus, available housing seemed to be either unaffordable, or in a state of near collapse. Neither option was all that appealing.

So we moved to Nova Scotia. Thirteen years later we’re still here, living in a 100-year-old home overlooking St. Margaret’s Bay, with about 30 acres of woodland in our name and much more stretching out for miles behind our property.

Part of what we wanted when we came to the Maritimes was easy access to the natural world. But I’ve also really come to appreciate how friendly people and the small scale of this place combine to provide access to all sorts of people and experiences.

Need to talk to your member of the legislature? Mine is a cabinet minister; I have her personal email address (which she encouraged me to use) and whenever I’ve raised a concern, she responds.

Like pomp and vice-regal ceremony? Not my cup of tea, particularly, but I’ve still managed to attend a couple of events at which the Lieutenant-Governor was present, and after she visited our local elementary a few years back, she wrote a personal response to a girl who lived near us. That made a huge impression on her.

Want to go wilderness canoeing? The Tobeatic Wilderness Area provides over a thousand square kilometres of raw nature. I can drive there in a couple of hours.

Interested in star-gazing? There are truly dark skies within an hour or two of driving, and reasonably dark ones right here in our own yard, where we can easily see thousands of stars on a clear night.

And, of course, if country living is not all that far from the city, the reverse is also true. It’s pretty easy to get to town anytime you want. When I have a gig that requires me to work in downtown Halifax, I’m facing a modest, 45-minute commute. That’s how long it used to take me sometimes to get from our Montreal apartment to my job at the National Film Board. And that was bumper-to-bumper, not the relatively pleasant drive from here to the peninsula.

I remember realizing that we really were living in a different culture soon after the birth of our third child (the only one born in Nova Scotia). We’d sent the paperwork to Vital Statistics to register his birth and hadn’t received a birth certificate. Concerned that it may have been held up, I called the department and was immediately transferred to someone in the appropriate department. After I gave her our son’s name she said, “Oh yes dear, I saw that one. It went out today.”

Philip Moscovitch is a freelance writer, editor, broadcaster. You can connect with him through his website, www.moscovitch.com, or follow him on twitter @PhilMoscovitch.

[Wrapping up our pre-Canada Games posts for the week is another guest post from a friend who's been making use of the Oval with his family. Don't forget to check out the cute video capturing the missing skate.]

By Andrew Leitao

Baby steps on the Oval

The Canada Games are coming, and with them comes the Big O. My family and I (2 adults, a 2.5 and .5 year old) were very excited when it first opened to the public. Got our skates and headed over. There were so many people on the Oval, you could barely see the ice. Our 2.5 year old Gabrielle was raring to go and experience her first skate. It lasted 30 seconds. I forgot to tighten the nut on her cheese cutter skates (double blade that fits over the boot). Thankfully, mommy was there to figure it out and get her on her way…until she fell.

Many tears later and with some coaxing, Gabrielle continued and made it a quarter of the way around until she wanted to get off. A bit of a rough start, but fun nonetheless. Since then, we’ve been quite a few more times. Each outing has driven Gabrielle to skate a little further on her quest to complete a loop. She finally acheived it on a beautiful crisp Saturday afternoon. Papa and mommy were very proud.

The Big O is a great space for all types to enjoy some healthy out door physical activity. It’s a place for community. By the look of joy on everyone’s faces, you can feel that this is a facility that needs to stay.

Having said that, I hope it’s done in a fashion that keeps it sustainable. It’s great to be gung ho, but let’s have a plan.

Oh, and there’s plenty of grass on the commons for the people who always complain about the grass…just saying…

So, what did I decide to do with $100 on my Big Day Downtown? If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably guessed right. I blew it all on one of my fave addictions: food and beverage.

First, big ups to the Downtown Halifax Business Commission for inviting me to “Go To Town.” The launch party at Pipa‘s new Atrium was a fabulous venue to showcase what our lovely downtown core has to offer: wonderful atmosphere, delicious food and divine mixed drinks. While I stuck to the sangria (offered in both the white and red variety), I highly recommend the caipirinhas. Need help pronouncing that? Check out the audio link on Merriam-Webster. According to Wikipedia it’s Brazil’s national cocktail. Which kind of begs the question, what’s Canada’s?

White Sangria from Pipa

One of the many delights served up on beautiful dishware

After thinking long and hard about where I wanted to spend my pre-paid credit card, I decided to see how far it would take me while hanging out with Cokebaby and the in-laws. First destination:

The Foggy Goggle: Home of the Google, I mean, Goggle Burger

The Foggy Goggle is a favorite watering hole among us for its unpretentious food and decor, comfy couches and live music on the weekends. (Inside joke: my brother-in-law is always misattributing ownership of the burger here to the internet giant.)

My tiara

I’m a fan of cider and Guinness so this concoction, a tiara ($5.43), is a dream come true. Two is even better. Or you can order the big brother version, a crown float, which comes in a pint glass.

Potato skins done different

Foggy Spuds ($9.75) are what Cokebaby described as a meeting of potato skins and corn chowder. Maybe that sounds a little weird to you but, trust me, they were pretty yummy.

We moved on from here to The Loose Cannon Scottish Public House for some pre-dinner scotches. I’m not a big connoisseur of the beverage but I do have a couple of favourites. So, I went with the Dalwhinnie 15 yr ($9.25) and wasn’t disappointed. The only picture I had from this location didn’t really pan out because it’s oppressively dark even in the day. I also have to say, while I’ve only been here a handful of times, the service has always been lacking. The menu offers standard pub fare and on the 25th day of every month they serve a haggis dinner in commemoration of Robbie Burns.

Dinner was served at Brussels Restaurant & Brasserie. I’ve posted a review here before and still love the beautiful decor, charming ambiance, and delicious mussels and beers. Plus, Cokebaby and I are vacationing in Belgium this September!

Practice makes perfect

I’m a big fan of fruit beers so I started with the Mort Subite Kriek Lambic ($11.95), then had a Fruli Strawberry ($8.25) with my Moules Escargot ($9.95) & frites ($3.95). My only complaint from this visit is that the menu often relies on waitstaff to make recommendations but ours was not all that knowledgeable in pairings. This fact proved a bit more crucial when several of the beers we wanted to order were out of stock (beer emergency!).

Best quote of the night, said at this location: My husband to his brother, “Did you just call me Cokebaby?!”

Chocolate ice cream with coffee grinds

For dessert we headed to Sugah for some hand paddled ice cream. Nuff said, really.

Overall, it was a fun way to spend a day. More importantly, the Big Day Downtown campaign has inspired me to add a Downtown Halifax tag for all my related content including, first and foremost, restaurant reviews. I’ll also be adding to the tag regularly going forward. So, keep your recommendations coming in the comments section for spots to check out in downtown Halifax.

Fun foodie times ahead this weekend in Halifax! Just a quick note to put this event on your radar. CATCH is all about local seafood and the hottest culinary trends. It takes place this weekend (June 19 & 20) at the Cunard Centre.  Cokebaby and I will be heading over with the in-laws to check out some of the yummy eats (and drinks). You can’t get much more local food on the East Coast than with the bounty of seafood we have on our shores.

Photo credit: Valerie Everett from Flickr

In actual fact, I’ve long considered myself a bona fide adult. However, for the past few days I’ve been in Toronto for business while also visiting family and I was reminded of how perceptions vary depending on the eyes of the beholder.

For instance, my parents dropped me off at the swanky Intercontinental Hotel after I had stayed with my sister for a few nights. At the hotel, the doorman came to claim my baggage while I thought I was saying my good-byes to my mom and dad.

Um, no.

My mom had visions of the first day of Kindergarten all over again whereby she had to protect her offspring by insisting to the doorman that she accompany me and ensure my reserved room hadn’t been given away. There’s no arguing with the woman. She may be tiny but she’s also tenacious.

Then, while saying our goodbyes she managed to sneak a wad of cash into my coat pocket.

Even though I’m fairly certain she remembers I’m in my thirties, am married, holding down a steady job, have travelled to various parts of the world, she also knows I don’t get to Toronto that often. Likewise they don’t get out to Halifax that much either. So, I had to let her have her mom moment because growing up is sometimes harder on the people who brought you up.

Photo credit: smallandround from Flickr

Growing up in a multi-ethnic and -racial household meant eating as much sauerkraut as I did, um, “phoenix talons” (a.k.a. chicken feet). Hey, don’t knock it until you try it. Or maybe just file this one away as TMI.

One of the big events during my childhood was always  Chinese New Year. This year the date happens to coincide with Valentine’s Day and it’s also heralding the Year of the Tiger (my year!). It’s a time for gathering with family and friends, and all big celebrations in my household always included lots of food.

Chinese culture is full of symbolism and superstition, some of which I’d like to share.

The colour red is associated with the festivities because it’s believed it will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune.

One of the many traditions at the heart of the occasion is the handing over of red “lai see” or “lucky money” envelopes to unmarried friends and family members. The newer the money, the better the luck it’s supposed to bring. Tian Phat and other Asian grocery stores around the city carry these in ample supply at this time of year.

Houses are cleaned thoroughly before the New Year. Windows are kept open to allow good fortune in while lights are left on in the evening to scare demons. All sharp objects are put out of sight so as not to cut the flow of good energy.

A bounty of food is served to reflect the prosperity of the year to come including sweets and goodies to ensure the sweetness of the year ahead. One of the dishes we always had for this and most special occasions was uncut noodles, which represent longevity and long life. Cutting the noodles is therefore a very bad omen.

Everyone says “Kung Hei Fat Choi!” which translates roughly as “Congratulations and be prosperous!”

Here’s a description of my sign (they vary depending on year and elemental cycle). This is the most flattering one I could dig up because it doesn’t mention any of the negative attributes like having a very short fuse.

Passion and creativity are the hallmarks of the Wood Tiger. What a great sign for the performing arts or any career that puts you in front of the public where you can use your creative ability and, or, leadership skills. You are the most mellow of Tigers and therefore not so domineering. You tend to be very popular, especially since you are probably charismatic.

So, I hope you enjoy this weekend by eating some dim sum with friends and family or by having a romantic dinner at a Chinese restaurant to celebrate both the new year and Valentine’s! All the best for the year ahead.

[My aunt who lives in Paris sent me a lovely little note recently: "I love your blog and the foodie sections in particular. I frequently make the Curried Cauliflower Soup that Kristen Pickett contributed—the tip of roasting the cauliflower first is brilliant and makes all the difference…" She wanted to share a holiday recipe and a lovely coincidental little story about a cookbook she discovered while living in Canada. Enjoy!]

By Julie Dior-Kruger

Photo credit: wayneandwax from Flickr

When I moved to Paris, one of the few books I kept from my Torontonian library is Marie Nightingale’s Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens, published in 1971. How did I get my hands on this book? Well, I bought it because of its quaint name and its reproduction of the recipes used by early settlers. It was the golden age of ethno-museums and pioneer villages.

I have tried many of the recipes, which are absolutely great. It also includes a short history of the multi-cultural settlement of Nova Scotia—from the rather unique perspective of the cooking pot.

The Micmac Indians taught the settlers how to hunt for bear in the winter (watch out for the tell-tale vapours out of their dens), how to make maple syrup and maple sugar cakes, which roots and plants were edible, corn, etc. The French were the earliest settlers and, accustomed as he no doubt was to the French tendency to poetize about food, Champlain said there was “none as tender as the moose meat (wherefrom we also made excellent pasties) and nothing as delicate as a beaver’s tail.” There is, however, no recipe for beaver’s tail.

Years later, the English in Halifax introduced English fare, which may explain our love for world food…But their desserts were not bad—they inaugurated family Sunday outings to tea-houses for indulgence in strawberries and cream or Strawberry Shortcake—Nightingale claims this was a precursor to ice-cream parlours.

German settlers were known for their excellent sausages, breads (“never would a Lunenburger turn a loaf of bread upside down for fear she would upset a ship at sea”), cakes…and of course sauerkraut. The New Englanders, fleeing the American Revolution, took up the farms of the unfortunate Acadians, and brought Thanksgiving Day with them, as well as more sophisticated recipes for clams and lobsters. The Irish brought with them “luscious potato pancakes, soda bread, corned beef dinners and Irish stews that ‘mother used to make’”. The Scots arrived with tons of recipes for oats, Haggis and Auld Man’s Milk (otherwise known as eggnog).

And finally the Blacks (Nightingale says that “43% of the Negroes in Canada live in Nova Scotia”—this was back in politically incorrect 1971—but I doubt that the statistic is still correct), who had come to escape slavery, brought with them exotic dishes they had elaborated down south, like black-eyed peas, chow-chow—a hot, spicy relish, skillet cornbread, cobblers (Blueberry Grunt), etc.

Anyway, I dig out Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens at least once a year at Christmastime because it has a fabulous dark fruitcake recipe. The French have a nice custom of fresh oysters or foie gras at the beginning of a Christmas or New Year’s meal, but they don’t really have a specifically Christmas dessert. Their Bûche de Noël or Christmas Log, is just a jelly roll decorated with heaps of icing to look like a log in the wintry woods. Anyway, this is the recipe for English dark fruitcake:

Dark Fruitcake
1 pound butter 2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 pound brown sugar 1 ½ teaspoons salt
11 eggs 2 pounds seeded raisins
1 cup strawberry jam 1 pound sultanas (or black currants)
¾ cup apple jelly ½ pound candied pineapple
¼ cup molasses 1 pound candied cherries
1 teaspoon baking soda ½ pound dates
½ cup heavy cream ½ pound chopped citron
1 teaspoon almond flavouring ½ pound mixed peel
4 cups flour ¼ pound broken walnuts
1 teaspoon nutmeg Rum (lots)
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix in order given. Add baking soda to molasses and blend until molasses froths. Save out one cup of the flour to dust the fruit. Grease pans and line the bottoms with two layers of heavy brown paper and one layer of wax paper. Use one layer of brown paper and one layer of wax paper around the sides. Bake in a 275° oven. Test with a toothpick or straw. Wrap the finished cake(s) in a rum-soaked cheesecloth and wait for at least one or two weeks. Recipe can be halved.
Small cakes require about 2 ½ hours.

Medium cakes require about 3 hours.

One large cake requires about 3 ½ – 4 hours.

If you use entirely organic ingredients from the health food store, this recipe is actually quite healthy—assuming you don’t overeat! You can experiment with dried apricots instead of, or in addition to, cherries. Cointreau or Grand Marnier is less classic, but a little more subtle than rum and goes especially well with the fruit. You can serve this fruitcake with homemade lemon ice-cream (it’s Christmas after all), which is so easy to make, does not require an ice-cream maker and is sooo delicious that you will never buy ice-cream again. I swear. This is the recipe:

Lemon Ice-Cream

3 medium organic lemons

1 cup xylitol (best sugar substitute)

2 cups heavy organic cream

Grate the zest from 2 of the lemons (a special zest grater makes this very easy). Squeeze the juice of all 3 lemons into a small casserole – stir until the xylitol is totally dissolved. Add the lemon zest. Whisk the sweetened lemon juice and zest into the heavy cream. Pour into a shallow container, cover and freeze until firm (no need to stir to break up the crystals). This will take from 3-6 hours depending on your freezer. Transfer the ice cream in its container to the fridge 30 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

Merry Christmas!
Julie Dior-Kruger