Mort RosenblumThe Secret Life of the Seine

Years ago we went to Paris ( ten days ). I had read this book, which, in a personal, engaging way, brings the layers of life of the Sene over time, alive.We had two days only to drive into Normandy. Taking the main hiway, we crossed by auto ferry to the meandering side of the Seine around Jumieges. This was April and there were happy cows in acid green gass. Garden of Eden. Then apple orhards in glory! Beyond that, out of the mist, the ruins of Jumieges, I wanted to burst out singing ‘Camelot’.We only made it halfway from Paris to the sea. cause of time when we crossed over to take the slow way back to Paris. But it was our ( of many favs) favorite. Beautiful old villages. Small country paved roads. A sense of world war2. We were relaxed and took our time, but basically hit ***all the spots in the book.Highlights: Les Andelys, overnight at the Chaine d’Or. Not up to date at the time, but charming, right on the river. Their restaurant we count as the best meal in our life.

The author takes the reader up close and personal among the people who live and work on the Seine River. The book weaves both personal experience and history to describe life on this river. In a quirky side note, when I read this book I kept wondering how this writer could afford to live on river barge and maintain his aging vessel. I mean, it's hard enough to own and maintain a car in Paris. But a barge? If Henry Miller had written this book, one would hear in great detail how he begged, borrowed, and stole money to exist. I enjoyed this book, but kept scratching my head after I had finished it.

If you are interested in the plight of peniche and barge owners on the Seine(in the 1990's), and if you want some historical anecdotes culled from other authors, and info on the amount of tonnage that moves up and down the Seine, floods and navigability issues, then this is the book for you. This is definitely not an idyllic look at living on the Seine. A lot of the traveling between locations is done by car, and once on a Tourist Cruise line. The characters are mostly limited to people explaining the plight of the bargees and their possible future on the river. If you are looking for a Peter Mayle-style book, this isn't it. There are a few charming and funny moments in the first part of the book that lead you to believe that you are in for a "tour" of the river, it's food, beauty and local characters. Don't be fooled. I have spent many hours walking the the Paris Seine and there is definitely more romance than is captured in this book. Overall the book is very informative but not what the reviews lead to expect.

Barge people are eclectic, barges: unpredictable, got it. Like all the background starting with Romans. Will be nice to know some history of the places we will pass on our trip.

Mort's experience is invaluable! Mort's writing is insightful! A must read for anyone going to France or for even thinking about living on a body of water whether it be the Seine or the Pacific! And his book on Chocolate is a must read too.

There are so many inaccuracies in this book, that it is difficult to trust any of the "factual" information. In the first few pages of the book the author claims "at any point, during the first few miles, you can hop across without getting your feet wet". A remarkable feat given the Seine is approximately 100 yards wide, 400 yards from the source. The author may, as he claimed "started my river journey on foot" but clearly he didn't continue past the first bend in the river!Inaccuracies such as this, together with poor editing and an overuse of Ameican vernacular make this a very unsatisfactory read, particularly for someone without an American heritage.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Purchased and Read prior to my Riverboat trip down the Seine. Made my trip most enjoyable knowing a little history about the Seine River

Up and down the Seine, recounting history and telling stories. Good recreational read, short on some travel details.