I love to travel. Whether a short weekend away. An even shorter overnight excursion. A longer week or more of a holiday. What's not to love.
I particularly enjoy seeking out historical places. Most of all, if these involve some sort to old therapies, ancient medicinal practices or plants all the better. I also love natural beauty spots.
This section includes some of the places I have visited. Some are recent and nearer my home in the Aude. Some are nearer my family home in Scotland. Others from further afield from travels made several years ago such as New Orleans.
Some include visits to old pharmacies which I particularly enjoy. Others incorporate interesting or bizarre medicinal cures found within displays.
Where possible I include links so you can go and visit these wonderful locations to see for yourself.
If you have ever visited the villages of Saint Guilhem-le-Désert or La Couvertoirade you may have noticed the above dried flowerhead nailed to many doors. Known locally as the cardabelle. I saw the cardabelle door charm in both villages mentioned. However, apparently it is common to see on doors in many small villages throughout the area.
The leaves have a similar resemblance to a thistle. Indeed it is in the same botanical family as the thistle and the sunflower. A member of the Asteraceae botanical family. A fascinating flower.
It is native to Southern Europe preferring stoney or rocky places on poorer soils in mountainous areas.
So what is this Cardabelle door charm for ?
Our guide, Nicholas, informed us the cardabelle is hanging on doors for two very different reasons. First of all it is a bringer of good luck. A protector against evil spirits. A reason one might expect. Secondly it is a useful instrument for weather forecasting!
Yes, you read correctly. Apparently it curls inward when bad weather is due. The images here are from Saint Guilhem-le-Désert on 8th December. It was a particularly cold day there but not wet. The following day was also cold and dry.
Unfortunately it is now an endangered species. Collection of this cardabelle door charm from the wild is now forbidden. However, our guide assures us the same flower-heads have been hanging on these doors in Saint Guilhem for years.
Apparently Carlina species were traditionally cooked and eaten as a globe artichoke substitute. It appears to have had medicinal use for spasms in the digestive tract, gall bladder and liver. Furthermore reputedly an aphrodisiac.
Finally if you are ever in the vicinity of either village they are well worth a visit to see. Both villages have fascinating history with the added bonus of seeing the cardabelle door charms in situ.
The Monestir de Sant Quirze de Colera was discovered, quite by luck, on a recent trip to northern Spain.
Unfortunately it was a dreich day (good Scottish weather word). Fortunately not cold but very wet. Still even the bad weather did not dampen the visit. A remarkably beautiful area with a fascinating 9th century Benedictine monastery.
It has proven quite difficult to find information about the monastery. Any I have found is mostly in Catalan or occasionally, Spanish. Unfortunately neither language of which I have much knowledge. However, both the Monasteries de Catalunya and the Província de Girona Art Medieval websites are worth a look for the stunning photographs alone.
Stories abound. A document apparently suggests two brothers Libenci and Assinari took possession of the Albera range of valleys and mountains from the Saracens during the time of Charlemagne. Whether or not these two brothers founded the monastery is unknown. However, this appears to be the general belief.
The protected Albera range is stunning and so tranquil. A flora and fauna lovers paradise. Interestingly it is one of the last areas in the Iberian peninsula to find the Hermann tortoise in its natural environment. I didn't see one but being sun worshippers I'm sure they were all hiding away from the bad weather. There is always next time.
Many plants grow around the monastery. This led to a wonder of what medicinals the Benedictine monks utilised.
On researching I found a particularly interesting paper from the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Titled, The Pharmacy of the Benedictine Monks and published in 2012. The study concentrated on old prescriptions from a monastery in Brazil. However, as a Benedictine monastery the knowledge, and plants it would seem, were largely acquired from France. Strongly influenced by Galenic/Hippocratic medicine. In fact some 84% of the medicinals were not Brazilian natives.
The root of Gentiana lutea, recorded in several prescriptions as an aperitif and tonic, is still in use medicinally. A bitter digestive remedy. It seems plant roots were more frequently utilised. The authors surmised this may be due to preservation issues.
Other herbs included elderflower, lavender, dandelion, peppermint, juniper, ash, wormwood, hyssop, chamomile, sweet violet, soapwort, valerian. All herbs still in use today and plants I could imagine growing near the Monestir de Sant Quirze de Colera.
If ever in the beautiful natural reserve of the Albera area, the Monestir de Sant Quirze de Colera is well worth a detour.
Recently on a visit to a neighbouring department Ariege, I visited an 18th century apothecary in St Lizier. The hospital was funded by a wealthy bishop with a personal fortune. The Sisters of Nevers became the nurses.
The Sisters of Nevers were from a religious institute founded in 1680 to minister to the sick and poor. In St Lizier they took in the sick and wounded, beggars and elderly.
In addition they took in abandoned children. A special opening remains visible to the left of the hospital main entrance. The abandoned baby entrance. After baptism, every child took the surname DeDieu, meaning from God. Apparently a common surname in the area to this day.
The Apothecary was a step back in time to 1764. It is quite small. The woodwork is from fruit trees, I believe it was pear and cherry trees.
Behind the glass doors are shelves for jars and vials, liquid contents. Furthermore there are 50 drawers for storing dried herbs. Each drawer numbered with a copper plate. Hence some of the drawers still had labels inside detailing the original contents. The example in the image (slideshow below) is guimauve or Althea officinalis. The English common name is marshmallow.
Behind the glass fronted doors there are a wide of array of glass vials and jars and ceramic pots. Often the contents are on the container. For example 'H. de Chamomille' is oil of chamomile. Those with 'H' is for huile whereas 'S' is for syrup. There are also aromatic waters for example 'Eau de Menthe' is peppermint aromatic water.
Other cabinets contained ceramic pots, no doubt used for storing unguents. The small ceramic dishes, like odd shaped egg cups, are eye baths.
Interestingly I assumed the ceramic canards (ducks in English) probably containers for treating the nasal cavity for infections. However, the guide described them as possibly early beakers for giving medicines to weak, infirm or children.
Although a short tour, at around 20 minutes, it was extremely interesting. Furthermore, St Lizier itself is very beautiful. In conclusion, a wonderful way to spend a morning, particularly with a visit to the St Lizier apothecary.
I discovered a fabulous arboretum last weekend. There were some fascinating native and introduced species. As an added bonus it is not too far away so I will be able to visit regularly and see the trees change with the seasons.
The image to the right is a Sequoia sempervirens. This is more commonly known as a coast or Californian redwood. These trees can grow to a considerable size. In California these are the poor trees you may see that have had pathways cut through the middle of them. They are so large. I love the thick spongy bark.
other unusual species for this part of the world, the Cryptomeria japonica to the left. This is more commonly known as the Japanese red cedar. I am particularly fond of the cones of this tree. They look quite fluffy though they are actually quite spiky.
There were many native trees too. These included the Quercus petraea, commonly known as sessile oak and the Sorbus aria better known as white beam.
I am looking forward to visiting again in the spring when the broadleaf trees will be bursting into life.
Whenever I visit a new place I am always keen to see or learn about their use of herbs and spices.
My first Moroccan introduction to a medicinal ally was in a riad. A riad is a traditional house built around a central courtyard. The word is from the arabic 'riyad' which means 'gardens'. Riads are tranquil retreats found in the midst of an effervescent medina. This is particularly true in Marrakesh! They are a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle. Many riads are now converted into small hotels and guest houses.
Should you choose to stay at a riad you are greeted with a typical Moroccan welcome, a pot of green tea with Moroccan mint. My first herbal encounter in Morocco!
The Moroccans have an incredibly sweet tooth. Something I have discovered throughout the Arab world. They choose to heavily sweeten this green tea and Moroccan mint blend. Occasionally, in more touristic areas, they will ask a Western palate before sweetening.
Naturally on a trip to Morocco the spice souks lured me! These souks bewitch the senses; the aromas, the colours and display, the tastes and the textures of the produce, and the sounds of the busy market.
Step inside to see rows and rows of jars. Of course the Moroccans are always keen to get that sale. They have many herbal blends on offer from aphrodisiacs to detox, slimming blends to anti-stress! It is not all blends, there are individual spices too and many other weird and wonderful things.
Almost every store in the spice souk will sell argan oil. Argan oil is popular in many cosmetics and usually, outside Morocco, very expensive. In Essaouria you frequently see shops selling only products made with argan oil. Travelling to or from Essaouria by road you see many argan trees growing. I shall write more on these trees in a future post.
All photographs taken at the spice souk in Marrakesh or the souk at the medina in Essaouira.