Are potatoes animals?

A humorous travel memoir, that takes us from London to Bruges; a cycle adventure in Holland; discovering paradise gardens in France; then on to Egypt; Spain; Belgium; California; the Loire Valley; Burgundy; Annecy; Barcelona; Stockholm; Italy; ending in Tenerife, where I have settled down to write.

The bulk of these adventures happened during my years of working as a freelance tour manager for various UK tour operators.

My journey is told from the point of view of a health- and eco conscious vegan, so in addition to the unusual experiences en route – such as being faced with an intruder during a Christmas spent at a French château or having to handle a delicate crisis in Egypt where a young passenger accused the boat’s captain of having attempted to rape her – I also share tried and tested health tips which have enabled me to remain in top form in spite of the challenges I encountered en route.

The book’s aim is not just to entertain but also to enlighten the reader about how easy it is to remain healthy and fit without having to spend a fortune, while at the same time caring for the well-being of the planet and all its inhabitants – both two-legged and four-legged.

All throughout my travels I was surviving on a shoestring budget. Thus the idea that living a healthy lifestyle is expensive is a counter-productive one: our health and that of the planet are intimately interconnected, so looking after the one is also looking after the other.

And isn’t our health our most precious possession of all?