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Discovering France in a Rowing Boat by Charles Timoney: book review



An Englishman Abroad – Discovering France in a Rowing Boat  (2013) is set along the Seine river from the source to the sea. This is the author’s third travelogue – living in France for more than 20 years. Charles took six months to build a 7-foot  rowing boat from a kit, with a sudden plan to travel along the Seine in a variety of river transport, with stops and starts throughout the year, taking in the sights, museums, and the French cuisine.

The book is written in three parts, representing the three parts of the Seine: (1) source to Paris, (2) the Paris area, and (3) Paris to sea. The Seine is ‘very bendy’ and 776 kilometres (470 miles) long – twice the length of The Thames in Britain.

His French wife, Ines, accompanies him on his journey. He begins in his rowing boat from Burgundy on the plateau de Langres (the source of Le Petit Seine). His rowing boat is classified as a menues embarcations – a very small craft – which is banned on Parisian waters, so in Paris he begins with a shuttle-boat from Maisons-Alfort to Parc de Bercy, a catamaran, and a Batobus (boat-bus). He gets back into his rowing boat from Bougival ‘shaken, but not stirred’ by passing barges.

On the third leg to the sea he travels on Serge’s barge, Dimitri’s small cruiser with a ‘whopping great outboard motor on the back’, Christophe’s 1963 amphicar (that looks like a convertible with propellers), Dominique’s large cabin cruiser, Jean-Francois’ sailing boat, then a bac (river ferry). For the last part he rows to the seaside city (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) of Le Havre and Le Pont de Normandie – the 257th and final bridge over the river Seine.

I think the title is long and misleading. It is not about discovering France, but about discovering the Seine – a very small part of France. And it is not in a rowing boat, but in any seaworthy vessel he can find. Perhaps the title of the book should be Discovering the Seine by Boat.

It is not an arduous adventure – it is more like a Sunday frolic in a row boat, interspersed with standing on a boat watching the scenery. The most interesting part was Part 3, from Paris to Le Havre, even though there was minimal rowing. Most of the rowing was in Part 1, from source to almost Paris. The Paris section was disappointing for there was nothing new or interesting. Neither is it remarkable literature – it is a random set of news and views on what he sees, eats, does, and meets along the way. Like the Seine, the book can be long and rambling. But I think the river is more interesting.

Nevertheless, for Francophiles and Timoney fans, there is some worthwhile reading. Readers learn about the confluence of the Aube river and the Seine, river vocabulary, the river level, the coypu (a beaver-like creature), French cider, the Bayeux Tapestry, and ‘dragees’ (sugared almonds). Along the way readers learn about Sequana – the Roman goddess of the Seine (from the word ‘squan’ meaning serpentine) – smelly Epoisses cheese, how to choose Champagne, the difference between ‘egorger’ and ‘degorger’ and why English children only ever read books about rivers.’







MARTINA NICOLLS is the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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