Its Not About The Tapas A Spanish Adventure On Two Wheels

After working for four years at a leading London book publisher, Polly Evans moved to Hong Kong where she spent many happy hours as a senior editor on the city's biggest entertainment weekly. But fighting deadlines from a twizzly office chair and free use of the coffee machine seemed just too easy. So Polly exchanged the shiny red cabs of Hong Kong for a more demanding form of transport - a bicycle - and set off on a voyage of discovery around Spain. From the thigh-burning ascents of the Pyrenees to the relentless olive groves of Andalusia, Polly found more adventures that she had bargained for. She survived a nail-biting encounter with a sprightly pig, escaped over-zealous suitors, had her morality questioned by the locals, encountered some dubious aficionados on the road and indulged her love of regional cooking. While she pedalled, Polly pondered some of the more lurid details of Spanish history - the king who collected pickled heads, the queen who toured the country with her husband's mouldering corpse, and the unfortunate duchess who lost her feet. And wherever she cycled, she ate and ate - and yet still she shrank out of her trousers..

Single, stressed, and living amid the hustle and hurry of modern Hong Kong, Polly Evans had a vision: of mountains and orange groves, matadors and promenades–and of a glorious, hassle-free journey across Spain by bicycle. But like any decent dream, Polly’s came with its own reality: of thighs screaming with pain and goats trying to derail her, of strange local delicacies and overzealous suitors. In fact, like any great traveler, Polly had bitten off more than she could chew–and would delight in every last taste of it. Exploring the country that gave the world flamenco, chocolate, sherry, Franco, and Picasso, Polly takes us from the towering Pyrenees to the vineyards of Jerez de la Frontera, spinning tales of conquistadors and kings, vibrant history and mouthwatering cuisine. In the end, this hilarious, irreverent, always engaging memoir of a journey on two wheels unveils a lot about one modern woman, even more about an utterly fascinating nation, and countless reasons why it’s better when you do it on a bike..

Just as savvy travelers make use of guidebooks to help navigate the hundreds of countries around the globe, smart librarians need a guidebook that makes sense of the world of travel narratives. The book examines the subgenres of the travel narrative genre, categorizing and describing approximately 600 titles according to broad reading interests, and identifying hundreds of other fiction and nonfiction titles as read-alikes and related reads by shared key topics. This is an ideal guide for readers' advisors as well a book general readers will enjoy browsing..

Fulfilling the need for English-source material on contemporary Spain, this book supplies readers with an in-depth, interdisciplinary guide to the country of Spain and its intricate, diverse culture. • Serves as a general reference guide to Spain that presents historical information as well as details about everyday life in modern-day Spain • Covers a huge variety of topics ranging from sports and literature to gastronomy and geography • Addresses virtually every issue and concern related to 21st-century Spain • Provides the most up-to-date facts in a fair, unprejudiced manner • Connects relevant aspects of Spain with those of other countries, giving readers perspective into the obvious differences and subtle nuances between unfamiliar cultures.

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Award-winning author Steven Herrick journeys from the Highlands of Scotland to the Islands of the Mediterranean on a bicycle - a stirring 4,000 kilometre adventure along dedicated bike lanes and on rural back roads. Accompanied by his wife, Cathie and their two hardy bicycles christened Bruce and Aiwa, this is an absorbing meander from the craggy peaks of Scotland to the sun-baked landscape of Sardinia. The only past time more important than cycling is sampling the culinary delights of Scottish cafes, English pubs, French restaurants, Spanish tapas bars and the pizzerias of Sardinia. 'Cycling South' is a bicycle adventure, a restaurant safari and an entertaining handbook for those who enjoy slow food and long-distance cycling. Reviews for other Steven Herrick books in the EuroVelo Series: 'Simply put, I loved this book!' Amazon.co.uk review 'Honest, humble and entertaining whilst being seriously informative.' Amazon.com review 'I read this on my busy commute to work. It was a beautiful escape from being stuffed on a tube in central London. Im going to take up cycling now as a result.' Amazon.co.uk review 'Inspirational book for any middle aged men (or women) contemplating a mid life crisis on 2 wheels.' Amazon.co.uk review 'Really enjoyed this book, which is a witty, fast-paced trek across France.' Amazon.co.uk review 'If you enjoy cycling at any level, read this book. You will not be disappointed.' Amazon.co.uk review 'I laughed from start to finish. I could smell the French countryside... First class reading thoroughly entertaining and not a downside in it. J'taime.' Amazon.com review 'A great read and made me want to fly off to France and begin my own food filled cycle adventure.' Amazon.com review 'A pleasant, gentle stroll through France written in an amusing but engaging Australian manner & perspective.' Amazon.co.uk review.

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