Q&A with Carole Bumpus

 

 

 

Carole Bumpus is the author of the new book Adventures on Land and Sea: Searching for Culinary Pleasures in Provence and Along the Côte d'Azur. It's the latest in her Savoring the Olde Ways series. A retired family therapist, she lives in Redwood Shores, California.

 

Q: What inspired your latest Savoring the Olde Ways book, Adventures on Land and Sea?

 

A: Thank you for asking. It was Peter Mayle’s book A Year in Provence that inspired my husband and me to take our first trip to Provence.

 

You see, he and his wife had moved to France as outsiders, so, we thought we, too, hailing from the U.S., could also make our way around the South of France without too much fuss and bother. They had struggled with the language, customs, and seasonal rhythms of place, so...

 

Ah, perhaps, we gave ourselves more credit than we were due, but we did persevere! No, we had no intention of moving to France permanently, or mastering the language, yet we were off to indulge in the search for the real Provence!

 

It all sounded so delicious, and yes, challenging. But we fell in love with all things Provençale: the beauty of the land and sea; the ancient Celtic and Roman history; the mystery and intrigue secreted in medieval villages, and, of course, the delectable foods found in bistros, along the sea, as well as in the Farmers’ Markets. Plus, the lavender!

 

But we especially fell in love with the people we met along the way—those who helped us with our poor French translations—on a menu or a wine list—or helped us reserve hotel rooms with no shared language—or greeted us each morning with a merry bonjour!

 

And, then there was the young lad, who sold us a Coca-Lite, and proudly told us we “spoke very good English!” Yes, we bumbled along, but we loved it so much that we returned again and again.

 

In this latest book, I chose three separate and unique trips to Provence to be included as a potpourri of the many experiences we had lived and loved: one featuring our “introduction to Provence,” the second, which focuses on the joys of cooking “traditional Provençale cuisine,” and the third, a delightful sail along the Côte d’Azur with my husband and friends.

 

Told first in my husband’s words, then translated out of “nautical speak” by me. It is a “he said/she said” take on the joys of sailing.

 

Q: What did you learn about Provence and its cuisine from writing this book?

 

A: Since Provence was once governed by both the Italians and French, it made perfect sense that the cuisine of Provence was an embrace of the best of Mediterranean cultures.

 

My greatest joy came from taking culinary classes in historical settings and learning about traditional dishes families continue to prepare after hundreds of years.

 

But one of my favorite classes was held in a restored 1 A.D. Roman stable in Arles. It was there I learned the importance of living next to the Rhône River, which had been used as a highway into France long before France was a country.

 

With the ebb and flow of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Celts, and Romans, the introduction of spices and flavors from faraway lands comingled with the produce and bounty of Provence along with the exchange of recipes through camaraderie along the Rhône River. Thus, the unique Provençale cuisine was born.

Q: Can one read the books in the series in any order?

 

A: Books One and Two are both called Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table and were written to be read in numerical order as it was one lengthy trip with too many stories to fit into one simple book. These trips were part of the historical research I was collecting for my novel, A Cup of Redemption. But they can easily stand alone. Book Three is my only foray into Italy.

 

But, for Book Four, I returned to my beloved France and Provence! Why? Because I luxuriate in the memories I have collected, and I have so many fun stories to share.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I received a review from one of my favorite French authors, Janine Marsh, which I believe captured what I had hoped readers would experience:

 

“Carole’s explorations of Provence are a pilgrimage of sorts, a return to the land and sea she worships, for the friends she meets along the way, the blunders and banter with her gang, and her manna from heaven – French cuisine. In reading Adventures on Land and Sea you can’t help but agree with her and yearn to be invited next time!” –A Good Life France

 

Q: What are you working on now? Will there be more volumes in your series?

 

A: I have set my regular series aside for the time being. I am in hopes of finishing a book I started about my travels with World War II veterans in 2009 and 2014 to the Côte d’Azur of France for the commemoration of the Second Landing in August 1944. (No, not the Normandy Beach Landings!)

 

Because I was researching World War II in France for my novel, A Cup of Redemption, I was asked to accompany a small contingent of U.S. Army WWII veterans and their families as their “war correspondent.”  

 

I sent daily stories and photos of their 10-day “Liberation Tour” to the newspapers and veteran’s groups back home and to the U.S. Army contingents.

 

From the coast—Nice and St. Tropez—we traveled up the Rhône River, through the French Alps, and into Strasbourg, stopping in 40 separate villages.

 

Four times a day these elderly gentlemen were honored by hundreds of French men, women, and children whose cry was, “We will never forget!” “We will never forget the gift of liberation and freedom you gave us in 1944!”

 

Our men were humbled by the honors bestowed, and they held their heads high! But the memories they carried from those 65 years or 70 years before were also painful, because they had survived when so many of their friends had not!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: No, but I appreciate your interest in my books. Thank you so much.

 

For those of you who are interested in all of my blog posts or other books, my website is: www.carolebumpus.com  

 

And to subscribe to my Substack newsletter, go to:  https://carolebumpus.substack.com/subscribe 

 

I would love to welcome you all "aboard."

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Carole Bumpus.