A Summer in Gascony evokes the spirit, sights, smells and sounds of the other South of France with its strong spirit of independence, its love of the land and all the simple pleasures it provides - magret de canard, méchoui - and gutsy red wine and armagnac! The only travel-writing book on Gascony, this is a charming and humorous fish out of water tale of a young Englishman who spends a summer working in Gascony and leaves a Gascon in heart and soul - a love affair that endures till today. Full of fascinating insights into the turbulent history of Gascony with its strong English connection going back to the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry Plantagenet when it became the English Kingdom for 300 years. With charm and gentle humour, Martin Calder describes an extraordinary summer spent working at a Ferme-Auberge in a remote hilltop village in Gascony, one of the most rural parts of Southwest France stretching from Toulouse in the East to the Atlantic in the West, from the River Garonne in the north to the Pyrenees in the South. It is a golden land of rolling hills and wide horizons, swathed with vineyards, sunflowers, maize and pastures where wild boar and roe deer roam the oak forests. In the tiny hamlet of Péguilhan, Calder is introduced to the Gascon way of life, working in the fields, shepherding the sheep, watering the crops and discovers a unique people, proud of their fiercely independent heritage. This is a tale of two love affairs: an idyllic summer romance with his fellow stagiaire Anja and a lifelong love affair with Gascony and its village festivals, dusty roads, and sun-baked wine country. Full of colourful characters - the charismatic and convivial Jacques-Henri, the hardworking farmer and his family who take Martin into their home and hearts; the yoga-practicing Germans; Pattes, the mischievous and lovable stray dog who brings havoc in his wake; Madame Parle-Beaucoup the town gossip who has a secret of her own and the memorable Monsieur Fustignac whose pride in his Gasgon heritage is unforgettable. As an Englishman in Gascony, Martin finds himself more welcome than he expected thanks to the old affinities that exist between England and Gascony - after all Gascons fought for 300 years alongside the English against their common enemy - the French! Gascony exported huge quantities of wine - claret - to slake the thirsts of medieval Englishmen.
A Summer in Gascony: The Other South of France
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
Nostalgia for a traditional France, soused in Armagnac, sunshine and young love, brought vividly to life. --John Mole, author of It's All Greek to Me!
Entrancing... the reader soaks up Gascony like a thirsty vine. --Kevin Gale, France Bookshop
A charming and nostalgic account, written in an accessible and down-to-earth style, this book offers an insider's perspective of Gascony. I felt entirely satisfied with this read and keen to sample Gascony's rural pleasures for myself. --Becci Sargent, Frnech Magazine Book Club
Entrancing... the reader soaks up Gascony like a thirsty vine. --Kevin Gale, France Bookshop
A charming and nostalgic account, written in an accessible and down-to-earth style, this book offers an insider's perspective of Gascony. I felt entirely satisfied with this read and keen to sample Gascony's rural pleasures for myself. --Becci Sargent, Frnech Magazine Book Club
About the Author
Martin Calder is a lecturer in French language and literature at the University of Bristol. A true Franco-phile, he has lived and worked in Paris and other parts of France, but is always drawn back to Gascony. Gascony appeals to his enjoyment of the simple pleasures of life on the land, the sights and smells of the country, good food and wine, and hard work.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By Tap Dancer
Format:Paperback
This book makes a refreshing change from the usual story of French builders and house refurbishment. The author has captured the charm of Gascony with a good mix of interesting snippets of history, local traditions and the day-to-day life of the Gascon people. He gives mouth-watering descriptions of the traditional food and wines of the region. Each chapter surprised me with a new fact about the rhythm of life in rural Gascony. I never knew what to expect. Delightful illustrations by the author at the end of each chapter added to my enjoyment of this book.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Mr President
Format:Paperback
Im normally one for reading history books about kings, politicians and intrigue. I brush past the travel section of the library without a second thought - I won't go to many of the places on the shelves so why should I care. However by pure chance this book caught my eye and thankfully I took it off the shelf to flick through the first few pages.
This is a beautifully crafted story and so well written you could easily forget that you are reading about somebody else's story and not your own. The author vividly recalls the people, the sights, the smells and the emotions. I read a sizeable portion of this book during a very warm day in May and I could easily imagine I was in Gascony (albeit the illusion was ruined by the occasional passing Glaswegian accent).
Its a credit to the author that when you begin to reach the end of the book and he is saying goodbye to people like Jacques-Henri, Madame 'Parle-Beaucoup' and Monsiuer Fustignac - you can almost imagine you are there saying goodbye with him (to the extent that you have a lump in your throat). But one of the most bitter sweet scenes is the farewell to his summer love - Anja. Its at that point the magic of summer begins to fade. he says himself later that his summer in Gascony was like a 'golden capsual'. He then boards a ship back to Britain and you do get the sense that while he is going back to his old life - he is not going back to it the same person.
A nice touch is the final chapter of the book when he returns to Gascony about 20 years later (apprx). I would say this is a weaker part of the book as he could have had a bit more detail about what happened to Jacques-Henri (it isnt that clear if Jacques-Henri has died or done a runner!!!).
Please read this book - its not just about a summer in Gascony. Its about taking a journey and arriving back where you started, but seeing the world anew.
This is a beautifully crafted story and so well written you could easily forget that you are reading about somebody else's story and not your own. The author vividly recalls the people, the sights, the smells and the emotions. I read a sizeable portion of this book during a very warm day in May and I could easily imagine I was in Gascony (albeit the illusion was ruined by the occasional passing Glaswegian accent).
Its a credit to the author that when you begin to reach the end of the book and he is saying goodbye to people like Jacques-Henri, Madame 'Parle-Beaucoup' and Monsiuer Fustignac - you can almost imagine you are there saying goodbye with him (to the extent that you have a lump in your throat). But one of the most bitter sweet scenes is the farewell to his summer love - Anja. Its at that point the magic of summer begins to fade. he says himself later that his summer in Gascony was like a 'golden capsual'. He then boards a ship back to Britain and you do get the sense that while he is going back to his old life - he is not going back to it the same person.
A nice touch is the final chapter of the book when he returns to Gascony about 20 years later (apprx). I would say this is a weaker part of the book as he could have had a bit more detail about what happened to Jacques-Henri (it isnt that clear if Jacques-Henri has died or done a runner!!!).
Please read this book - its not just about a summer in Gascony. Its about taking a journey and arriving back where you started, but seeing the world anew.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By SL03
Format:Paperback
A great book for anyone visting Gascony and wanting to understand this delightful part of France.
It delves into the rural life of a farming family whom the author worked for over a summer vacation.
The story is written in an light style with short chapters devoted to different aspects of the farm, the inn, the family and the community that includes Madame Parle-Beaucoup!
Easy to read and thoroughly recommended.
It delves into the rural life of a farming family whom the author worked for over a summer vacation.
The story is written in an light style with short chapters devoted to different aspects of the farm, the inn, the family and the community that includes Madame Parle-Beaucoup!
Easy to read and thoroughly recommended.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not too bad
A quite enjoyable book about the authors time at a farm and Auberge on a working summer in Gascony.
Apart from finding the work hard to start with, he settles into the... Read more
Apart from finding the work hard to start with, he settles into the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Half Man, Half Book
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Summer in Gascony
A Summer In Gascony apart from being a very interesting read was very informative about the region itself. I learned a great deal about the origins of the region. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Renzo
5.0 out of 5 stars
BEAUTIFUL BOOK
Arrived on time and quality was excellent, very pleased with the service provided.
Will use Amazon again. Thank you to the provider too.
Will use Amazon again. Thank you to the provider too.
Published 19 months ago by Pat J
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasant read...
I enjoyed this book as it introduced me to a part of France I didn't know. It is a very easy book to read, nothing particularly intellectually challenging about it and nothing to... Read more
Published 20 months ago by franny
2.0 out of 5 stars
Quite interesting
There are some interesting bits of history in this book together with lovely descriptions about the South West of France. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Doolie
3.0 out of 5 stars
A goodish read but...
Don't get me wrong, I did quite enjoy this book and found it reasonably well written & informative but somehow there was something missing. Read more
Published 21 months ago by jannywanny
4.0 out of 5 stars
Is it a history? Is it a eulogy? Is it a romance?
An enjoyable light read which conjures up the warm south. For me there wasn't quite enough depth of any single aspect. Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2008 by P. J. Shaw
5.0 out of 5 stars
For anyone that has spent time abroad.....
How this book transported me to the times of my first solo forays to a foreign land. Every new discovery that Martin describes brought back the giddy excitement of learning to live... Read more
Published on 7 July 2008 by Petite montagne
5.0 out of 5 stars
We agree with the Californian visitors to the Auberge: 'Just what we'd...
Martin's story sympathetically lifts the lid on the Comminges in Gascony and its proud people. A easy read with bite size historic facts which suggest 'the Gascons seem to feel... Read more
Published on 4 May 2008 by Between Fields
5.0 out of 5 stars
The wonder of youth
This took me back many years to those long forgotten balmy days of summer. I soon felt drawn into Martin's new circle of friends and the farm life in Gascony, wishing I could meet... Read more
Published on 13 April 2008 by Brenda T
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
