Summer In Gascony (eBook)

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 Pguilhan, Martin Calder is introduced to the Gascon way of life, working the fields and shepherding sheep. It is in Pguilhan 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 with 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! 'Nostalgia for a traditional France, soused in Armagnac, sunshine and young love, brought vividly to life.' -John Mole, author of It's All Greek to Me! and Mind Your Manners 'Entrancing...the reader soaks up Gascony like a thirsty vine.' -Kevin Gale, France Bookshop '[A Summer in Gascony] offers an engaging recollection of a summer spent working at a family-run Ferme-Auberge in the tiny hamlet of Pguilhan, whilst providing a unique insight into the turbulent history of the region that has shaped the character of this beautiful land and its people. The humor and sunshine of the locals and their village seeps from every page of this charming memoir.' -Traveller in France Magazine 'Reading this, anyone who took a gap year may well wish that they had spent it in Gascony. Drenched in sunshine, wine and the sheer vitality of youth, this is a delightful memoir.' -France Magazine

---

The only travel writing book on Gascony, A Summer in Gascony is a charming and humorous tale of an extraordinary summer spent in this relatively unknown part of south-western France, the home of D Artagnan, Cyrano de Bergerac, gutsy red wine, fine sweet wine Armagnac and sunflowers. It is a tale of two love affairs: an idyllic summer romance and a lifelong love affair with Gascony with its village festivals, dusty roads and sun-baked wine country. Stretching from Toulouse in the east to the Atlantic coast in the west, from the river Garonne in the north to the Pyrenees in the south, Gascony is a golden land of rolling hills and wide horizons, swathed with vineyards, sunflowers, maize and pastures. It has a distinct identity which sets it apart from the rest of France and old affinities with England: the Gascons fought alongside the English in the Middle Ages and the Napoleonic Wars against their common foe the French. In the tiny hamlet of Peguilhan, Martin Calder is introduced to the Gascon way of life: working in the fields, shepherding and slaughtering sheep, feeding the cattle, harvesting the wheat, watering the crops. He discovers a unique people, fiercely proud of their independent heritage. Full of colourful characters: the charismatic and convivial Jacques-Henri, the hardworking farmer whose family take Martin into their home and hearts; the yoga-practising Germans; Pattes, the mischievous stray dog; Madame Parle-Beaucoup , the town gossip and Monsieur Fustignac, whose pride in his Gascon heritage is unforgettable. But the real star of the book is Gascony itself, with its strong spirit of independence and the simple pleasures it provides. Written by a true Francophile who has come to know the people and understands their way of life, A Summer in Gascony evokes the spirit, sights, smells and sounds of this still relatively unknown and unspoiled other South of France.