The story tells of a lone traveller, Bede Jamieson, who makes a long cycle journey of 2,500 kilometres in the spring of 1989, through the main winegrowing regions of France—involving sightseeing, vineyard and winery visits, and other interesting encounters along the way. Bede, a lawyer on sabbatical from his busy commercial law practice, makes his journey in search of adventure and new challenges. He is keen to test himself in a country he perceives to be both romantic and culturally significant. He is an experienced road cyclist and a lover of fine wine.
To get away from one’s working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one’s self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change. (Charles Horton Cooley)
It was in late 1988 when Bede Jamieson was informed by his then law partners that it would be his turn to take two months’ extended leave, euphemistically called ‘sabbatical’, the following year. It was left to him to decide at what time of the year he would be away and his actual destination. With a background in French language studies, a recently discovered joy for road cycling and a well-established love of fine wines, his thoughts were that he should undertake a cycling tour of the main wine regions of France – a tour des vignobles, pour ainsi dire ( a tour of the vineyards, so to speak). Bede also had it in mind that should too much cycling prove a hardship, France was a country likely to offer compensations.
