And Then I Read: TOUJOURS PROVENCE by Peter Mayle

Cover illustration by Ruth Marten.

Continuing from the very popular “A Year in Provence,” Peter Mayle’s follow up has more delightful adventures of he and his wife living in the south of France. While the first book was more structured, about a chapter a month over a year in which they were renovating the old house they bought and adjusting to French customs and culture, this one is more episodic, but no less entertaining. Some of the adventures are culinary, some involve the friends they’ve made: neighbors, workmen, townsfolk, all of whom are quirky and unusual in one or more ways. There are more encounters with tourists, both British acquaintances who insist on being houseguests and those who merely come to Provence from Paris or elsewhere because it’s the thing to do. There are animal stories, a drought, a dog show, and lots more to keep you laughing, as the author pokes as much fun at himself as he does at those he meets. Another relaxing summer read and recommended.