Glorious

"A buttery little biscuit that crumbles in the mouth like a sweet and salty sandcastle".

The seeker of the perfect recipe cycles like a truffle-hound in search of dishes epitomising French regional cooking. Felicity's gastronomic Tour de France is a tour de force in food writing.. Its also a memoir, a travelogue and an extended " love letter to France".

I've been taking eating holidays in France for 30 years, and found myself cheering Felicity on as she pedalled and ate, hoping also that she'd include some of my favourite places and tastes (she did).

The well-chosen recipes are an absolute delight.

Oddly though there are no photographs, although she mentions taking them...

Grab yourself a coffee and a croissant and let Felicity take you on a deliciously mouth-watering and at times hilarious cycle ride through France.
At the end of each ‘stage’ of the tour, she presents us with a perfect recipe pulled together from the experiences along the way. A delightful read, thoroughly recommended.

A little bit travelogue, a little bit recipe book, a little bit diary and a whole lot entertaining! We join the writer on her gastronomique Tour de France- although she seems to spend an inordinate amount of time in french supermarkets!
This book will make you yearn for France, the gentle pace, the people, the food and make you glad you booked in advance!
To read it is to love it

This book is a joy, especially for me as a confirmed Francophile. It's not just me who has noticed some of the idiosyncrasies of our friends across the Channel and their lovely countryside. The narrative pokes gentle fun at the French and all the visitors to their scenic country, but is self-deprecating as well. Their is a bit of name dropping, and some of the recipes seem a bit OTT, but overall this is highly recommended.

Imagine eating a green apple. You can practically taste it, and certainly you can picture it. Felicity Cloake has the great skill of bringing the enjoyment of food to life. Everywhere she travels in France her descriptions of food are astonishingly good, and her appreciation of it is clear.
Making the journey by bicycle means that Felicity earns every mouthful in exertion. The only way I could have enjoyed this book more is if I read it whilst cycling through France. Five stars, no question.

I liked this book: it was entertaining and full of lovely stories, ideas. It made me crave to be on the road in France and travelling with the writer.
A lovely reading experience.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

You had me at the title! A woman travels around France in search of the perfect croissant (and other food of course). There’s recipes, talks about food, good tips of places to visit, things to see, tips for cyclists and just a general love of travel and France across each and every page.

I read this on a kindle and there wasn’t any photos or map in the book so I hope there is when it’s printed as they are desperately needed for a book such as this. It’s visual and the writing draws you along on that bike alongside her, but without the aches and pains she must have had on such a long journey. The countryside they travel through, the places the visit! Oh I could wax lyrical about this for years. The author comes across as your friend, your ideal travel companion and breathes fresh air into the usual travelogue and guides. In fact this book is many things - a diary, an autobiography, a cook book and travel guide all in one.

Be aware that you will be heading out to your local bakery as soon as you start reading. I do love a croissant and haven’t had one for a while but this book had me going all the way to Marks and Spencer (not quite the same I know but still). Oh to be in la France! I was very happy to see her name her favourite croissant in the whole of France and I shall be going there on my next visit for sure. And as for the other food….I’ve eaten many of the dishes mentioned and even tried a few others so it was fascinating to be taken back to those days and remember happy times

I always admire people who do things like this. This is one long journey and I can only imagine how tough it was at times and the perseverance needed to see it through. This is like a travel food guide and tour de france all in one and it made for a fun and tasty read.

Fun and lively for food and travel lovers. This made me really wish to visit France (like i already needed a reason) and just go food hopping. Loved the artwork in between the pages. It just geled so well with the whole idea of the book.

I have never been so hungry when reading a book. This was the perfect way to spend a sunny Saturday. I am now desperately planning a trip to France (possibly with a touch less cycling) to eat as much delicious food as possible.

I have missed reading books like this; I was a big fan of cyclist Josie Dew's adventures cycling around the world and of course, there's Dervla Murphy in Cuba. These kinds of books don't seem to be being commissioned much these days so thank goodness for Felicity Cloake who is carrying on a fine tradition.

Cloake is such an amiable, intelligent writer who manages to convey difficulty with a light touch. The reader can see where and when the going got tough but without the angst that some travel writers inject into their writing (and I am mainly looking at men here.) You know the type: "I was nearly eaten by a bear then I fell down a ravine in sub-zero temperatures and then had to take a chainsaw to the pile of frozen poo in my long drop.." There's a lot of drama llamas in travel writing and Cloake is blissfully free of this tendency. She makes me feel like I could cycle around France too with a bit of training and preparation.

I love her accounts of French food too. It's about time it had its time in the sun again.

Following the authors cycling trip around France, we read about her experiences with the landscape, locals her companions and of course food. With a mixture of recipes, descriptions of the restaurant food she eats it really makes you want to go and discover it too.

It was a lovely read but in my opinion, did become a little boring. Wonderful if you're planning a similar trip though.

This book will make you want to go to France. Delicious descriptions of French food, with recipes for some of the more iconic dishes, built around a cycle trip through most of France. Travel and food - what better combination?

A Gastronomic Delight....
A gastronomic delight - join the author in an entertaining and enlightening cycle trip across France in search of classic, perfect dishes designed to tingle the tastebuds. Beautifully written, often very amusing, with some tantalising descriptions and interspersed with even more tantalising recipes. Very enjoyable indeed.