The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker

The Devil's Cave: A Bruno Courrèges Investigation (Bruno Chief of Police 5) is the fifth book in the Bruno, Chief of Police series, by Martin Walker. It has been many, many years since I read a crime book (I think Sherlock Holmes when I was a teenager) but as this is set in sleepy southwest France the publishers thought I might enjoy it. They weren’t wrong and the old saying of ‘never judge a book by it’s cover’ certainly comes true here as I would have been sure to walk past the dark ominous looking front cover. I have certainly been missing out on a great series here as I really enjoyed it. Martin has a very readable writing style and his descriptions of French life are spot on.  

Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police in a small Dordogne town, is a bit of a ladies man (well he is French), but I can see the attraction. Any man who makes, uses and always has in his freezer, a supply of homemade stock is my kind of man. Added to this he has a veggie garden, ducks, chickens, a pantry full of home bottled produce and is able to whip up a tasty meal and I was all for packing my bags until I remembered he was only a character in a book. 

When a female body is found on a boat, bearing the ghastly signs of a black magic ritual Bruno springs into action. The victim is unknown and nobody is coming forward. This is the last thing Bruno needs. As the story progressed, the plot twisted and turned and the mysteries deepened, jobs around the house and the family got ignored and I know my heart rate had risen by the end of the book. I wanted to put it down, if only to make it last a little bit longer, but resistance was futile. I gave up in the end and let Bruno lead me to my sun lounger!

I am now off to add to my Amazon wish list as I have to catch up on the first four books. 

Thanks to Quercus books for introducing me to Martin’s work.

Walking the Hexagon by Terry Cudbird

Continuing my summer travels around France from the sunlounger, I was delighted when Terry sent me a copy of his book Walking the Hexagon: An Escape Around France on Foot to review, as the whole concept of this book excited me from the moment I came across it.  Taking the back roads in France is one of my favourite things to do and either by bike or car I am always amazed at the variety of the regions, landscapes, architecture and agriculture.  Walking around France, sometimes alone, Terry is at one with his surroundings and describes what he sees so well I wanted to get my map out, pack a bag and head off.

Terry describes himself as the fat kid at school, just like me, who was always last in sport, just like me, and who found ‘exercise’ in middle age, again like me, and says one of the reasons he undertook this adventure was to escape from facing up to the realities of his parents dementia back at home. Even when he is isolated in the Alps his journey is often interrupted by messages from home or confused calls from his Mother, it can’t have been easy for him or his wife, but it did add a personal aspect to the book.

I will admit my first impression was that it was a substantial sized book, crammed with words and I wondered if it would be a bit hard going to read.  However, although the 4000 mile walk was a challenge for Terry, he writes a very readable book that keeps moving at a great pace and I found the map for each chapter helpful and the photos a nice additional touch.

With the memories of our recent road trip along the Pyrenees, up to Carcassonne and east to the Cevennes it was great to be familiar with the beginning of Terry’s mammoth adventure.  Whilst we dabbled ignorantly into Cathar country, Terry was able to enlighten me with a potted history of who the Cathars were, why the Church disliked them and therefore why they ended up burnt at the stake.  He includes lots of information as he makes his way around France, and when he is finishing his journey down the Atlantic coast using one of the Santiago De Compostela routes he educated me further!  We too are on the route so I can now understand why it is not uncommon to see unusual sights locally; a young man in full length (claret) robes with his donkey, an older couple leading a pony and a large dog, both carrying panniers, cyclists with scallop shells in their bags.  Some of these I would have noticed, but not really understood the significance of without Terry’s explanation of his experience following the route. 

I know Terry is still walking bits of France, so maybe we will hear more from him in the future, I hope so.

Travels with Tinkerbelle by Susie Kelly

While the village farmers have been busy with the harvest; the combine harvester engines chugging well into the night and the tractors with the huge trailers for gathering the bales rattling their way through the village, I have been travelling around France from the comfort of my sun lounger.

Travels With Tinkerbelle: 6,000 Miles Around France In A Mechanical Wreck by Susie Kelly follows Susie, her husband Terry, two dogs and Tinkerbelle, a clapped out campervan, around France.  Starting in Brittany, they drive the Atlantic Coast to the Pyrenees, cross the mountains, follow the Mediterranean to the Alps and then head north covering 6000 miles by the time they arrive back in Brittany.  Wow, what a road trip, and I was very jealous, although I would have been happier in a VW Campervan with a stripy roof as I always wanted one of these as a child.

The chaos that is Tinkerbelle struggling along, sometimes on difficult terrain with two adults and two large dogs, one still a puppy who delights in eating non-edibles, makes for some very funny tales to read.  I think Susie has a great mix of describing the France they see out of the window, the often hilarious mishaps that occur, both from their four legged and four wheeled traveling companions, and interesting snippets of French history trivia.  I learned a lot on my virtual travels with her and although many places they visited I was familiar with, I have added to my list of places I still need to get to.  I was also pleased to confirm that it is not just us who struggle to find somewhere to eat out (or someone to serve us) in France!

Susie Kelly has also written about her solo walk across France, Best Foot Forward - A 500-Mile Walk Through Hidden France (see here for my review), The Valley Of Heaven And Hell - Cycling In The Shadow Of Marie Antoinette, her cycling adventure in the Marne Valley (see here for my review) and life running gites in Poitou-Charentes in Swallows & Robins - The Guests In My Garden (see here for my review).

Son of Serge Bastarde by John Dummer

Author John Dummer was kind enough to send me a copy of his second book Son of Serge Bastarde: Mayhem in the Antiques Markets of Rural France which I have really enjoyed reading.

John lives in a lovely area of South West France, an area I don’t know as well as I would like, but having read his book I’m determined to see more of.  Village life in rural France is full of wonderful characters, some you love, some you do your best to avoid and John’s life has all of this and more.  He and his wife Helen work the brocantes markets selling their English wares – china tea sets go down a storm apparently.  The other traders, English, French and Gypsy are a colourful lot and life with them gives John some great things to write about.  His main buddy Serge, who he introduces us to in his first book Serge Bastarde Ate My Baguette: On the Road in the Real Rural France: On the Road in Real Rural France suddenly reappears back on the brocante scene and has a son in tow.  The three of them have some great misadventures, often trying to fix situations Serge’s son has got him into.  I know I shouldn’t have laughed when John and Serge found themselves trapped in a skip with no mobiles, a need to pee and a bad back, but I couldn’t help it.  This book is very entertaining.

Thanks to John (and Serge) I also now know the identity of the winged ‘fairy’ we saw flying over the garden a few weeks ago; a Capricorn beetle who I hope stays well away from our roof timbers (worried), but at least I also know not to get Serge and John in to exterminate it!

I am really glad John has more tales to tell us of his life in France (with Serge).  Happy writing John.

A Parrot in My Soup by Andy Frazier

I recently read two books from Andy Frazier (one straight after the other), A Parrot in My Soup and Who the Heck is Auntie Florette?   They are both a collection of snippets of Andy’s life in South West France and both make for enjoyable, easy reading.  Andy has a great sense of humour, maybe not to everyone’s taste (think Clarksonesque), but certainly to mine (and Ade’s).  Ade got so fed up of me chuckling away and constantly reading bits out to him that he decided to read them too and it is not often we have the same taste in books.

Despite him covering as many lows as highs in his life, I found both books to be very entertaining.  They are extracts of a column he writes, so written very much like a blog, which means you are carried along in Andy’s world (which often extends outside of France too), always wanting to know what comes next.  It was great having the second book to carry on after the first, but I was then left a little bereft when I finished, so hopefully it won’t be too long before he releases another one.  Although he does have plenty of other titles to keep me going!

I can also report that he is just as fun and friendly in real life, as when he heard we would be driving by on our Road Trip he invited us in for coffee.  He very generously gave Ed a signed copy of one of his children’s books Moulin which I am going to read too.  

I can recommend ‘A Parrot in My Soup’ and ‘Who the Heck is Auntie Florette’ especially for holiday reading, now summer is here.  With no complex plot or huge cast of characters you can easily pick up and put down whilst around the pool or while travelling, and you are sure to laugh at some of the things rural French living throws his way.

Happy reading.

L'Auberge by Julia Stagg

I find myself in a pleasing predicament of having lots of books waiting to be read, thanks to some generous authors who write my kind of books (on France) and also the recent local book sale I ran amok in.  I love reading, always have done, but at the moment there is so much to do outside I feel I am letting my books down.  Maybe I should set aside some quality time on a squishy cushion, under a shady tree, and make a date with a book.

I have just finished reading L'Auberge by Julia Stagg.  L’Auberge is set in the small commune of Fogas in the Pyrenees where life is thrown into turmoil when an English couple arrive to take over the Auberge.  I instantly felt at home in Fogas, where village life seemed so familiar to our little village, especially as they too have the ever present divide in village politics with power hungry would be mayors!  It is obvious that Julia has lived in and experienced French village life first hand; you really couldn’t make up some of the things that happen and I was pleased to see Johnny Hallyday made a guest appearance too - no village knees-up would be complete without him.  The book has so many lovely characters whose lives are all entwined, both as the story is being told and from past events, which gives us lots of ‘will they won’t they’ moments.  

I laughed a lot, especially as English food was often the ‘joke’, but unless you have come across a real French person’s reaction to our cuisine you wouldn’t believe it.  I also cried at the end, and the last few chapters had me gripped not knowing which way things were going to swing – it was one of those books that made me stay up way too late at night, thanks Julia.

Anyone who has lived in a French village will understand and nod knowingly, anyone who thinks they would like to live (and work) in a French village should read it and learn from it.

Thankfully, Julia’s second novel The Parisian's Return also set in Fogas, starts immediately L’Auberge finishes.  See here for a preview.  I think Jacques was my favourite character in L’Auberge, and as he is central to life at the epicerie I can’t wait to find out what happens to him, and what life has in store for the other villagers.

Vantastic France by Steve Bichard

When living abroad you do tend to find yourself flung into the local expat community, but just because we have come from the same place and arrived in the same place there is no standard ‘one size fits all’ expat, and you will find yourself mixing with people who back in the UK your paths would never have crossed.  You soon learn who is likely to enrich your life and who to politely avoid – sometimes your choices surprise you!  Also, daily life as an expat is not the same as being on holiday and there can be just as many downs as ups.  

In Vantastic France Steve Bichard has done a really good job of describing the highs and lows of a new family settling into rural Brittany and finding their place amongst their French neighbours and the expats already there.  It is a fun, easy read that in many places had me laughing and nodding in agreement.  I’m sure many other expats reading it will find themselves thinking ‘oh yes, I’ve met a Clarissa or a Barry before’.  I certainly had a great affinity with Linda and her vegetable growing.  This is Steve’s first novel and I thought it moved along very well and the ending has been left in a great place for a follow up, as I’m sure Steve has plenty more stories for the loveable rogue Barry and his long suffering wife Linda.  My only small criticism would be that at times some things are a little over explained, which I found a bit unnecessary.

Vantastic France is available in ebook or paperback from Amazon.

Sell the Pig by Tottie Limejuice

I have just finished reading Sell the Pig by Tottie Limejuice (yes I know what a fantastic name and book title, but more about that later).  The book is the story behind her family’s move to the Auvergne in France, but it is not a normal ‘moving to France’ book and they are not your normal family unit either.

“What happens when dementia, depressed dipsomania and downright dottiness decide to uproot from the UK and move to France together.”

I felt I hit it off with Tottie right from the start of the book as we had so much in common, aside from quitting the UK and moving to France;

1. An aged parent who likes to say bum, (although mine has always been like that and it has no relation to dementia).
2. An alcoholic family member, (or at least I did have).
3. A four year age gap with brother.
4. Nothing in common with said brother.
5. Petit-mal epilepsy in the family, (I think she is the first person I have come across in 30 years who has mentioned petit-mal epilepsy).
6. Family pets who are a little quirky and tend to rule the household.
7. A fan of the lovely Terry Wogan and his old Radio 2 breakfast show.

But, where I moved to France with only the quirky pets and a love for Terry Wogan’s breakfast show (plus a husband and young son), she packed all the above and more into a convoy of vehicles to start a new life in France – go Tottie!

It is not your average move to France book, where house in UK is sold, the car is packed with kids, cats and kettle, and the story really begins when the fun of life in France starts, but that doesn't make it any less readable a book as the issues they have to overcome to get themselves across the Channel would have put most people off even trying.  They are all looking to be together, but with separate space and each of them have specific and very different requirements.  I am sure there were many times when she wondered if they would get there.  There are funny moments, there are the heartfelt times when her poor Mother was being let down by the care system and there are great descriptions of the somewhat chaotic muddle their life became.  There are some great tales of dealing with estate agents and the lovely décor to be found in many French houses (although personally I see no problem with zany 1970s brown and orange wallpaper, in fact after 8 years I hardly notice it at all).  I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and just the fact that she describes the story behind her fantastic pen name and the reason for the title of the book made it a worthwhile read, although I did feel it ended too soon.  I do hope she continues writing so we can find out what happens next.

Have a look at Tottie’s Book Blog for photos and more stories,see here.

Sleeping with Paris by Juliette Sobanet

I took advantage of an Amazon eBook promotion to download Sleeping with Paris by Juliette Sobanet. I love a book with a French theme and I will always remember this one, not only as it was my first eBook, but also as it contains my favourite line (so far) in a book;

“I thought my heart was going melt into a puddle right there on the cobblestones”

Then there is the chocolate! What girl doesn’t love chocolate? Well, you won’t believe the role chocolate plays in this book, but if you think romance, Paris, hunky Frenchman, you will be along the right lines, and I’ll be honest, I’m not looking for much else in a girlie romance novel. I really enjoyed this book, the characters were great fun, and Juliette’s love of her time spent in Paris and Lyon, really comes across. I found myself looking for any excuse to open it and carry on reading; even if it was only for a five-minute drive into town - poor Ade, I used to talk to him in the car. Even without the promotion  this book is worth buying.  The good news for me is that Juliette’s second novel Kissed in Paris is already out, she also has a blog you can read here.

Best Foot Forward by Susie Kelly

When we first moved to France one of the things I missed was English books - I know it sounds silly, but it just hadn’t occurred to me that in France most books would be French. How things have changed in seven years. Our little village library has a decent English book section, every vide grenier (car boot) has at least 4 or 5 stalls selling English books and there are small enterprises like Paperback Jan where dealing in good quality paperbacks has become the new currency.

At a recent book fair I picked up three books by Susie Kelly who lives in Poitou-Charentes like us and loves to travel in France and write about her adventures. (I know, despite living here I can’t resist a good book on a French theme). I have just finished Susie’s first book Best Foot Forward - A 500-Mile Walk Through Hidden France where she walks from La Rochelle on the west coast to Lake Geneva in the east, alone. Wow, what an adventure; I love a day trip to La Rochelle, a beautiful city about an hour and a half drive from us - but it has never crossed my mind to walk there. Ade often works in Switzerland and it takes him a good day to drive there - she must be mad, was my first reaction. As you start reading the book and she describes the blisters, the tiny flimsy tent and the thin lightweight sleeping bag, all of which have to be carried day after day (causing discomfort to her shoulders and back), mad is definitely what comes to mind. The rain comes flooding into the tent, the wet gear is heavier to carry the following day, on frosty nights the condensation freezes on the inside of the tent and you begin to wonder what drives her to continue. Her budget is tight and as everything carried adds weight she often has to beg for a glass of water and some meals are nothing more than nuts and dried apricots, here my thoughts of madness have changed to respect and I’m hooked. I also loved the way she describes the beauty and wildlife she encounters - often taking time to move something small from the edge of the road to the safety of the grass verge. I had a great time following her trek across France (from the comfort of my bed and warm duvet) and I can’t wait to read her other adventures; one about settling into life in rural France (I know how fun that can be) Two Steps Backward , one on a perimeter tour of France with her husband and dogs in a camper van Travels With Tinkerbelle - 6,000 Miles Around France In A Mechanical Wreck and another on a cycle tour of the Marne valley The Valley Of Heaven And Hell - Cycling In The Shadow Of Marie Antoinette Go Susie Go!

More information on her books is available here on the Blackbird site, or if you have a Kindle, Best Foot Forward ebook is launching tomorrow, see here for details; Blackbird e books on Facebook.  You will also find a link to her blog No Damn Blog here.

Delicious Dishes for Diabetics by Robin Ellis

Delicious Dishes for Diabetics

I received a copy of Robin Ellis' cookbook Delicious Dishes for Diabetics to review, many thanks to Sam and Jamie at Constable & Robinson Ltd. Robin, like my Dad, has suffered from Type 2 Diabetes for the last 12 years, lives in France and loves cooking with the fresh and seasonal produce available at his local market.  Cooking in a Mediterranean style he believes was one of the things that helped him control his Diabetes without medication for over 6 years.

The recipes in this book were right up my street as our meals are heavily influenced by what grows in our French veggie garden and I also love our food to be as healthy as possible. Thankfully Ade, Ed and myself don't have any health issues, but my Dad has had Type 2 Diabetes for 14 years and both Ade's Nan and Uncle are insulin dependant Diabetics, so it is something we are very conscious of as a family.  As is usual for me and a new cookbook, I started my journey through it sitting at the kitchen table with my morning coffee, but it wasn't long before lists were being made and ingredients being checked - I think I had made 3 recipes in the first 2 days (something of a record even for me). I will admit I didn't need converting to the Mediterranean diet way of life, but it did give me a whole host of new ideas and it will be regularly referred to. In the Introduction Robin admits that although he lives in France, in terms of food, his heart is in Italy - this made me smile as I am the same, but have never been brave enough to confess (especially to my French neighbours).

Coincidentally the book arrived while Mum and Dad were visiting us for a fortnight, so there was plenty of time for Dad (also a great cook) and I to try and test our favourites.  With over 100 recipes it was difficult to choose, but for me the first recipe I tried is one that will be repeated here very regularly; the Walnut and Garlic Spread, it is simple, delicious and very healthy too, great to top some griddled vegetables (aubergine or courgette) and we also found it very tasty spread on baguette with local goats cheese and grilled for a few minutes.  The Courgette Muffins were also very easy to make (I am always on the lookout for new courgette recipes to add to my repertoire) and they went down really well with our aperos.

Serving our Delicious Dishes for Diabetics

Dad, who tends to prefer his meat and fish dishes to vegetarian ones, chose the Lamb Tagine and wasted no time heading out to shop for the ingredients (shopping is one of his favourite things to do when in France). We cooked it in the slow cooker (slightly different to Robin's method) and it was delicious, a first tagine dish for me but one that we will use again, (especially in winter when we use our slow cooker a lot). We often have grilled sardines for lunch, especially when Mum and Dad are over, so I thought I would spice them up a bit with the Fresh Mint, Anchovy and Chilli Dressing as recommended by Robin. Ade and I thoroughly enjoyed it, Mum and Dad preferred theirs au natural.

One of the things both Mum and I really liked are the little introductions to each section giving a taste of Robin’s life in France, from a food point of view, and the illustrations by Hope James which are beautiful and inviting. The choice of dishes in this book is amazing with something for all the family, and despite being healthy there is no compromise on flavour.