Review- The Book Club by Kate Mc Cabe

“Looking for a way to pass the cold winter nights... Marian Hunt decides to start a book club,” reads the back cover of Kate Mc Cabe's latest novel, and this could just as well have been the writer's intention with this, her third novel. It takes a while to catch its stride, with a detailed life-story for each character, but once the cast is assembled, 'The Book Club' proves an easy way to pass a few hours.

Against a backdrop of Celtic Tiger Dublin, a disparate group assemble in response to Marian's book club ad. A disgraced poet wants inspiration for the novel he hopes will redeem him in the eyes of Dublin's literary critics, while a recently bereaved young widow wants a gentle way to emerge from her grief. An older couple are looking for a new interest as the wife recovers from a stroke, and a dishy downstairs neighbour hopes to distract Marian from the boredom of her solitary evenings.

But it is Marian's ex, the scheming, solicitor Alan Mc Millan who provides most of the excitement as he insinuates himself into the book club to try and get her back. And, unusually for this genre, it is the male characters who are the most interesting, especially when it seems the author is taking a little dig at her male contemporaries: On discovering that the first book club book is to be Rebecca, Nick the aspiring novelist, dreams of emulating Du Maurier's combined critical and popular success. With his first novel. That he hasn't actually started writing yet...

The Book Club - By Kate Mc Cabe
Poolbeg Press 390 pp, €15.99

Review first published in Irish Times Saturday March 8th 2008

Doggy Travels

'Cos we wouldn't go anywhere without her!

Have Dog, Will Travel.

Leaving Kayla, behind during the summer holidays, was never really an option. We go to France for four or five weeks, so putting her in kennels her would be expensive and unfair, while leaving her with family or friends would use up the equivalent of a year's worth of babysitting. Besides which, we'd miss her. And judging by the pitiful, brown-eyed, 'how could you leave me behind?'-expression she gives me, if I even go upstairs without her, she'd miss us too.

Fortunately Kayla joined the family at the end of last summer, because you need plenty of time to prepare a dog for international travel. Or rather, to bring it home. The newest member of the family now has her own passport (unlike the next two in line), into which the details of her injections and treatments are entered. Not only did she have to be micro-chipped for identification, and vaccinated against rabies, but we have to wait six months after a positive blood test (to show the vaccine 'took'), before we can start crossing borders with her. And before she leaves France she must be de-wormed, de-flead and de-ticked by a registered vet, close enough to the ferry port so that she can be treated between forty-eight and twenty-four hours before sailing. When we're booking the ferry crossing, Kayla has to have her own kennel booking, (€35 each way, limited number so book ahead), and we have to check in earlier than everyone else. It sounds like a lot of hoops to jump through just to bring our canine companion on holidays with us, but apparently flying is even worse, especially given that we could find no carriers out of Dublin to France who'll carry dogs. But the first year is the worst; now that the micro-chipping, blood testing and first rabies vaccine is given, all we have to do is keep up to date from now on.

So we reckon it's worth it. We have our own place in France, and we know what to expect when we get there. We know where Kayla will sleep, and although she chews a lot less than she did a few months ago, at least it will be our own furniture she's munching on. She already goes into mourning after every school holiday because she loves having the kids around all day, and we know she'll adore the bigger garden and the woods with all their wildlife and interesting smells. We'll have a great time crashing through undergrowth with her, and discovering new car-free paths to race along off-lead. And of course that will help us work off the local cuisine, which is one of the reasons we holiday in France in the first place.

All I have to figure out now, is how to stop Kayla from getting sick on any car journey of over an hour... Did I mention she likes to travel on the back seat rather than in the boot?

An edited version of this article first appeared in the Irish Times 'GO' supplement of Saturday March 8th 2008

Edited (july 6th 08) to add a link to a google map of vets in Cherbourg: You can click on any of the markers to get details of the vets (phone numbers etc). Zoom in and out by using the + and - buttons, and pan left and right, up and down using the arrows.

View Larger Map

My favourite place in the world!

Self Catering in France.

France has always been a popular destination amongst Irish holiday makers, particularly for family holidays. Although we have become accustomed to cheap flights and far-flung destinations, our introduction to foreign travel was often by way of a ferry crossing from Rosslare before a long hot drive to a camp-site in Normandy, Brittany or the Vendee. Our first experience of foreign food was creamy brie or pate spread thick on a crusty white baguette and our first meal 'out' was moules frites in a roadside café. So it's no surprise that when the time comes to swap the rucksack for the nappy bag, and the tiny wheeled carry-on bag for a full luggage allowance plus buggy, the Irish are still going to France in huge numbers. And because it's a family holiday, and keeping to a hotel schedule may not suit the youngest members, self-catering is the obvious choice. The campsite is still popular, but has moved up a notch with giant sites providing multiple pools, kids clubs, teenage discos and and luxury mobile homes or chalets.

The Gite -huge variety of what's on offer

The other option is the Gite, a privately owned holiday home which ranges from basic two-up-two down village house, to ten bedroom chateau with pool, satellite television, wifi access and hot and cold running chefs and cleaners. Sometimes you may even have a friendly owner living nearby who can provide baby sitting. These are generally small businesses, and may not be registered with any official classification bodies, so within the same price bracket there can be a huge variety in what is on offer. The result of this is that for the peak season (second half of July and all of August) the best Gites book out early, with some families returning year after year to the same place. But this year (2008) 'Le Crunch' (of the credit variety) and the weakness of sterling and the dollar has resulted in low bookings throughout France meaning high quality properties can still be booked for last minute, and some have dropped in price since earlier in the year.

Choosing a Gite- make a checklist

Chooing a gite by booking direct can seem a bewildering prospect with such a huge variety on offer. So, before turning to the internet or opening a single newspaper or brochure, make a check-list of what you want in an ideal holiday.

The first thing to consider is size or number of bedrooms– how many people do you need to sleep, do you want them all to have bedrooms, or are you happy to make do with a pull-out couch. Do you need a cot? Large properties that can accommodate more than one family tend to book out early, but smaller ones may have extra beds, in which case check how many bathrooms are available, and if there are any separate toilets. Try telling a toddler to wait for the toilet while when the only bathroom is in use!

Next consider location – not just the region of France, but whether you want to be in a rural farmhouse miles from anywhere, or within walking distance of a shop and restaurant. The idea of rural isolation is attractive until you have to get into the car every morning to buy your baguettes and croissants, and worse, you face a drive home after every meal out. (French drink driving laws are stricter, and random breath tests more frequent than in the UK or Ireland.) Also consider what there is to offer in the area for every member of the family – are you looking for museums and historical sites, or fun-parks and water sports?

Given our appalling summer in Northern Europe last year, most people going abroad this year are hoping for some heat and sunshine and if you're one of them, ask yourself do you want a swimming pool with your property, (private or shared) or easy access to a beach, lake or river where you can swim. Do you mind if the property is overlooked, or would you rather be private, do you want a garden, or is a terrace enough?

Next consider what facilities you expect to find inside the house. Most owners in France now offer linen and towels with the rental – some at an extra charge – but there are still some, particularly near the ferry ports or those who cater mainly for guests arriving by car, who expect their guests to bring their own. Many owners will provide a welcome pack – a nice touch, especially if it includes toiletries which cut down on your luggage. A washing machine and iron are fairly essential for anyone on a limited baggage allowance, and a tumble dryer is useful in case of rain and many changes of wet or muddy clothes. And on the subject of weather, in very hot conditions, like recent heat-waves for example, an electric fan is essential for any sane family holiday, especially for very young children who overheat easily. Ideally look for a fan in each bedroom. Some properties may even offer air-conditioning.

Other things you may want to add to your check-list are a barbecue, dishwasher, microwave, oven (some older properties only have a hob), a television (check if it's satellite or just local channels), hair-dryer, a dvd player, music player, and internet access.

Look before you go!

Before booking, see as many recent pictures of the property as possible. Listings alone will not tell you what condition the property is in, or how long since it was last decorated.

Finding a property

Newspaper ads: most daily and weekend papers carry holiday sections where both holiday companies and private owners advertise. Especially true for late availability.

Local tourist offices have lists of registered rental properties (useful in low season when you can travel without pre-booking).

Gites de Frances- Official organisation for registered, inspected gites. Books available in bookshops or through website:, : http://www.gites-de-france.com/ (online bookings possible)

Private agencies eg Purefrance (http://www.purefrance.com/) have listings of properties which they have inspected and can recommend, or ferry operators such as Brittany Ferries (http://www.brittannyferries.ie/) can book accommodation as well as travel. Agencies and tour operators handle payments and streamline the booking process.

Advertising websites are basically holiday rental listings sites and your contract will be directly with the owner. All descriptions are supplied by the owners and properties have not been inspected. Usually these sites have useful search filters: search by date, search by area, search by number of bedrooms, and then more specifically with pool, near beach, with garden etc. It is often possible to book through these sites using credit cards, or they may direct you to the owners website or contact details.

Worldwide sites eg http://www.villarenters.com/, http://www.holidayrentals.co.uk/

France specific sites: http://www.visitfrance.co.uk/, http://www.frenchconnections.co.uk/

Web search engines : be specific with your search terms to cut down on irrelevant sites. “self-catering aquitaine near village private pool” will provide more useful results than “holiday France”

Eating in France.

One of the joys of self-catering is that you get to choose what to eat, and when. And there is no better place than France to buy food or eat out. So make the most of it and try to introduce the family to foods they mightn't eat at home.

When eating out, especially with a family, on a budget, the best value is probably at midday, when a 'formule midi' (the staple diet of local workers who can't make it home at lunchtime) can offer four courses with wine for between €10 and €15. Have a look around and see which restaurants fill up with locals on your first few days, then arrive before 12.30 if you want to get a table. The other way to get recommendations is to check the welcome book in your gite to see if the owner has any favourite restaurants or the guest book to see if previous holiday makers have made any suggestions.

For eating in on holidays, if you don't want cooking to be a chore, it's a good idea to shop differently than you would at home. Buy your staples, then shop daily for fresh food, like the French would. The markets are the most enjoyable place to do this, and you will quickly be able to work out who sells the best produce by the queues in front of the stalls. Keep it simple – pile your lunch table with artisan bread, a few cheeses and meats, wild strawberries and peaches, and let everyone help themselves. Don't be afraid to ask for help when shopping.

Even without French, point for example at the fish display, say “pour barbecue?” in your best French accent, and the stall holder and other shoppers will happily advise on the best of the day's catch, in sign language if necessary. Another option are the freshly prepared hot foods in markets or on deli counters, usually as good as you would get in a small family restaurant. They're quick to heat up when you get back, there's no cooking, and the kids can run riot without bothering the other diners. For example no good French market is without a roast chicken stand, which you'll find by following your nose. There will also be other birds on offer (quails being popular with kids) and roast potatoes, dripping in the unhealthiest, tastiest gravy you're ever likely to eat.

Shopping for interesting food is also the best (and cheapest) way of introducing children to new foods. A tray of frozen snails stuffed with garlic butter is quick to heat up in the oven, but there's very little lost (and no embarrassment) if the entire family rejects it.

Getting There

By Air: Aer Lingus (http://www.aerlingus.com/) serves the larger airports eg Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon, Marseilles, Nice, Paris, Rennes.

Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com/) opens up a huge choice of smaller, regional airports, often close to holiday destinations

Aer Arrann (http://www.aerarann.ie/) offers flights to France from Galway, Waterford and Cork

Air France (http://www.airfrance.ie/) offers connections to most regional French airports via Paris.

By Ferry:

Irish Ferries:(http://www.irishferries.com/ ): Rosslare to Cherbourg or Roscoff on their new Oscar Wilde ferry

Brittany Ferries: (http://www.brittanyferries.ie/ ): Cork to Roscoff (They also offer a crossing from Plymouth to Santander in Northern Spain for those who want to take a car to the south of France but can't face the drive)

Celtic link: Rosslare to Cherbourg -this is primarily a container service that takes some car passengers. Service is basic but all meals are included in crossing fares. Keeps spending down, especially for large families.

LD lines: a new service due to start Oct 2008, Rosslare to Le Havre.

Land Bridge: Travelling by ferry to the UK and then onward to France offers a more frequent and often cheaper option. The channel tunnel is then an option.

By Train: There are excellent services from London (http://www.eurostar.com/) to destinations throughout France. An option worth considering for business travellers, late joining a family holiday.

Travelling around France:

By Car: if you have travelled by ferry you have your own car, and will be driving on towards your destination. French roads are well sign posted, but bring a good map or consider a gps system.

Print off a detailed route planner from http://www.viamichlin.com/ or http://www.mappy.fr/ (which also gives the locations of 'safety cameras').

Motorways are the best way to cover long distances and they provide frequent rest stops. Tolls operates on most routes apart from city ring roads.

Check out http://www.bisonfute.fr/ for up-to-date traffic conditions, roadworks and closures, and peak period warnings.

Rental car: Available at all airports and most major train stations. Book before leaving home to ensure that the local office is open when you arrive (virtually everything closes on July 14^th for example and Sundays are tricky in the smaller offices).

By Train Times and tickets on http://www.sncf.fr/ Although an English language version of the site is promised on the opening page, once you get down to local service level, it's all in French, but the site is still accessible. Trains, which are clean, frequent and punctual, are a good way of getting around in France, especially for visiting cities where you will be deposited right in the centre and not have to navigate or find parking.

An edited version of this article first appeared in the Irish Times 'GO!' Supplement of Saturday June 21st 2008