A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

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The French Connection

This summer, I'm resurrecting a few of my reviews on summer activities:  gardening and traveling.  Today I will feature one of my favorite books:  A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle.  Along with the reviews, I have the Property Gnomes who are showcasing some of the flowers in my garden. Check them out at the end of the review.
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle is a humorous account of a British couple who moves to an old farmhouse in Southern France. Thinking back on this book, the IHOP slogan keeps running through my mind.  “Come hungry, leave happy.”  I read this book over twenty years ago when it was first published and I still drool when I think of all the delectable food Peter Mayle mentioned.  From the “sugared slices of fried bread called tranches dorées,” to the “cold roasted peppers, slippery with olive oil and speckled with fresh basil, tiny mussels wrapped in bacon and barbequed on skewers, salad and cheese,” my taste buds never forgot my little jaunt to Provence with Mr. Mayle. His writing style is memorable, too. With charming wit Mayle takes us with him month by month as we explore his new surroundings and neighbors. We learn about truffle hunting, the mistrals, and how to move a frozen stone table with a little help from your friends. I highly recommend this enjoyable book!

While I prefer having my paperback copy of A Year in Provence that I can read again whenever I need a “mind vacation” you can read a free version of this book online if you like at http://www.worlduc.com/UploadFiles/BlogFile/35/1102579/a%20year%20in%20provence.pdf

Update February, 2014.  My mother had finally read A Year in Provence and LOVED it! This book quickly became her "standard" for other books to live up to. ("It's okay, it's just not as funny as A Year in Provence. That book made me laugh out loud.")    
What could be more wonderful than being surrounded by beautiful flowers?
Jonathan gets lost in a sea of day lilies.
Drew poses with some purple cone flowers.

Until next time, I wish you happy reading, happy traveling, happy gardening! 
Annette 


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