Wanderlust and Words

Local Happenings  Did you know that Saskatoon has a Library of Things where you can borrow items you only use occasionally , such as a candy floss machine, a large coffee pot, or a fondue set? It’s a great way to avoid unnecessary purchases. They’re hosting a Repair Café on May 4 from 10 am-4 pm . Here’s your chance to fix your broken toaster rather than throwing it out. Learn how to grow vegetables in a small space without pesticides from 9-11 am , May 4 , at Brainsport. CHEP Good Food Inc. is hosting a high tea fundraiser from 12:30-2:30 pm , May 26 , in celebration of CHEP’s 30th anniversary. All proceeds will go to CHEP’s community food security programs. Call 306-655-4575 to register. Darkside Donuts comes up with new donut flavours every month . I love the way they name them after local people, places, and events. April’s flavours included Devil’s Dip , named after the ski jump on the east side of the river. Recipes  Dandelions – the first spring colo...

Heading north out of Lyon, you pass through a long tunnel and exit into a lush green countryside leaving the city far behind. You then turn and head up the hill onto winding roads between a patchwork of vineyards. Many of the vines are really old with short, thick, twisted trunks and a thin stem of green leaves and buds. These are the Gamay vines of Beaujolais, interspersed with a few fields of greener, leafier Chardonnay vines. South Beaujolais, just 45 minutes northwest of Lyon, encompasses 25 medieval villages of orangey-gold stone (limestone and iron) that is surprisingly vibrant (I had been expecting something lighter, similar to the Cotswolds in England). Some of the villages still have the remains of 14th century castles. Oingt is classed as one of the most beautiful villages of France and it really is lovely. You can take a walk around the town on the former ramparts and the church is austere and beautiful. I was on a half-day tour , which combined stopping to...

Local Happenings  Join Venn Coffee Roasters from 1-2 pm , Apr. 27 , for a free educational coffee tasting – different growing regions, processing methods, and flavour profiles. I’m interested in checking out some of Saskatoon’s newest restaurants. A Facebook friend mentioned Nile R Café at Lawson Heights Mall. It’s run by two sisters from Sudan. Mi Tierra restaurant got its start in Davidson and has now opened a branch in Saskatoon. They pride themselves on serving traditional Mexican dishes made with imported ingredients. They also have a small grocery section. Food for Thought  It requires a winemaker with a sense of humour to label your wine Le Glouglou , aka Glug Glug. This is an organic, natural Beaujolais wine. The grapes are picked by hand and the wine is made without using additives. I have a choice of 3 natural wine stores in my immediate neighbourhood in Lyon. I got lucky this week and was able to talk to and buy fruit and vegetables from a farmer. M...

I am looking forward to being home in Saskatoon next week, but I’m also bracing myself for the culture shock of residential streets wide enough to be highways, parking lots bigger than some English villages, and being compelled to drive because of urban sprawl and lack of good public transit. I’m currently in Lyon, the second largest city in France, and yet it’s easy to get around. I’m staying in a residential neighbourhood just outside the city centre. There’s street after street of high-rise apartment buildings, which wouldn’t appeal to North Americans and their insistence on single-family dwellings. And yet, it comes with huge advantages. I have access, within 2-3 blocks, to metro, tram, bus, or train. I have a choice of two markets, 5 days of the week, with everything from cheese and bread to fruit and vegetables. There’s an abundance of small supermarkets as well as bakeries, pharmacies, cafés, and restaurants. I’m staying in a two-bedroom ground-floor apar...

The sun seemed to shine the whole time I was in Aix-en-Provence. That isn’t exactly true, but it’s how it felt. I had a comfortable small apartment in an 18th century family home with a wood-beamed ceiling and a large window looking out over the courtyard garden and the tower of St. Sauveur Cathedral. The old town was just a two-minute walk away and I went in most days to shop at the daily fruit and vegetable and flower markets or to admire the architecture. Hȏtel Caumont has been beautifully restored so I could catch a glimpse of what life was like in Aix a couple of centuries ago. I took a couple of guided walks and learned so much about the Aix's wealth of 17th and 18th century mansions. The town has 130 fountains, another sign of wealth in a hot, dry area.  I walked up to Cézanne’s atelier in the hills overlooking Aix. It had been left untouched after his death and I found it very moving. The house was surrounded by a wild garden full ...

Local Happenings Kids ages 8-12 are invited to learn how to make soup on Wednesdays from 4-6 pm , May 8-29 , at the Mayfair branch of the Saskatoon Public Library. If you’re at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market , check out the new vegetarian pie options from Scratch Provisions : Caramelized Pearl Onion with Gruyere and Fresh Thyme and 5 Bean Chili and Cheese. Or, you can order quiche, such as Spinach, Dill, and Goat Cheese, from Prairie Pie Company for pick up on April 20. In the Kitchen Here’s how to tell if your eggs are still too good to eat : “If eggs sink to the bottom of a bowl of cold water and lie flat on their sides, they are very fresh. If they are less fresh but still good to eat, they will stand on one end at the bottom. If they float to the surface, they are no longer fresh enough to eat. This is because as the egg gets older, the size of the air sac inside increases, making it float.” Never got around to making a gingerbread house for Christmas? Then why not...

The old part of European cities is always a delightfully tangled maze of narrow streets and alleyways, and there is nothing I like more than simply wandering the streets, admiring the architecture and finding surprises around every corner. That's exactly what I did when I visited Avignon. My first surprise in Avignon was to find such a large city still surrounded by a tall stone wall. I particularly enjoyed the park on top of the Rocher des Doms with its view over the Rhȏne River. I visited the Palais des Papes and shuffled a few dance steps on the Pont d’Avignon, but my happiest moments were spent simply wandering the back streets. Of course, I found time to visit Les Halles, the indoor market, as well.

Local Happenings  The Saskatoon Food Bank is in urgent need of baby food and baby formula . If you choose to donate in person, powdered Similac is the preferred option. Check out the new vendors at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. Treasure House Bakery is selling traditional Mexican pastries on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Bannock Heart is offering bannock on a stick . I am incredibly fortunate to be enjoying a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables that aren’t yet available in Saskatchewan – there were locally grown shelling peas at the market today as well as delicious strawberries. But Saskatoon isn’t completely left behind as its greenhouse growers are all hard at work. Grandora Gardens is selling cucumbers and hopes to have grape tomatoe s for Easter, while Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens transplanted their spinach a couple of weeks ago and the radish seeds went in the ground this past week. Floating Gardens has heated greenhouses so they already have beet greens...

Local Happenings Doug Reichel Wine Marketing will introduce you to 5 wines from 5 different French wine regions at 7 pm , Apr. 17, at Metro Liquor. Speaking of French wine, I've been drinking wine from the wine region closest to me – Ventoux . Now that's one I've never seen in a Canadian liquor store! And I'm in Provence so I'm making sure I drink at least a little rosé . I’ve heard good things about the wine selection at the new Co-op Wine Spirits Beer at 2010 8th Street East. Here are a few of the upcoming tastings at the 8th Street location : Apr. 13 – Wines of Germany & Austria Apr. 17 – Mad about Malbec May 8 – Medeiros wines with Figueira de Chaves, the winery’s co-owner City Perks is now accepting wholesale cake orders . Pretend you’re having a party, order an entire cheesecake, and indulge! I’m looking forward to trying Spruce Cheese once I’m back in Saskatoon. It’s great to have two different locally produced cheese products avail...