A Summer in Gascony: Discovering the Other South of France - Softcover

Calder, Martin

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9781857885064: A Summer in Gascony: Discovering the Other South of France

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1857885066 ISBN 13: 9781857885064

Publisher: UNKNO, 2008

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A Summer in Gascony: Discovering the Other South of France evokes the sights and sounds of the other South of France-its strong spirit of independence, its love of the land, and the simple pleasures in which it revels-with this charming fish out of water tale about a young Englishman who spends an extraordinary summer working at a Ferme-Auberge in a remote hilltop village in Gascony, one of the most rural parts of Southwest France. It is an idyllic land of rolling hills and wide horizons, swathed with vineyards, sunflowers, and pastures. In the tiny hamlet of Peguilhan, Martin Calder is introduced to the Gascon way of life, working the fields and shepherding sheep. It is in Peguilhan that Calder discovers a unique and fiercely independent people. Full of colorful characters and sun-drenched landscapes, this is a tale of two love affairs: a summer romance with Calder's fellow stagiere, Anja, and the beginning of a lifelong love affair with Gascony. Along the way you will meet the charismatic and convivial Jacques-Henri, the hardworking farmer whose family takes Calder into their home and hearts; Pattes, the mischievous and lovable stray dog who leaves 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 Gascon heritage is unforgettable. Almost as good as a weekend getaway, A Summer in Gascony: Discovering the Other South of France is an adventure you won't want to miss!

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About the Author:

Martin Calder is a lecturer in French language and literature at the University of Bristol. A true Francophile, 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.

From Booklist:

British student Calder answers an ad for summer farm help in P�guilhan in southwest France’s famed Gascony. There he learns the realities of agricultural life in the employ of a family who own a country inn catering to tourists. Gascony is one of France’s lesser-known provinces, but its rocky fastnesses have produced luminaries such as Cyrano de Bergerac, D’Artagnan, and Montesquieu. Independently minded Gascons consider themselves only loosely associated with the rest of France and treat Parisians with suspicion. Originally peopled with barbarian tribes, Gascony absorbed imperial Roman culture only slowly. Gascony boasts a rich culinary tradition of ducks, geese, foie gras, cassoulet, and fine wines. Calder throws his energy into watering tomatoes and learns how to butcher sheep. He masters the art of grilling duck breasts to perfection for the inn’s guests. Calder’s objective eye never mocks the rustic Gascons, his obvious affection for them shunning shallow sentimentality. --Mark Knoblauch

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