Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France

After trying--what a folly!--to live in other places, Peter Mayle is back in his beloved Provence. He celebrates his homecoming by sharing with us a whole new feast of adventures, discoveries, hilarities, and culinary treats, liberally seasoned with a joyous mix fof Gallic characters. The pauses for refreshment include an unforgettable meal in a converted gas station, a rendezvous with the very best bouillabaisse, and visits to eventful weekly markets.        But there is life after lunch, and we also discover a school for noses in haute Provence, a gardener who grows black tomatoes, the secret of the oversexed butcher, a celebration of Alowine (Halloween) Provence-style, and the genetic effects of two thousand years of foie gras. There is a memorable tour of Marseilles, a comprehensive lesson on olive oil, a search for the perfect corkscrew, and invaluable recommendations for splendid local cheeses, wines, honey, bread, country restaurants, and off-the-beaten-track places to stay.        Never has Peter Mayle written with more unabashed pleasure about his heaven on earth.Reader Bio:Simon Jones has appeared in the films The Devil's Own, Twelve Monkeys, and Miracle on 34th Street and on television in The Cosby Mysteries and Murder She Wrote.