Amazon.com
Who hasn't dreamed, on a mundane Monday or frowzy Friday, of chucking it all in and packing off to the south of France? Provençal cookbooks and guidebooks entice with provocatively fresh salads and azure skies, but is it really all Côtes-du-Rhône and fleur-de-lis? Author Peter Mayle answers that question with wit, warmth, and wicked candor in A Year in Provence, the chronicle of his own foray into Provençal domesticity.
Beginning, appropriately enough, on New Year's Day with a divine luncheon in a quaint restaurant, Mayle sets the scene and pits his British sensibilities against it. "We had talked about it during the long gray winters and the damp green summers," he writes, "looked with an addict's longing at photographs of village markets and vineyards, dreamed of being woken up by the sun slanting through the bedroom window." He describes in loving detail the charming, 200-year-old farmhouse at the base of the Lubéron Mountains, its thick stone walls and well-tended vines, its wine cave and wells, its shade trees and swimming pool--its lack of central heating. Indeed, not 10 pages into the book, reality comes crashing into conflict with the idyll when the Mistral, that frigid wind that ravages the Rhône valley in winter, cracks the pipes, rips tiles from the roof, and tears a window from its hinges. And that's just January.
In prose that skips along lightly, Mayle records the highlights of each month, from the aberration of snow in February and the algae-filled swimming pool of March through the tourist invasions and unpredictable renovations of the summer months to a quiet Christmas alone. Throughout the book, he paints colorful portraits of his neighbors, the Provençaux grocers and butchers and farmers who amuse, confuse, and befuddle him at every turn. A Year in Provence is part memoir, part homeowner's manual, part travelogue, and all charming fun. --L.A. Smith
Book Description
In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron with his wife and two large dogs. He endures January's frosty mistral as it comes howling down the Rhône Valley, discovers the secrets of goat racing through the middle of town, and delights in the glorious regional cuisine. A Year in Provence transports us into all the earthy pleasures of Provençal life and lets us live vicariously at a tempo governed by seasons, not by days.
Customer Reviews:
A Year in Provence - a delight.......2007-10-01
Over a decade has passed since A Year in Provence was published but time has not dulled the images, humor or humanity of Peter Mayle's wonderful story of an English couple's misadventures as they seek the good life in Rural France. The people, the food, and the land all come alive as the Mayle family struggles to rebuild an old farmhouse and blend in with the locals. This is the book that re-ignited interest in one one of France's most beautiful and gracious regions.
GOING TO THE DOGS IN THE LAND OF THE FROGS.......2007-09-03
Peter Mayle's delightful expose of his first year as "foreigners" in Provence proves highly entertaining reading--for serious or armchair travelers. This month-by-month account proves a painfully honest narrative: how a perfectly respectable English couple "goes native" in just twelve months in Southern France. Clearly a cautionary tale this book catalogues the clandestine allures faced by naive Anglo-Saxons who have clearly absorbed too much semi-tropical heat to retain their Northern European rationality.
Read and be warned of the psychological horrors of gradulaly
slipping from productive, English sobriety and a lifestyle of moderation, into the fathomless pit of culinary worship with its acolytes: bread, wine, garlic, truffles, olive oil, cheese and game birds.
So this charming, apparently normal couple emigrates to southern France, where they are baffled by Provencal accents, attitudes and the
natives' flexible view of Time. The Mayles are thrown in without adequate warning to deal with sly peasants, avid promoters, local civic pride, excitable construction workers, rude drop-in guests and the seasonal invasion of European tourists: German campers and snobby Parisians who consider the entire globe beneath their notice.
The Mayles' first year concludes with the renovation (well, almost completed) of an old stone house, during which time they have earned the grudging respect of their colorful neighbors. Unfortunately, the standards of the once safe and sane British Empire have definitely disintegrated into shameless dedication/degradation to the gods of food and drink. The plotline can be briefly summed up: Going to the dogs--as some might say, (despite the fact that the couple actually brought their own dogs from home) in the land of the Frogs. If you read this book you'll never need to visit Provence in person, and yourfunny bone will be well fed, but your tummy/waist line will surely miss out.
Held Me From The First Page ~ A Classic!.......2007-08-30
Love this book! It truly is a classic! From the first page it's fun, well-written, very entertaining, and made me feel I was there. All huge plusses with any book. I don't want to give too much away in hopes you'll buy it yourself and enjoy it slowly like a deliciously seductive meal in France. Very giftable, too! I'm thinking stocking stuffers? A little "just because" gift for a friend who needs a pick-me-up package in the mail? Or a housewarming gift with a bottle of French wine?
A Year in Provence.......2007-08-23
I read this book several years ago, and loved it so much I wanted to move to Provence.
I bought to give as a gift.
British liege lord, French slaves.......2007-08-22
The long-running international success of this book is amazing. Almost enough to promote head-scratching. Doubt. Confusion. Fear of the Apocalypse. Because, if you really look at it, the book ain't all that great.
A YEAR IN PROVENCE tells the true story of a snobbish, know-it-all Englishman (a certain Peter Mayle) who retires after a successful career in the publishing industry in England and then buys an ancient farmhouse in Provence. He and his wife move in, eat fancy meals, re-do the house with all manner of expensive and modern luxuries, and cruise around the area looking for cute country restaurants, stores, and open-air markets, and even cuter anecdotes. That's the whole story: part culinary celebration by an English foodie, part travelogue of a newly retired control freak, part tourism poster for the French national administrative district of Provence/Cote d'Azure, A YEAR IN PROVENCE is the story of one wealthy, non-working Brit's gaze on a bunch of French people who do have jobs. Call it a giant chocolate box of witty, self-affirming anecdotes, some nutty, some sweet, most all scrumptious if ultimately empty.
In a move of sophistication that reminds me of Albert Einstein's most intellectually fertile period, Mr. Mayle names each chapter after a month. For example, Chapter 1 is actually called "January." Then Chapter 2 is called "February." It's "a year in Provence"!
But seriously, folks: Mr. Mayle gets a big shout-out for his descriptions of the cuisine served in Provence. It really is a foodie's delight to hear him tell of meal after succulent meal, wine after sweet wine. Also, kudos to the big Mr. M for his loving portraiture of the Provençal countryside. Here, too, the author excels. I, too, have lived in Provence, and his panoramas of the villages and countryscapes are spot-on.
But then we have to touch on the overall "me lord, you slave" nature of the text. As mentioned above, Mr. Mayle is retired. And he spends the whole book condesending to and commenting upon the hard-working residents who live in Provence and are just trying to get by. They exist, A YEAR IN PROVENCE tells us, so that a wealthy, superior, judgmental Brit can hover around them and fawn over them the way a slave owner must have grinned out appreciatively from the plantation's steps onto the poor folk working his fields.
So--in short--if you like your Provence filled with two-dimensional, grinning, child-like adults who shimmy and charm like Bojangles to make a smug, well-fed foreigner feel happy and superior, then Peter Mayle has written a book for you.
Book Description
This is the land for all the senses: the site of timeless light-suffused landscapes, the scents of lavender and olive groves, the taste of sun drenched produce and the sound of the sea gentle lapping the feel of the sun. This travel guide maps the region of Provence and sets it in its historical and cultural context. Learn about sites and sounds of Provence with maps, photographs and illustrations. All this and more can be found in the new The Eyewitness Travel Guide.
Customer Reviews:
Travel to Provence.......2007-01-04
We've been very pleasantly surprised by the amount of detail on the cities and the beautiful pictures in this book on Provence. The book contains historic and cultural information as well as information on hotels, restaurants, and shopping.
We hope to visit some vineyards in the area and there is an itineray included, however, it doesn't give the "specific" locations - but maybe that isn't possible.
Although we usually don't travel with guidebooks, we are definitely planning on taking this one along with us!
Good Introduction to Provence but Lacks Specific Detail.......2006-11-04
The book was invaluable in assisting us determine what city to home port in during our one-week visit to Provence -- Avignon. But once there we discovered the book lacked sufficient specific detail about the nearby vilages and town we wanted to visit. We suspected as much beforehand and purchased other travel guides to the region and between all of them, developed a decent undertsanding of the sites and places to visit. Don't forget to purchase the Michelin map titled "Provence, Cote d'Azur" (No. 582 Regional).
Provence comes to life!.......2006-08-24
This book has it all...colorful photos, lots of interesting & historical background...a very good book if you're planning a visit to this region. Highly recommended.
The Starting Place For Every Trip.......2005-07-31
My work has provided me with the opportunity to travel a good bit. I am the type of person who wants to get a working background for my destinations, both in terms of history and geographic layout. Because I work, I don't have a great deal of time to spend reading and studying different, often lengthy, travel guides before or during my trips.
Because these guides are concise, beautifully illustrated, relatively compact, and impeccably organized, I cannot recommend highly enough the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guides! The DK Eyewitness Travel Guide is THE guide I buy for every destination. Not only do I get a quick history and background of the destination, but I also will be provided with a visual guide to everything. The visual detail is really what sets the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides apart.
The street maps of common destination points are drawn in dimensional detail so you will visually recognize when you "get there." This is particularly helpful when you don't speak the native language.
The regional maps are colorful and concise. However, the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide really shows its stuff with the drawings associated with attractions such as museums and churches. Their presentation of building layouts allow the traveler who is short on time to quickly see the best of the attraction within the time the traveler has to spend.
Each DK Eyewitness Travel Guide has a good summary section in the back with practical information about where to eat, where to sleep, what to do, and how to get around.
While I may supplement the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide with others for a more detailed travel guide, the other guide is only more to read, not more to see. Buy the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide first for any destination.
Great and helpful!.......2004-08-25
This book is everything you would want in a travel guide....easy to read and understand, entertaining and interesting, and best of all, accurate!! It's the perfect companion to a GREAT place!!
Amazon.com
"Provence, again?" one may think, seeing Peter Mayle's latest effort. "Has the man nothing better to do than promote a region that's already overhyped and overpriced? Can't he turn his eye to a place that needs a touristic boost, like Bulgaria?"
However, there are reasons to plunge into the third Provençal book by Englishman Mayle, formerly a Madison Avenue copywriter whose bestselling A Year in Provence made the area a must-see for tourists and helped to quadruple real estate prices there. After four years in Long Island, Mayle has returned to France with continuing adoration.
Mayle discloses a world missed by tourists, be it the questions dry cleaners ask about wine stains or the mysterious murder of a small-town butcher given to making housewives happy with more than his displayed meat. He also incorporates guide-like tips--listing markets, cheese makers, and the essential how-tos of perfume sniffing and olive-oil tasting. What's more, this book gives a peek into the life of a bestselling writer. The role is not always an enviable one.
Mayle no longer fits into life in America--the vocabulary alone is enough to throw him off--yet in Provence, he is regarded as little more than a moneyed foreigner. Speared by the British press, he laments, "One of my crimes is to have encouraged people to visit the region ... far too many people ... and people of the wrong sort," an accusation that he denies.
And Mayle comes off as positively defensive in his attack of former New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl, who wrote that she was disappointed in the region. The title alone of chapter 3 hints at the sarcastic stabbings to follow: "New York Times Restaurant Critic Makes Astonishing Discovery: Provence Never Existed." Page after page, he roasts Reichl on the spit, creating a hissing Ruth Rotisserie that's most unbecoming from someone of his stature.
What most causes him to sputter is Reichl's admission that she "had been dreaming of a Provence that never existed."
"Where had I been living all these years?" writes the man who's helped to perpetrate the illusion of a land that is nothing but lavender fields, sunflowers swaying in the breeze, and fascinating characters every millimeter. "The Provence that Daudet, Giono, Ford Madox Ford, Lawrence Durrell and M.F.K. Fisher knew and wrote about--the Provence that I know--doesn't exist.... It's a sunny figment of our imagination, a romanticized fantasy."
Maybe. Having recently visited Provence, I agree with Reichl's critical assessment. Therein lies Mayle's ultimate charm. Crack open a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape, delve into Encore Provence, and voilà: it may be better than actually being there. --Melissa Rossi
Book Description
In his most delightful foray into the wonders of Provençal life, Peter Mayle returns to France and puts behind him cholesterol worries, shopping by phone, California wines, and other concerns that plagued him after too much time away.
In
Encore Provence, Mayle gives us a glimpse into the secrets of the truffle trade, a parfumerie lesson on the delicacies of scent, an exploration of the genetic effects of 2,000 years of foie gras, and a small-town murder mystery that reads like the best fiction. Here, too, are Mayle's latest tips on where to find the best honey, cheese, or chambre d'hìte the region has to offer. Lyric, insightful, sparkling with detail,
Encore Provence brings us a land where the smell of thyme in the fields or the glory of a leisurely lunch is no less than inspiring.
Customer Reviews:
Paperback???.......2007-03-09
The book was everything I expected...but y'all sent it in paperback. I never buy a book that I do not want to keep....and I never buy and keep paperback books.
Life in the South of France.......2007-03-04
Food, the air, water, the land and the people in the South of France. The book beautifully took me thru life in this person move to this area.
PROVENCE, ONCE AGAIN.......2006-11-05
Peter Mayle effectivately takes us once again to beautiful Provence through his second book. His writing is witty yet very unassuming and laid back. He gives the reader vivid and often funny accounts of the land and its people. He has an uncanny ability to observe the smallest details in the Provencal locals that he meets and to express it in a very entertaining way through his books.
An Entertaining Book.......2006-06-25
"Encore Provence" is entertaining, but not quite as hilarious as "A Year in Provence".
fun, witty .......2006-02-04
As always, Mayle is terrible entertaining. His breezy style is fantastic. He has the ability to make his readers feel like you are sitting in a cafe with a glass of local wine, just listening to his endless line of colorful stories. At the last page of his books, I feel that I have finished my visit with him in Provence all too soon.
Book Description
Like Open Road's series of foreign language menu-readers, our new compact lightweight travel guides are for those travelers who already know where they're staying and don't want to lug around a huge book during the day. With a sprinkling of restaurant selections, our Europe Made Easy series focuses on taking readers to the best, as well as the most different and unusual, sights and walking tours. Tuck this guide into your pocket and head out for a great day of sightseeing: you'll have over 100 sights at your fingertips, from the Papal Palace in Avignon to the mysterious spring in Fontaine-de-Vacluse, from the Roman amphitheater in Nimes to the strange stone huts near Gordes. Features insider tips on hip cafes, sidebars on great places to eat, interesting shops, fun outdoor markets, suggestions on where best to sample Provence's world-famous wines, and beautiful walks in Provence's loveliest towns, including a wine-themed walk in Chateauneuf-du-Pape; a stroll through medieval Avignon; a baroque walking tour of Aix; and a Roman-era walk through Arles. Bonus excursion info on the French Riviera. Attractive design features a second color on the inside.
Customer Reviews:
Too easy.......2007-04-10
This book might be better than nothing or it might do the trick if you don't care whether you make the most of your trip or you're on a directed tour and don't have any choices as to what to see or where to go. Better choices are available from Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Cadogan, Michelin and National Geographic Traveler.
Make the Most of Your Trip.......2005-12-31
I prefer guidebooks that aren't just mammoth listings of everything (hotels, restaurants, sights). This compact book hits the target with its highlights and its walking tours.
The directions are in red, interspersed with commentary in black print. The notes give relevance to much that you would unknowingly pass by. Boxed in red are DETOURS (interesting museum or cafe close to the walking tour), SHOPPING TIPS AND ENTERTAINMENT TIPS.
This covers 35 towns in Provence, 10 in the Marseille/coast area, 24 for the Western French Riviers, and 9 for the Eastern French Riviera.
I wish I'd had this on my first visit to Provence and the French Riviera. This time, I won't miss so much.
Surprising gem of a guide book.......2005-11-14
This guide book was a last-minute impulse buy before we headed off on our 10 day trip to France. We surprised ourselves by using it almost exclusively to navigate around this wonderful region of France. Short 'n sweet descriptions of all noteworthy towns in the region helped tremendously with deciding where to head next. We used the walking tours in Aix-En-Provence, Avignon, and Arles, and felt them invaluble in getting the most out of our time in each city on our brief trip. We also visited many of the tiny scenic villages recommended in the book. "Provence Made Easy" is accurate, well-written, concise, and fun to read. (Fits in your pocket!) We also had Lonely Planet Provence with us and ended up using it almost exclusively (and seldom) for accommodation and restaurant information. For trip shaping, this small, handy book was it. We used this book in conjunction with "Walking In Provence" by Janette Norton and felt that together these two books offered us a unique, authentic view of the region. We wished we had Andy's book "Paris Made Easy" when we arrived there for the last two days of our trip! Thanks, Andy!
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best way to see Arles, Avignon, the Cotes du Rhone, Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Monaco, Antibes, Cannes, St-Tropez, and the Inland Riviera? With Rick Steves’ Provence and The French Riviera 2007, travelers can experience the best of everything these regions have to offer – economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves’ Provence and the French Riviera 2007 includes:
• Opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights
• Friendly places to eat and sleep
• Suggested day plans
• Walking tours and trip itineraries
• Clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot
America’s #1 authority on travel to Europe, Rick’s time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
Good but not great.......2007-02-08
I felt that Rick's Provence and the French Riviera guide has some of the essentials but not the inspired coverage of his other books. There isn't the excitement that he presents in his Italian and other European guides. The coverage of the hill towns of Provence is somewhat perfunctory.
Rick Steve's Provence and the Riviera.......2007-01-31
Great resource book. Tons of information that is well researched.
Rick Steves' Provence and the French Riviera 2005.......2007-01-04
One must have this book if they are touring Provence. Makes it liveable and lovely
Good planning book.......2005-10-25
I have a wonderful time using this book to plan my visit, although I would still recomend getting a few more reference document such as local map to accomondate this book.
Fine for planning your itinerary I suppose.......2005-08-18
As far as information goes, this book deserves 5 stars ... it's great for figuring out how to get around, what to see (and what not to see!), and how much money to bring. However, I couldn't give 5 stars, simply because I was hoping for better maps and maybe a few color photographs. The book has crudely drawn maps -- almost with a cartoonish look about them -- that don't seem all that helpful. And as for photos, well, the one on the cover is about it. This is a great book to have when planning your trip to Provence ... however, I would advise supporting it with a 2nd guidebook that touts glossy pages with color pictures and maps!
Book Description
Michelin Green Guide Provence
Customer Reviews:
Michelin Classics.......2005-08-31
Unfortunately it seems 2002 print is the latest available at present, which means some admission times and charges are no more correct. Nevertheless, it is a guidebook with the standard Green Guide outlay with lots of town plans, suggested tours (both in towns and across region) and the easy-to-find alphabetical list of sights. What I didn't like is the index where sights (castles, villages) described within proposed tours are often missing and there is no simple way to find them in the guidebook. This is a flaw that I met in several other Michelin Green Guides I used in the past. On the good side, information is mostly adequately detailed and with a car driver in mind (positions of car parks on the maps, road numbers etc).
I LIVE IN FRANC E- GREEN GUIDES ALWAYS RELIABLE.......2005-05-20
I have lived in France for over two years, and have traveled to over 50 places all over the country.
I have chosen the Provence Green Guide to review because it's my favorite region; though all of the guides are similar. I might also mention that I have not actually seen the English version of the Green Guide - I only use the French ones.
That being said, I have tried and looked at MANY guides of France. The Green Guide (or Guide Vert) is the best for FRANCE. For other countries this is not the case.
The maps are useful; the rating system is very, very useful (and pretty close in my opinion); and the sites they recommend are very good. There is also a recommended walking path for each city map - a sort of top place to walk around if you are rushed, during a train layover for example. The many photos of sites, buildings, and cities is nice; they are often a critical deciding factor in my travel choices. Though more often than not the photos dont do justice to the quality of the fantastic places in France.
There are a few things of course i don't like (in terms of selections of sites et al) but nothing is perfect.
Since the Green Guide is from a French company (Michelin) obviously they can get a lot of good information and insight into the guides. Best of all, they have a regional focus. Since I live in France, my need for a national book is minimal; I only go to more or less one region at a time over a long weekend or week.
The Green Guides let me take my time, give me travel ideas that a France-wide guide would not give, and is pretty reliable.
On a separate note, i do not use any of the times for the sites; in France, opening times are unreliable. You are best off using the net or just taking your chances.
In the end, whatever your guide, France is a fantastic country for tourism and it's also wonderful to live in.
Useful overview.......2003-02-18
The green guide for Provence provides a very useful overview, along with pertinent information such as opening/closing times (the Pont du Gard at opening, approx 7:30 am, is not to be missed--marvel in the silence). Used it, along with Rick Steves's France guide in 01, and will use both again in 03.
some like it plain.......2001-03-26
Having just returned form a brief sojourn outside of Avignon(one of numerous visits over the years to the South of France) I found the Green Guide as indispensable as ever.
These oddly shaped, distinctive volumes dispel whatever remains of Peter Mayle's cute and condescending presentation of the region. Here instead is an ancient and noble land of sunlight and wind, which has created strangely shaped stones and mountains surrounding ancient olive groves,endless vineyards, wide rivers, and more Roman remains than can be found in Rome. The magical Middle Ages are here, too, as well as the quintessential visions of Cezanne, the native son, and Van Gogh, the wandering Dutchman. As your eyes do the looking, this highly useful green book will filll you in with all the information you will need on plants, stones (manbuilt and otherwise) weather,rivers, geology, and above all history.
What you see around you is explicated with an appropriate Gallic resserve, accuracy and precision, so that you can meditate on the land without any editorial interference. The format of the Green Guides is unique, reflecting their self-confidence that, like Popeye, and all unique creations, they are what they are.
And the small maps included in the descriptions of many of the most important sites are, as befitting a maker of tires and maps, perfect. If you love France, you will love this book and all the others defining that land for travelers from near and far.
Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Taking up where his beloved A Year in Provence leaves off, Peter Mayle offers us another funny, beautifully (and deliciously) evocative book about life in Provence. With tales only one who lives there could know—of finding gold coins while digging in the garden, of indulging in sumptuous feasts at truck stops—and with characters introduced with great affection and wit—the gendarme fallen from grace, the summer visitors ever trying the patience of even the most genial Provençaux, the straightforward dog "Boy"—Toujours Provence is a heart-warming portrait of a place where, if you can't quite "get away from it all," you can surely have a very good time trying.
Customer Reviews:
A Year in Provence.......2007-07-14
Peter Mayle is a great writer in his descriptions and the way he makes you a part of his life in Provence, specially if you don't understand the language or the habits of the «Natives»!
The best book I ever read!
Doris Veillette Hamel, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
breezy episodes in the south of France.......2007-04-30
Mayle's style is light and breezy; he does the joie de vivre thing as in his first Provence book. This book is really an elaboration of the episodes in A Year in Provence. Mayle does insert new characters and gustatory adventures that keep the reading lively however.
There are many charming anecdotes in this book. Mayle is a first-class storyteller who drops alot of French words throughout his narrative in English. This, along with his modest humour, really make this a decent read.
Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
Toujours Provence.......2006-07-12
I enjoyed Mayle's first book A Year in Provence a lot better than this book. If you want to learn about French food and meals then this book will help you. But it is not as funny as his first book.
Poetic gourmet tour of Provence.......2005-09-17
Pete Mayle does it again. Experience Provence through the poetic, visual style of the expert. Who needs to travel when you have Peter at hand?
Pas mal, mais...........2005-02-27
I knew we were in trouble when Mayle's sequel to his delightful "Year in Provence" opened with vignettes on constipation and suppositories. Oh, Mayle's fresh and breezy style is here, and he still has an eye for small but telling details, but this is mainly a retread of the same ground he worked in the much more cohesive "Year in Provence." We are told, yet again, about annoying guests, fraud in the truffle trade, and the arrogance of outsiders who are invading Provence and turning it into a playground for the rich, which is rich coming from a man who has plenty of money to finance his enviable lifestyle and quests to discover the origins of pastis!
All that said, Mayle has a talent for evoking place, and his descriptions of memorable meals will leave you salivating. But you can get all that, in better form, in A Year in Provence.
Average customer rating:
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Provence and Cote D'Azur (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Manufacturer: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0751368628 |
Book Description
Sniff out fungus worth its weight in gold with a truffle dog in Avignon's forests, p. 178. Learn how to choose the sweetest Cavaillon melon from the lively morning market, p. 223. Fill your lungs cycling through lavender fields from Buoux to Saignon, p. 226. Exfoliate like the stars with a diamond-dust massage in Monaco, p. 88.
--Two long-term, France-based authors, more than 1200 hours of on-the-road research, 63 detailed maps. --Get active with extensive outdoor coverage from bird-watching to donkey rambling. --Bursting with local interviews and brimming with insights on Provencal culture. --You asked for it, we researched it - more of the region's best painting, cooking and French-language courses.
Customer Reviews:
not so useful in traveling with children........2007-09-02
I had taken out the prior version of this book from the library and was pleased to see that there was a 2007 updated version to read. However, in the prior version there was much more specifically directed toward traveling with kids. In this version, most of that was eliminated, and I was bummed not to have that pointed out. While the color pictures are beautiful in the front of the book, more maps and more detail about traveling would have been more useful to me, rather than looking at fields of lavendar. I think a couple driving around for 3 weeks in Provence would have found it really useful. For our 1 week trip with three kids, I found I just didn't use the book very much.
The information on internet cafes was very useful as was the entrance fee and time information to exhibits, etc.
Useful and thorough review.......2007-06-09
contains very useful information. However, the authors only covers major cities and tourist attractions, and ignore many beautiful villages and towns in country side. For this reason, I recommend reading other guide books and travel essays.
A fairly good guide to Provence.......2006-08-12
LP contains so much information that it makes it difficult to plan your trip without any other guide. So, at your planning stage of the trip I suggest you resort to some other guide.
But, while travelling, I found the book to be very useful. It gives you a lot of vital information that every backpacker needs. However, some of the maps in this LP are slightly incorrect, so I suggest you do not rely soley on the LP maps, but use some more detailed ones. Also, for a traveller on tight budget, the book could contain some more info about camping places.
All in all, a good book that is definitely worth the buy.
Almost Great -- Worth The Buy.......2004-12-02
The Lonely Planet series of travel guides is one I have come to depend on, and this is one of the better ones. Good, concise, useable information. The thing that keeps it from being five stars is the hotel and restaurant listings, which are woefully insufficient. But when you're driving around Provence and stumble on a medieval town and want to know if there's a story there or not, this book will tell you.
Great........2003-09-02
I must say this is my first experience with Lonely Planet guides, though i already had high recommendations and positive feed-backs. I decided to give it a go with my 4-weeks in Sun. :-) I spent four weeks travelling around Cote D'Azur and Haute-Provence from Monaco to Marseille and into Alps e.g. Castellane, St. Andre, etc. The information contained is ver much accurate and helpful (i was travelling alone, not with a group!). There are sufficient maps of major regions and city but this guide should not be used for the sake of map. Always take a detailed map e.g. a driving one if you got wheels otherwise every tourist office got full detailed city maps.
Five stars stuff.
Average customer rating:
- Helpful hints
- FROMMER AS USUAL
|
Frommer's Provence & the Riviera (Frommer's Complete)
Darwin Porter
Manufacturer: Frommer's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Europe
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| France
| Europe
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Provence
| France
| Europe
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Italy
| Europe
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Guidebooks
| Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Frommer's
| Guidebook Series
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0764598244 |
Book Description
You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go—they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!
Come along with Frommer's, and we'll help you discover the best of Provence: fabulous regional cuisine, Roman baths, Gothic cathedrals, vineyards, the landscapes of Van Gogh, and much more. We've combined the rustic pleasures and rich artistic heritage of Provence with the glamour of the Riviera, from the beaches of St-Tropez to the Cannes Film Festival.
With Frommer's in hand, you'll discover wonderful places to stay in all price ranges, charming small towns off the beaten track, the very best regional dining, amazing musems and historic treasures, antique shops, and the hottest nightlife on the Riviera. No matter what your budget, Frommer's makes it easy to explore this sunny corner of France, with accurate maps, suggested itineraries, a handy glossary of French phrases, and all the practical tips you need.
Download Description
You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go, they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us! Come along with Frommer's, and we'll help you discover the best of Provence: fabulous regional cuisine, Roman baths, Gothic cathedrals, vineyards, the landscapes of Van Gogh, and much more. We've combined the rustic pleasures and rich artistic heritage of Provence with the glamour of the Riviera, from the beaches of St-Tropez to the Cannes Film Festival. With Frommer's in hand, you'll discover wonderful places to stay in all price ranges, charming small towns off the beaten track, the very best regional dining, amazing musems and historic treasures, antique shops, and the hottest nightlife on the Riviera. No matter what your budget, Frommer's makes it easy to explore this sunny corner of France, with accurate maps, suggested itineraries, a handy glossary of French phrases, and all the practical tips you need.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful hints.......2007-09-24
This is very helpful with specific hints for our travel next week. Being practical it really gives a sense of how we can budget our time.
FROMMER AS USUAL.......2000-04-12
TYPICAL FROMMER GUIDEBOOK-EASY TO READ...RECOMMENDS RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS, THEREFORE LISTS ARE INCOMPLETE AS THEY DO NOT REVIEW IN A NEGATIVE MANNER. MAPS ARE VERY CLEAR, AND ATTRACTIONS ARE WELL DESCRIBED. ]
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