A Year in Provence

'A Year in Provence' by Peter Mayle is a much-loved book, a perfect example of both a wonderful read and also the kind of travel writing that will get you rearing to go and see it for yourself.

Mayle and his wife did what most of us only imagine doing when they made their long-cherished dream of a life abroad a reality: throwing caution to the wind, they bought a glorious 200-year-old farmhouse in the Lubéron Valley and began a new life in France. In a year that begins with a marathon lunch and continues with a host of gastronomic delights, they also survive the unexpected and often hilarious curiosities of rural French life.

From mastering the local accent and enduring invasion by bumbling builders, to discovering the finer points of boules and goat-racing, all the earthy pleasures of Provençal life are conjured up in this enchanting portrait.