Out to Lunch in Provence
What makes someone write a book? We asked Mike Aalders, aka Trencherman to the readers of the Var Village Voice. Mike was kind enough to send us this contribution:
How did it happen? What makes someone write a book? Apart, that is, from the possibility of financial reward, fame and a huge ego trip. In my case I can honestly say that it was not the money, should my publisher break even on this I am sure he will breathe a vast sigh of relief and take me out to a jolly good lunch. The fame aspect seems to be working, although only amongst people I already know, so perhaps a little redundant. "The huge ego trip"; well huge is a little overstated but it was the kind of ego trip that crept up upon me.
It started some years ago on a coach trip to Venice for the Carnival, the trip started down here in the Var and was organised by the Var Village Voice; naturally they sent representation, in this case the Founder/Publisher, the editor, the chief feature writer and the head of advertising. These four people turned out to be none other than Anita Rieu-Sicart. After a drink or two one evening I admitted (boasted) that I had once worked for a newspaper. True it was only the Kensington Post, but it was a newspaper; I suggested that I should write a restaurant column for the VVV and to my shock and surprise, I was taken up on it. Hoist entirely by my own petard, and a fondness for red wine, I had to produce.
My view of the dining experience is that it is a "whole" experience, a roll up of atmosphere, service, food and attitude and even who you are with; a club sandwich of many layers and just as well, as down here it is possible to find some of the layers but rare to find them all in one place at one time. My column therefore developed a style of almost ignoring the restaurant in favour of how I felt that day, not exactly as informative as I might have been, but it amused me, as well as the guy who checked my spelling.
My only negotiating chip was to strike a bargain with my editor that I would work for free as long as my piece was not edited; the blue pencil would entail payment. Anita is a wonder and, on the enough rope principal, let me get on with it; then someone else suggested that I should turn these ramblings into a book and so during a particularly insistent mistral, I did. The result was published a couple of months ago as "Out to Lunch in Provence" (Kenneth Mason Publications Ltd, ISBN 978-0-85937-406-4). I am glad (or is that amazed) to hear that it is selling very well.
Mike Aalders
You can buy Mike Aalders' book directly from his publisher Kenneth Mason Publications Ltd.
To read Trencherman's latest contribution to the venerable Var Village Voice click here.
