Downhill all the way - Edward Enfield

Fed up with questions about what he was going to do when he retired, Edward decided to get on his bicycle and ride from the Le Havre region in northwestern France to the Mediterranean. He struggled in Normandy to get directions from old men tipsy on Calvados by 9 a.m., passed by prairies of corn and acres of sunflowers, and hit his stride on the towpath of the Burgundy canal. He explored the mystery of what an "ouvrier" eats for lunch, and was barred from a swimming pool because his trunks were too decent. Through the Rhne and down to Provence and the Camargue, Enfield is witty and informative as always.