French Romp In The Farce Lane

Sun Herald

Sunday October 19, 2008

Rosemarie Milsom

Ooh La La! A French Romp

Ann Rickard

(New Holland, $29.95)

Australian travel writer and author Ann Rickard enjoys a loyal following among women of a certain age who are attracted to her chutzpah, warmth and humour. Her previous titles, which include Not Another Greek Salad and The Last Book About Italy, all feature her patient husband Geoffrey, who supports his ebullient wife on her often hare-brained adventures.

In this, Rickard's fifth book in four years, Geoffrey's love and devotion are tested like never before. To put it bluntly, the bloke deserves a medal.

The couple's French romp comes about after a Provence-based New Zealander fan, Amanda, sends an invitation via email encouraging Rickard to "drop in" if she ever finds herself in the south of France. Amanda's 18th-century hillside property in the small village of St Maximin on the border of Provence and Gard oozes charm and after viewing her website, Rickard and hubby are captivated.

After winning a writing award that includes airline tickets as the prize, travel plans are hatched and within a year the trio have created a two-week holiday package in which Rickard will act as guide; Geoffrey as "mini-van driver, concierge, bag handler, sommelier, treasurer, maintenance man and gentlemanly escort"; and Amanda, "dangerously low of neckline, fearsomely full of bosom and enormously big of hair", will assume the role she knows best - the hostess with the mostest.

Also making an appearance are the Rickards' daughter Jessica and her husband Leith, who film the holiday and end up with their own drama to manage.

The eight Australian travellers - mainly women - who sign up don't know what they're in for but they are all good sports and quickly embrace the barely contained chaos that ensues, throwing themselves with gusto into the hedonistic travel experience that centres on food, wine, dance, their host's infectious bonhomie and more food.

Rickard records the ensuing shenanigans in great detail and creates colourful portraits of the key players in this fun-filled adventure.

There are cringe-worthy moments though and if I had a euro for every time Rickard refers to breasts, I'd be able to afford a flight to France. Her account can read like a Carry On film and the over-the-top frivolity becomes a little predictable.

The appeal of Rickard's account is her warts-and-all approach. She isn't afraid to record her own clumsiness or awkwardness and there are moments of tension between her and Amanda when the author, wearing her tour-leader hat, takes on more than she can manage.

"The corralling of people before each outing is a difficult endeavour ... When two have gone back inside the house, someone else suddenly remembers a missing camera, another remembers a loo visit and by then, Amanda, who is loathe to waste a precious minute waiting for anything, wanders around the corner to make a telephone call, to indulge in some dirty talk with one of her lovers."

You get the picture.

But there would be no French romp without Amanda. She is at once the most irritating and interesting element in the book. She simply has no shame and lives her life completely on her own terms.

A very serious accident in the last third of her account brings Rickard crashing back down to earth and in doing so adds a much-needed emotional tangent to her at-times overly effusive narrative.

However, I was drawn in, if only to find out how the hell such a motley crew were going to pull the whole thing off. And I was pleasantly surprised.

100 Great Journeys

Edited by Keith Lye

(Ilex, $45)

In the age of the A380 with its plush and spacious Marc Newson-designed interior, it is refreshing to read a chapter entitled "Tortuous Trips For The Intrepid Traveller", which centres on 10 overland journeys by determined and courageous explorers. As editor Keith Lye notes: "This was a world where suffering was commonplace."

But not all the great journeys included here involve starvation and desperate thirst, though most feature some form of struggle.

Each one is outlined in a potted history and maps and images are used throughout. By no means an exhaustive guide, 100 Great Journeys singles out key events in world exploration and highlights well-trodden tourist paths, such as the trip from New Zealand's North to South Island.

Because of the number of journeys covered and the space given to visual elements, readers seeking more substantial information will be disappointed.

Buddhist Himalayas: People, Faith And Nature

M. Ricard, O. and D. Follmi

(Thames & Hudson, $49.95)

This is an intimate and authoritative guide to a people and a place that have long captured the imagination.

Produced with the support of the Dalai Lama and featuring contributions from 19 eminent specialists on the region, there is little that is not covered in this stunning, erudite volume.

Included is information about the history of Tibet and its breathtaking landscape as well as Tibetan medicine, calligraphy, the Buddhist concept of death and the legacy of Chinese occupation.

Amid the at-times esoteric material are 200 stunning photographs that capture the rugged beauty of the mountains and the stoicism of the Tibetans.

The portraits are captivating and from the first page the reader is transported.

Magic.

A Wave Away: A Line-up Of Surfing's Most Amazing Locations

Matt Griggs

(HarperSports, $33)

I want this author's other job, as "pit boss" for Rip Curl's international surf team. Griggs gets paid to travel the world and surf. It doesn't get any better than that and it helps to explain why the tone of this former professional surfer is so exuberant.

A Wave Away is not strictly a travel guide, though Griggs does visit an interesting variety of destinations including Micronesia, Israel, Tahiti, Morocco and New Zealand. And while he includes vivid descriptions of the different locations, he interrupts these segments with tete-a-tetes among surfers he meets along the way as well as those he travels with.

Griggs's narrative can seem a little disjointed but overall this is a satisfying read because of his passion and colourful turn of phrase. Definitely one for surf lovers dreaming of that perfect break and who aren't too bothered with a lack of specific details.

The Europe Book: A Journey Through Every Country On The Continent

(Lonely Planet, $60)

Thirty-seven Lonely Planet authors have contributed to this fact-filled hardcover, a follow-up to the bestselling The Travel Book, which will be published in a "mini" format next month. Featuring profiles of 52 countries and hundreds of captivating images and maps, this is both a solid reference book and a source of inspiration.

Each country is outlined in interesting sub-sections such as "Random Facts", "Myths & Legends" and "On Film And Natural Beauty". One of my favourite segments is the "Essential Experiences" list. For example, in Latvia, one should tour an underground Soviet missile base in the Zemaitija National Park and eyeball the 13 Lenins at Druskininkai's Soviet sculpture park. The lists aim to encourage visitors to think outside the square and beyond a predictable itinerary.