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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
This was an up and down journey for me. I loved certain portions that kept me engaged but i would also find myself zoning out quite often. I just want something a little more.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
An enjoyable book to listen to, to get me in the mood to do more cycling and eat more croissants. I think it also gave me an additional insight into French culture, and definitely made me want to travel more within the country.
I like Felicity Cloake's "Perfect ..." recipe columns in the Guardian. I picked this as an unchallenging lockdown read. I wasn't expecting anything amazing, but I was still a bit disappointed. This review sums up much of what I felt: "She basically ran out of new things to say after about the first few days of the trip. She ... does the typical British thing of pretending to be an idiot (for example, claiming she doesn't know which brake lever is which and what the difference is it just utterly ridiculous)."
I bet she did research and plan her trip; yet, as a confirmed foodie she arrives in Beaune of all places, with five friends, and expects to just stroll out on a summer evening and find a great restaurant which can seat six people for dinner at the drop of a hat. It doesn't happen and they have a mediocre meal. What a wasted opportunity! I ended up finding her shambolic approach rather irritating. And then there are the inaccuracies ... such as claiming a phrase in Gascon is Basque (???). Or indeed that cassoulet is a Gascon dish -- having just correctly stated that it's centred on Carcassonne, Castelnaudary and Toulouse. none of which is in Gascony.
The recipes look good though!
I bet she did research and plan her trip; yet, as a confirmed foodie she arrives in Beaune of all places, with five friends, and expects to just stroll out on a summer evening and find a great restaurant which can seat six people for dinner at the drop of a hat. It doesn't happen and they have a mediocre meal. What a wasted opportunity! I ended up finding her shambolic approach rather irritating. And then there are the inaccuracies ... such as claiming a phrase in Gascon is Basque (???). Or indeed that cassoulet is a Gascon dish -- having just correctly stated that it's centred on Carcassonne, Castelnaudary and Toulouse. none of which is in Gascony.
The recipes look good though!
Cycling, French food, & British humor— this book was so much fun! The sections about beautiful scenery and adventure inspired me, and the sections with setbacks, bad weather, or crazy ascents made me feel overwhelmed right alongside her. Great writing.
I only wish I was familiar with a lot of the dishes she describes (I’ve never been to France), but I suppose I‘ve learned some new recipes and foods to try in the future! Of course, now I need to go find a croissant somewhere.
I only wish I was familiar with a lot of the dishes she describes (I’ve never been to France), but I suppose I‘ve learned some new recipes and foods to try in the future! Of course, now I need to go find a croissant somewhere.
Fun and well-written. But she seemed to spend as much time describing her travel frustrations as her food experiences. Chapter after chapter dwelled on her panic over finding a campsite for the night or chaotically looking for somewhere to eat. As a cautious traveler who likes to have things mapped out in advance, this was stressful to read. Maybe she would feel better with a little more planning before the next food journey?
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Witty style, self-deprecating humour, interesting culinary insights, but unfortunately repetitive and it had difficulty keeping my attention. If it were half size, it would have been much better.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Good book especially for the recipes. I found the author's self-deprecating humor not very funny and overused. It's a bit like "a closed-minded person goes abroad and had vacation by making a bit of fun of judging people's lives"
This one should have been right up my alley but my mind kept wandering away. Maybe i wasn’t in the right frame of mind but it never held me as much as I love food, France and cycling. And the recipes seemed far too complicated for me, in general.