Son of Serge Bastarde

Son of Serge Bastarde
Author: John Dummer
Publisher: Summersdale Publishers LTD
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2012-10-01
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 0857657186

The roguish Serge Bastarde teaches John the tricks of the French antique trade—a must for FrancophilesWe sat and stared balefully at the walnut buffet. A rich customer had complained it was "making strange noises in the night." It was around midnight and we strained our ears to hear, hardly daring to breathe. And there it was—a kind of crunch, crunch, crunching sound. John’s life as a traveling brocanteur (antiques dealer) in rural France is decidedly less colorful after his unscrupulous yet affable partner in crime, Serge Bastarde, marries and decamps to Martinique. But, like a bad penny, Serge returns, his personal life in tatters. What follows is a madcap adventure in which John is coerced into striking deals with the Romanian "mafia," reroofing a huge Basque house, and getting trapped in a skip in the dead of night, while Serge rides an emotional roller coaster. Serge may be as faux as some of his antiques but, with John's help, he eventually strikes gold in this laugh-out-loud romp.

Ten Trees and a Truffle Dog

Ten Trees and a Truffle Dog
Author: Jamie Ivey
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2013-05-22
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1510715495

There is a moment every morning when the countryside takes a pause. The birds stop singing, the dogs choke back their barks, and cats pause mid-stride. Everything waits. It's in this vacuum that a man working alone has the best chance of finding truffles... The plot of land was perfect, just what they'd been looking for, offering expansive views across the valley and within walking distance of the local village. There was only one small problem, there was no house. And yet the land was affordable and came, the agent promised, with a possible income from a copse of truffle oaks. Just after the birth of their first daughter, after leaving the London rat race behind, here was a chance for Jamie and his wife to finally realize their dream of owning a property. With one final salivating glance at the oak trees the decision was made. All they needed now was a dog. And their quest to find and train a truffle dog turns out to be as full of hidden discoveries as a truffle hunt itself. With delicious humor and superb storytelling, Ten Trees and a Truffle Dog is sure to delight anyone who loves dogs, food, and rural France.

Saving Our Skins

Saving Our Skins
Author: Caro Feely
Publisher: Summersdale Publishers LTD
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2015-07-13
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1783722096

The touching story of one couple's decision to start a vineyard in France, where they fear nothing more than the destruction of a sudden cold snapFrost can be fatal to a fledgling wine business. . . it's a gorgeous glitter with a high price tag. On a winter's day it is beautiful, but on a spring day after bud burst it spells devastation. For Sean and Caro Feely, a couple whose love affair with wine and France has taken them through financial and physical struggle to create their organic vineyard, it could spell the end. Until they receive an unexpected call that could save their skins. . . This book is about life, love, and taking risks, while transforming a piece of land into a flourishing vineyard and making a new life in France.

A Chateau of One's Own

A Chateau of One's Own
Author: Sam Juneau
Publisher: Summersdale
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2006-06-04
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 0857653954

Sam and Bud intended to move to France and create a simple life with their children. However they bought a 17th century chateau with over thirty rooms. With modest savings, they restored the building and started a bed and breakfast against resistance from the locals. This is a glimpse into what it takes to leave everything behind to pursue a dream.

C'est Modnifique!

C'est Modnifique!
Author: Ian Moore
Publisher: Summersdale Publishers LTD
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2015-07-13
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1783722185

A follow-up to the hilarious À La Mod: My So-Called Tranquil Family Life in Rural FranceAfter six years in the idyllic Loire Valley, comedian Ian Moore, his family, and his ever-expanding menagerie are beginning to feel like they're on the cusp of the peace and tranquility they hoped for when they moved from dreary Crawley to la belle France. Their grand project, a writing school called Les Champs Créatifs, is finally complete—only, nobody's signed up. Natalie and the boys must contend with the ever-colorful locals, including a Sicilian faith healer, threatening hunters and the "Christmas Pudding Man," and Ian must test his mod mettle against two new additions to the animal family—a pair of disappearing goats. With stresses, strains, and animal poo mounting up la famille Moore have their work cut out—but they're determined to give it their best shot!

Serge Bastarde Ate My Baguette

Serge Bastarde Ate My Baguette
Author: John Dummer
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2009-08-03
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 1848399537

When John decamps to France to start up as an antiques dealer, he doesn’t count on meeting Serge Bastarde. The lovable rogue offers to teach John the tricks of the trade in return for help in a series of unscrupulous schemes. Filled with eccentric characters and unlikely adventures, this is a hilarious romp through the real rural France.

Tout Sweet

Tout Sweet
Author: Karen Wheeler
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2011-08-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1402261195

In her mid-thirties, fashion editor Karen has it all: a handsome boyfriend, a fab flat in west London, and an array of gorgeus shoes. But when her boyfriend, Eric, leaves she makes an unexpected decision: to hang up her Manolos and wave good-bye to her glamorous city lifestyle to go it alone in a run-down house in rural Poitou-Charentes, central western France. Tout Sweet is the perfect read for anyone who dreams of chucking away their BlackBerry in favor of real blackberrying and downshifting to a romantic, alluring locale where new friendships—and new loves—are just some of the treasures to be found amongst life's simple pleasures.

Son of Serge Bastarde

Son of Serge Bastarde
Author: John Dummer
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2012-06-04
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 0857657186

John's life as an antiques dealer in France is decidedly less colourful as his unscrupulous partner in crime, Serge Bastarde, marries and moves to Martinique. But he returns, his personal life in tatters. What follows is a madcap adventure which sees John striking deals with the Romanian 'mafia¡' while Serge rides an emotional roller coaster.

The Secret Life of France

The Secret Life of France
Author: Lucy Wadham
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2009-10-29
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 0571252257

At the age of eighteen Lucy Wadham ran away from English boys and into the arms of a Frenchman. Twenty-five years later, having married in a French Catholic Church, put her children through the French educational system and divorced in a French court of law, Wadham is perfectly placed to explore the differences between Britain and France. Using both her personal experiences and the lessons of French history and culture, she examines every aspect of French life - from sex and adultery to money, happiness, race and politics - in this funny and engrossing account of our most intriguing neighbour.

What French Women Know

What French Women Know
Author: Debra Ollivier
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2009-09-03
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1101133740

The Los Angeles Times bestseller! "A Gallic prescription for living a life that is richer, more sensual, messier, and a lot more fun" (Boston Globe) It's not the shoes, the scarves, or the lipstick that gives French women their allure. It's this: French women don't give a damn. They don't expect men to understand them. They don't care about being liked or being like everyone else. They accept the passage of time, celebrate the immediacy of pleasure, embrace ambiguity and imperfection, and prefer having a life to making a living. In What French Women Know, Debra Ollivier goes beyond stale ooh- la-la stereotypes, challenging ingrained notions about sex, love, marriage, motherhood, and everything in between. With savvy, provocative thinking from French mistresses and maidens alike, Ollivier presents a refreshing counterpoint to the tired love dogma of our times, and offers realistic, liberating alternatives from the land that knows how to love.