2 comments about La Vie en Rose: A Very French Adventure Continues.

1. 
   Jamie Ivey's Extremely Pale Rose: A Very French Adventure is a delightful travelogue about three wine lovers in search of the palest rosé wine in France. This sequel is devoted to seeing if it is possible to run a successful rosé bar in the Luberon.
   
   The odds seem long: customers will be largely men; rosé is considered a woman's drink; rosé is a summer drink; and most bars make their money from food, and matching food with rosé is considered very difficult.
   
   Rosé seems to be an in drink in France these days -- domestic sales of red and white wines are stagnant, while rosé sales are growing. Ivey works with bars in Uzes, Aix en Provence and Nimes to sell rosé, and does some useful market research. Encouraged, he visits some of the vignerons he met in the first book. He buys a bar in the hills of the Luberon, and plans to remodel during the winter. Hopefully, summer sales will keep his family through the the rest of the year.
   
   Ivey's writing is as charming as ever. This extract from his web site is an example of his style and his insights into French culture:
   
   "By the time that Tanya was four months pregnant we began to notice what can only be described as peculiarly French attitude towards her bump. Women who barely knew us came up and rested their hands proprietarily on our growing baby. To begin with we assumed that this was just the natural motherly urge exerting itself, the type of thing that could happen anywhere.
   
   "Then the inquisition began. "You're still very slim," "Did your mother put on weight when she had you?" "Bien, bien, nothing at all on your legs."
   
   "The statements, come questions, were complimentary, but there was an almost forensic level of interest in the changes that pregnancy had on the female form. The size and shape of Tanya's bump was closely monitored by the women of the village but it was only after the birth that I began to appreciate their perspective. They spent an obligatory minute or so cooing over our new baby and then they turned to Tanya. Hands were pressed against her stomach, and appraising glances cast upon her silhouette as she walked.
   
   "As much as French women love babies there is one thing that they love more - their bodies, and as much as they made out they'd been monitoring the development of our baby, subconsciously at least they'd been keeping a keen eye on Tanya's body."
   
   Ivey is planning a magazine "BlueSky Living" and another book on rosé, in both cases based in Provence. My guess is that both will be just as successful as his first two books at communicating his exploration of France.
   
   Robert C. Ross, 2008



2. If you've read the first La Vie en Rose, and you didn't book your flight to France, this one will do it! Incredibly sweet and entertaining. I'm now a huge rose fan! Charming, real and down-to-earth. If we never get to sell rose in France, this is the next best thing. Looking forward to hearing more from Jamie.

5 comments about The Most Beautiful Villages of England (Most Beautiful Villages).

1. I bought this book because I am obsessed with England and wanted a coffee table book that portrayed that. The photographs in this book are gorgeous, exemplifying the beauty of England and the villages within. Of course, this book makes me want to travel to the UK and explore all of these historic villages!



2. I bought this book recently and it was worth every penny. If you love England, this is the book for you. The pictures are just beautiful. Having lived in England for a few years, it brings back many wonderful memories. I would recommend it to anyone!



3. Im taking a trip to England this summer and this book helped me decide what villages to see. Beautiful pictures!!



4. Non of these villages are very beautiful to me.
   But then beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.



5. This book could well be called "Churches in the Villages of England." Of the two or three photographs per village, one or two are of the local church. Interesting as these may be, I was looking for pictures of the houses, streets, and squares of the villages, as well as the countryside that surrounds them.

No comments about Michelin the Green Guide Poland (Michelin Green Guide Poland).

5 comments about The Naked Truth About Cap d'Agde.

1. I'm making my first trip to Cap d'Agde this August so I wanted to be up on things. This book describes every in and out of nudist town--from the sexy parts to the family parts. It's written clearly with interesting details. The authour's humor is so British--no slipping on the banana peel laughs for him--but it works for an American audience too. The many color and black and white photos show both people who go there and various parts of the town. The detailed maps also give me confidence that I'll be able to find what I need. Even though my French skills are lacking, given the author's tips, I'm confident I'll be able to find plenty of places and people that welcome Enlish speakers



2. Even though we feel that a single man has a very distinct disadvantage in trying to convey a perspective on nude recreation, nevertheless, this remains a book that probably should be read by people with an interest in nude recreation, and particularly by any prospective first time guests at Cap D'Agde.
   To us, anyway, the author seems to be a bit heavy on the "libertine" scene, while not writing enough about the traditional family aspects at the resort.
   There are chapters on the Gendarmes, shopping, activities for kids, day trips to local nearby attractions, orientation and acclimatization, restaurants and accommodation, as well as detailed guidelines for swingers.
   One should probably keep in mind that the Cap is constantly evolving, from year to year and even month to month -- one can find the ambience very different, for example, during July and August as opposed to June or September.
   Still and all, everyone should visit the resort once in their lives, even if only for a day visit, and this book would provide a very good basis for knowing what to expect.
   We would definitely recommend it for anyone as part of their travel "homework" for a future trip to the Cap, or for anyone who's been there in the past and wants to reminisce about one of the truly unique travel destinations in the world today.



3. "This book gives the reader all the information necessary to make an educated decision on choosing the Cap as a destination and how to conduct oneself in various situations. It's amazing just how much information is packed into a small book! Ross chose his words well."

   "The book is all encompassing. It is not simply about the Cap - information and suggestions on integrating a visit to the Cap with going to Paris as well other destinations of interest within and outside the Cap give the vacationer valuable choices."
   
   "There really isn't any other travel book needed other than this for traveling to the Cap. I doubt a travel agent would even begin to scratch the surface of what this book offers. Ross gave so much valuable information, from maps, to restaurant types and club styles and locations,what to bring, internet contacts prior to the trip, tour operators, choices on accommodations and even where to buy sexy-wear! Of course the unique French phrases offered would never be found in a conventional foreign language translation book."




4. The naturists who hang out at Cap d'Agde, though they are in the majority, don't want anyone to know what a haven for swingers (or libertines, as the author Velton puts it) that The Naked City is. Cap d'Agde has something for everyone and this travel guide certainly gives everyone the exact info they need to find their pleasures, whether those pleasures are lurid or benign family fun. The section advising single men made me laugh out loud. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it highly even if you are only an armchair traveler.



5. Does Ross Velton tell the "Naked Truth About Cap d'Agde"? That depends upon your point of view. After I made my plans for a week at Cap d'Agde, I purchased the book and read it before, during and after my visit comparing it to what I saw and experienced.
   First of all, the Quartier Naturiste is just that, a section of the town of Cap d'Agde where it is possible to be be naked in public at all times. Personally, I was nude 24/7 and found the experience wonderfully refreshing. In an uptight, clothe compulsive world, it is physically, mentally and spiritually liberating to be able to do all your regular daily activities like shopping, banking, eating out, going to the post office, getting your hair done, filling up your car and even going to a laundromat without the restrictive encumberances of clothes. And consider there are thousands of others of all sizes, shapes, colors and ages doing the same, it makes you realize what a very special place Cap d'Agde is.
   Being the "Naked City" that it is, however, the Quartier Naturiste also attracts people of all persuasions. Not only will you see families from babies to grandparents but you'll see couples (gay and straight) and singles (mostly male) some of whom come to Cap d'Agde for its "wilder side". Half of Ross Velton's book is written for those whom he calls "libertines" (who are a minority from what I could see) and how they can go about persuing their sexual pleasure at Cap d'Agde. Not only does he list bars, clubs, and rendevous points of very stripe but he offers tips, advice and etiquette for successful swinging.
   That being said, let me say that in no other source, did I find so much basic information about Cap d'Agde (the other half of the book). Not only is there a map, but there are listings and contacts for places to stay, directions on how to get there, what it will cost, when to go, restaurant reviews, bar and club reviews, etc. For this reason alone, I highly recommend it for the first time visitor whether they are just plain nudists or swinging libertines.
   Fortuntately, Cap d'Agde is large enough for all. Just like you may not patronize the local bar down the street, so too, you do not have to go to a sex club. And just like the French are more accepting and open minded about public nudity in order for a place like Cap d'Agde to exist, so too is their attitude towards sex. Not having taken the libertine path myself in Cap d'Agde, I found nothing there to be any more sexually overt and flagrant than I found in any other European city.
   So, buy the book, get on a plane, take off your clothes and stay for awhile so you can experience something totally unique to the world.

No comments about Cicerone Julian Alps of Slovenia (Cicerone Guide).

5 comments about Irish Blessings.

1. This is a Wonderful book! The pictures are very beautiful, vivid!
   And the verses are lovely...I am just thrilled to have bought a copy. Our Public Library even ordered a copy after having looked through mine. Outstanding!! Truly.



2. The dementia of this book are entirely appropriate. One minor criticism: Ms. Shannon neglected to include an excerpt from the works of the often-overlooked Irish pugilist-poet Fighty McDrunkahan. His cycle of travellers' poems -- "Jaysus, What's This in Me Shoe?" -- is a classic of vernacular Irish literature.



3. This book appears to be a normal size book in its add on the web but is infact only 2 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long.
   Nowhere do they tell you that. I was ordering for adults not children.
   Thank You for your time.
   Sarah Matthews



4. This wonderful volume matches a gallery of photographs that truly capture the beauty of Ireland with a collection of blessings attributed to Irish saints, songwriters, poets, and Irish custom. The effect of the collection is both moving and comforting, especially to those who have been fortunate enough to experience Ireland first hand.
   
   The photography heavily favors the wild and undeveloped Western part of Ireland; visitors may recognize scenes from the Dingle Peninsula and the Killarny area, among others. The blessings are a celebration of Irish spirituality; quotes from early Irish Christians mingle with customary blessings and songs and items from popular Irish writers. They together are an invocation to remember the simple and important things in life.
   
   This book is highly recommended to the reader familar with Ireland and with its spirituality.



5. Purchased this book as a wedding gift for someone who has always wanted to go to Ireland, but never quite made it there. Many of the other Ireland-related books at Amazon were more like travel guides, etc... This particular book was the only one suitable as a wedding gift. The recipient was delighted. I recommend this book as a great gift item for all wannabe Irish travelers.

1 comments about Frommer's London with Kids (Frommers With Your Family Series).

1. I found quite a few helpful bits of information for navigating London with my child. I haven't yet been, so this may be hasty, however, we are planning our stay in London relying in large part on this book.

1 comments about Insight Guide Paris (Insight Guides Paris).

1. Told me what I needed to know for being in Paris for only 2 days.

5 comments about Rome: The Biography of a City.

1. I planned to visit Rome and was told Mr Hibbert's book was better than any travel guide. I was worried it would be a boring, textbook read. To my surprise, I was absolutely engrossed from cover to cover. The endnotes were a bit too inclusive for my taste, but for a true historian, the information would be captivating. Mr. Hibbert's focus on numerous Vatican events is eye opening.



2. This is a good book for those interested in learning about general Rome History but not necessarily in reading thick textbooks. If you're interested in learning about specific periods/events (or the Roman Empire as a whole), you might want to look elsewhere. If you're interested in reading about a great city as a whole, this is a solid choice.



3. With a book that covers over 2,500 years of history, don't expect in-depth coverage here. That's not what this book is about. It provides a very good, bird's-eye view of the city and its history, however, and does a good job of impressing on the reader the incredible continuity of the city's history. I think there's a tendency to concentrate on ancient Rome and then to jump a thousand years to the Renaissance and the Baroque, without focusing on the incredible medieval history of the city. I found the chapters of the book devoted to the medieval period to be some of the more interesting.



4. In Self-Reliance, Emerson says, "In history our imagination plays us false. Kingdom and lordship, power and estate are gaudier vocabulary than private John and Edward in a small house and common day's work; but the things of life are the same to both; the sum total of both is the same," (130). This is a good place to begin articulating my discomfort with Hibbert's Rome: The Biography of a City. Halfway through the book one still has not seen any of Emerson's view that history is more than a succession of popes and kings. On the contrary, Hibbert seems to think that history is only that. It is an older book, and so we spare it some of our modern politics, but thus far, I've read nothing of women, nothing even of artists or architects in a city renowned for these, only that this king fought with this pope etc. through the centuries. I thought historians somehow knew better. One possible explanation for Hibbert's lack of attention to the actual soul of Rome is that he casts a broad net, writing so many histories he can hardly have time to do anything like justice to a place. He's written about France, Britain, America, and India, about their revolutions and separate books about their major figures, lending the impression that he may approach theses "biographies" like assembly-line machinery. One last neglect which seems to me not only in bad taste, but odd: Hibbert's Rome has been pretty overt in its dismissal of the Catholic Church. Nothing has been said about its many acts of charity, nor of its social/art educational status in the community, nor about the individual faiths of the saints and pilgrims, whose devotion, in the face of such obvious abuses, I find heartening.



5. I found the book to be well written and engaging in that typical British anecdotal style that breathes life into historical characters. It offers a detailed account of the sometimes bizarre history of this magnificent city during more than two millennia, all in one book, up until the middle of the 20th century.
   
   However, I felt that the book was quite lacking in providing answers, or even clues to answers, to the Big Questions: the rise and fall of the Republic and the later Empire, and the rise of Christianity. I did miss the context of all these facts that streamed by page after page, and there was no scholarly interpretation from the learned author regarding these inevitable Big Questions.
   
   The latter part of the book gets even better, when the author seems more at ease dealing with the 19th and 20th century. I found the detailed portrait of the rise and fall of the fascist state headed by Mussolini especially riveting. But even there, I wanted a bit more background and historical interpretation.
   
   If you look for a book that introduces you to more than two thousand years of Roman history, and is both educating and reads more like a novel than a thesis, you will not be disappointed. Furthermore, the book includes maps and pictures, to be used during a stay in the Eternal City. But if you want a more intellectual interpretation, there are better books on offer. I decided to buy both.

2 comments about Jane Austen in Bath: Walking Tours of the Writer's City.

1. Verse rich in history is just one plus contained within the covers of this little gem. Illustrated with color engravings from the era throughout. You can read it in about 30 minutes, but not to be missed. And something you'll enjoy reading again and again.
   A great Christmas gift for all of your special Jane friends.....



2. Bath is a wonderful town to visit, and the town was very important in Austen's life and novels, especially in Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics) and Persuasion (Penguin Classics).
   
   Austen was 24 when her family moved from the countryside to the city, then at the very height of its glory. Reeve traces four "Walks" through the parks and beautiful buildings of Bath, and describes Austen's connection with each of the sights. The text is enhanced by period maps and illustrations, and enlivened by photographs of Austen's manuscripts.
   
   Reeve argues that the transition was not easy for Austen, whose family suffered financial reverses and who had psychological difficulties of her own. She describes Austen's distress as follows:
   
   "Martha accompanied Jane back to Steventon in early December, just before Jane's twenty-fifth birthday, on December 16. As their luggage was being taken upstairs by the servants Jane received a shock. Her niece, Caroline Austen, recalled her mother's version of events: 'My Aunts [Jane and Martha] had been away a little while, and were met in the Hall on their return by their mother who told them that it was all settled, and they were going to live at Bath. My Mother who was present said my Aunt Jane was greatly distressed--All things were done in a hurry by Mr Austen & of course this is not a fact to be written and printed -- but you have authority for saying that she did mind it.'"
   
   Nigel Nicholson argued in "The Guardian" (December 13, 2003) that in fact Austen's stay in Bath was essential for her development as an author, and that she was not unhappy there. Because none of her six completed novels was even begun there, critics assume she was a country girl who hated towns; she could write fiction only in the country.
   
   Nicholson reviews the 16 letters written by Austen during her Bath period. "The early letters record her dismay at her parents' decision to leave Steventon, where she was born, and settle in Bath." After an interval, she wrote 'I get more and more reconciled to the idea' ... 'We have lived long enough in this neighbourhood.'"
   
   "So they made the move, selling all their furniture except their beds, and, inexplicably, George Austen's library of 500 books. After searching Bath for a suitable house, they settled on 4 Sydney Place, at the far end of Great Pulteney Street.... They could afford three servants and an annual holiday by the sea. This does not suggest a life of penury and exile. They expected to enjoy themselves, and so, in my reading of the evidence, they did."
   
   "After her father's death in January 1805, Mrs Austen and her two daughters remained in Bath for several more months, living in straitened circumstances, and then moved to Clifton, a suburb of Bristol, and to Southampton where they remained until 1809, the year when they settled at Chawton. It was there that Jane Austen revised her earlier three novels and wrote Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion, all in the space of the eight years before she died. It has therefore been tempting to draw the conclusion that country living revived her latent genius. But never, in all her many letters written at this period, is there any hint that she felt hampered by city life or craved a return to the country."
   
   It is great fun to read Reeve's take on these events, compare her analysis with the contrary analysis by Nicholson, and re-read the novels to make up one's own mind. The Little Bookroom has packed this pretty little book with a great deal of evidence. It's a delight to read and see Bath at least a little through Jane Austen's eyes.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008