ADVENTURES ON LAND AND SEA

In Bumpus’ travel memoir, curious Americans venture through Provence and along the Cote d’Azur.

The author has written two volumes of Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table about her travels and what she has learned about French foodways keeping families together. In those books, she got to know the people and their places well enough to coax out the recipes that defined them. Here, she offers something a bit different: the story of a trip to France that she and her sister promised each other they would take once their children were grown. In this narrative, Bumpus isn’t settling into one place and getting to know its people. Instead, she functions as something more like a typical American tourist, offering an inviting vision of Americans learning to enjoy themselves in new and unfamiliar surroundings (“suddenly an unexpected energy and exhilaration rose up and I realized, yes, we were at the threshold of our new adventure”). Bumpus seems to be mindful of readers who may feel intrigued—but a bit intimidated—by the thought of leaving their home turf to explore France; she describes chastising her husband (who doesn’t know much French) for buying beurre and jambon sandwiches…and then discovering that butter and ham make for a delicious combination. The author makes it clear that one can enjoy the beach at St. Tropez while wearing a modest swimsuit, and she recounts her group of friends making compelling discoveries even when their journey didn’t go quite as planned. Whether or not this works as a travel narrative—a story one reads just to savor someone else’s experience—depends on the reader. Those who identify with Bumpus and her companions may enjoy the interpersonal relationships she details as they explore France together, even though the dialogue seldom feels natural. Still, armchair travelers who have never considered a European tour will find the author to be a thoughtful guide who provides informative descriptions of the sites she visits.

A companionable travelog making France accessible to those for whom international travel is a novelty.