OOH LA LA A FRENCH ROMP by ANN RICKARD

A mix of a travel memoir of an Australian couple who very courageously undertake to be tour operators for a group of people in a village in France introducing them to a very French way of life complete with chateau visits, lots of wine tastings, plenty of french cookery classes and a lot of ambiance. Their meeting with Amanda who was already a fixture in this village helped them to set out to achieve beautifully what they intended to do and reading about the initial set up, the pitfalls
they faced, the unexpected problems that come about as a result of living with strangers and the ability to live and let live are a part of this beautiful story

The part that I did not like was the emphasis over and over again on their host's Amanda's sexual exploits, her various escapades with different young men and the almost blatant boastfulness of it all. This was for me jarring as it could have been mentioned once or twice if necessary but not at all necessary to bring it to the fore over and over again.

The story set in Provence in an 18th century cottage amidst almost unchanged village life was idyllic and I liked both the setting and the manner in which two novice tour operators handle eight guests and handle them very well. The tours and itineraries planned to cover all interests was great reading for someone like me for whom travelling to Provence is just a dream. 

A very good travel memoir of Provence.