Narrow Dog to Carcassonne: Two Foolish People, One Odd Dog, an English Canal Boat...and the Adventure of a Lifetime
Registered by 
GoryDetails
of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 5/26/2017
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 5/26/2017 This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
I thoroughly enjoyed Narrow Dog to Indian River, and wanted to read the earlier adventures of this "mature" British couple, their dog, and their travels via narrowboat - to regions where narrowboats were not meant to go!
Interestingly, I liked "Indian River" better than this book; if I'd started here I don't know if I would have been as inclined to read the later books. Not that this is bad, just that it seems more awkward and doesn't flow as well; perhaps the author warmed to his task. Anyway, as with that book, it's a mix of travelog and memoir, with many comedic turns, told in a dry and somewhat remote voice that, for me, makes things even more entertaining.
Here, Terry and his wife Monica, along with their "narrow dog" Jim (a whippet), decide to take their boat across the Channel and down the waterways from Calais to Carcassonne in the south of France. Everyone tells them this won't work - the Channel crossing alone is too dangerous, and the trip itself arduous. That doesn't stop them, though there are lots of details of the harrowing incidents that can threaten a long, thin, shallow-draft craft on open water or in waterways typically plied by huge barges and commercial craft.
Jim the dog is inevitably a star attraction, and occasionally a source of concern - he's not a happy sailor and likes to get off the boat whenever possible, with or without his people. Terry and Monica seem able to strike up acquaintance pretty easily wherever they go - and they need to, as the canal-boat lifestyle often puts them right next to other boats when docked, and the needs of maintenance, fuel, and supplies make them seek out suppliers whenever they can, even in small towns with few available resources. Overall it's an entertaining read, and there are some serious historical notes in between the personalities and boating mishaps. Now to read their final book, Narrow Dog to Wigan Pier...
Interestingly, I liked "Indian River" better than this book; if I'd started here I don't know if I would have been as inclined to read the later books. Not that this is bad, just that it seems more awkward and doesn't flow as well; perhaps the author warmed to his task. Anyway, as with that book, it's a mix of travelog and memoir, with many comedic turns, told in a dry and somewhat remote voice that, for me, makes things even more entertaining.
Here, Terry and his wife Monica, along with their "narrow dog" Jim (a whippet), decide to take their boat across the Channel and down the waterways from Calais to Carcassonne in the south of France. Everyone tells them this won't work - the Channel crossing alone is too dangerous, and the trip itself arduous. That doesn't stop them, though there are lots of details of the harrowing incidents that can threaten a long, thin, shallow-draft craft on open water or in waterways typically plied by huge barges and commercial craft.
Jim the dog is inevitably a star attraction, and occasionally a source of concern - he's not a happy sailor and likes to get off the boat whenever possible, with or without his people. Terry and Monica seem able to strike up acquaintance pretty easily wherever they go - and they need to, as the canal-boat lifestyle often puts them right next to other boats when docked, and the needs of maintenance, fuel, and supplies make them seek out suppliers whenever they can, even in small towns with few available resources. Overall it's an entertaining read, and there are some serious historical notes in between the personalities and boating mishaps. Now to read their final book, Narrow Dog to Wigan Pier...
Journal Entry 2 by GoryDetails at Mammoth Rd (see notes) in Pelham, New Hampshire USA on Sunday, March 18, 2018
GoryDetails at Mammoth Rd (see notes) in Pelham, New Hampshire USA on Sunday, March 18, 2018
Released 6 yrs ago (3/18/2018 UTC) at Mammoth Rd (see notes) in Pelham, New Hampshire USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
I left this book on a chair inside the Dunkin Donuts at 869 Mammoth Rd on this chilly afternoon; hope someone enjoys it!
[See other recent releases in NH here.]
*** Released for the 2018 Oh the Places We Can Go release challenge. ***
[See other recent releases in NH here.]
*** Released for the 2018 Oh the Places We Can Go release challenge. ***
